River Don - navigable?

[mrcharly]

I'm looking to move to the Peak district and checking out various areas.

What is the river Don like, upstream of Sheffield (and indeed, through sheffield)?

Would prefer at least 2ft of water; I do K1 paddling, not rock gardening.

How about as far as Dunford Bridge?

[Chris Bolton]

I've never been there, but was intrigued by the question. There are lots of weirs all the way up, so it's unlikely to get a worthwhile run in a K1 even if it's deep enough. The rowing clubs (City and University) use Damflask Reservoir.

[Sean_soup]

I do K1 paddling, not rock gardening.

The Peak is lovely for lots of other outdoor activities, but if paddling is important to you best adjust your expectations now - it's pants.

The Upper Don is occasionally runnable as a fun grade 3ish white water run from Deepcar to Oughtibridge when the levels are unusually high. (Levels drop rapidly after the rain stops, you have to be quick off the mark.)

Again when levels are high, it's also paddleable from either Malin Bridge (initially on the Loxley) or Hillsborough right through the city and out to Meadowhall, but there are many weirs (all shootable) and it can be a bit of a scrape in places. A couple of the weirs provide fairly meh playspots.

No good to you in your K1 though.

There's a canal, various navigations and navigable bits of the Don downstream of Meadowhall, through Rotherham, Mexborough and on a bit - I've never explored those. Have often meant to as a means to clock up a few winter miles in my sea kayak, but just never quite seem to find the motivation.

Of the various options to pay to paddle on a lake/reservoir etc., the best value for money would be to join the club at Manvers which gets you access to their lake most days without a further fee. And the most pleasant & scenic is probably Ladybower when the fishery* there is running 'paddlesport' sessions. (Currently Saturdays only I think but they might put on another day or two during the summer, it's still a bit experimental. Severn Trent require them to get various waivers signed, put on a 'safety boat' and provide rescue cover so it's not worth their while running a session unless there's a fair bit of demand.)

*(Friendly anglers in the Peak District - incredible, but true.)

[mrcharly]

Thanks, Sean.

There is a canal in Chesterfield (but that club doesn't do any K1/hasler). Ditto Sheffield.

Bollington seems to be the nearest.

My other option is to ensure I'm commutable distance from Cambridge, and rejoin my old club.

[Sean_soup]

Bollington seems to be the nearest.

I'm not sure what counts as commutable distance but if you were a bit to the South of Sheffield - Dronfield, Chesterfield or thereabouts maybe, I think that would put you more or less equidistant between Bollington and Holme Pierrepont. (About an hour's drive either way.)

Edit to add: If you're also a sea paddler - South a bit into Derbyshire also just pips Sheffield to the post as the furthest away from the sea that's it's possible to be in the UK.

[mrcharly]

HP is just sprint paddling though, isn't it? The lake is only 2km long.

Don't want to be a long drive from a training point. Kayaking is something I do after work to relief stress (and for the craic). Add a 40min drive to that and it kind of loses the point.

If I could find somewhere nice near a canal, that would do for the day to day training.

[Sean_soup]

HP is just sprint paddling though, isn't it?

No idea tbh, sorry.

[mrcharly]

I've only just found the Peak Forest Canal. That's a good venue for training, so it gives me an area to look at.