RIVER CALDER (Thornholme Farm to Sellafield)

[Mark R]

Guide.

[Monkey Magic]

Big and brown...

[Chris Bolton]

I recommend that paddlers take out at the public footpath by the sewage works upstream of the site (grid ref 036050), and don't attempt to paddle the section that runs through it. This is one of the few sections of river in the UK where there actually is legislation on access - The Official Secrets (Prohibited Places) Order 1994 - and anyone paddling (or fishing or being there at all) is liable to be recorded on CCTV, arrested by armed police and prosecuted. I know access has been tolerated since that legislation was passed but expect it to be enforced in future.

Chris

[Jim Pullen]

Really? There's fences on both sides of the river, even though you're paddling through Selafield there's no way you'd be able to get on the site itself. Also there's fishing club signs on these fences indicating that a club uses the river here - surely they have permission?

[Poke]

I recommend that paddlers take out at the public footpath by the sewage works upstream of the site (grid ref 036050), and don't attempt to paddle the section that runs through it. This is one of the few sections of river in the UK where there actually is legislation on access - The Official Secrets (Prohibited Places) Order 1994 - and anyone paddling (or fishing or being there at all) is liable to be recorded on CCTV, arrested by armed police and prosecuted. I know access has been tolerated since that legislation was passed but expect it to be enforced in future.

I'd be interested to know where you got this from, as it's the opposite to what I've been told in the past by people in the know...

Anyway, just a quick report that there are trees down about 500m upstream of Calder Bridge, spanning the whole river... Just downstream of Calder Abbey if you know where that is... Portageable on river right, but I don't actually know what the availability of eddies is like as I don't know exactly where the trees are - this is second hand info! Post here if you know more!

[Poke]

Update on the tree:

The original tree has gone, went in the recent flood, but has been replaced by a monster tree 90 degrees to the flow blocking the river, portage on river right.

[penrithkeswick]

[quote="Poke"]Update on the tree:[quote:1k0nm6zf] The original tree has gone, went in the recent flood, but has been replaced by a monster tree 90 degrees to the flow blocking the river, portage on river right.[/quote:1k0nm6zf][/quote]Or it's possible to get out at the first bridge just before the abbey, maybe a safer option?

[longview13082]

I know you guys have posted about this before but I think its really important to note:

This tree is HUGE and spans from one bank to the other. In med/high flows there seem to be few eddies and even then you'll be clinging onto the bank. Portage on the right if you can. Left hand portage takes about 30 mins (steep bank).

We took a group of 10 down (mainly intermediates) and stopped at the first bridge. There is a right hand bend (with grade 3 feature?) and Calder abbey comes into view..this is the last group eddy River right but risk swimmers floating downstream into the tree. Not worth it in my opinion..

Has anyone reported this to the EA?

Cheers,

Lew

[Rachel T]

Anyone done this recently? Is that huge tree still there or any or other problems know?

Thanks
Rachel T

[Mark R]

A river-wide tree currently blocks the river in an S-bend gorge, maybe 1.5km below Calder Bridge. As the sun had already set a while before, we egressed to the road on river right.
(Dec 2022)

[Mark R]

PS No other blockages encountered before on this section.

[Mark Gawler]

I've just added a Map to the guide guessing the putins and takeouts from the description. Can you really kayak through Sellafield?

[Chris Bolton]

Can you really kayak through Sellafield?

Physically, you could last time I looked, but that was over 5 years ago and it may have changed. Legally, no, see my 2012 post above. Poke queried my source but at the time I was advised not publicise that I worked for Sellafield and was involved in a project to improve security round the river. I've been retired for over 5 years and the project as I knew it wasn't implemented, so I can say that now, and the legal situation as I described it is correct. Using the river where it passes through is illegal, and Sellafield strongly discourage any attempts.