Montford Bridge to Shrewsbury – one way trip with flowing water
This popular 12 mile route starts by the old bridge at Montford where for a small fee you can launch using the steps under the bridge that was Thomas Telfords first bridge design, The route meanders out into the Shropshire country side far away from the noises of day to day life. You should plan between 4 and 5 hours paddling at a relaxed pace and pack a good picnic to enjoy along the way. Theres only one section of note called ‘Bromley Forge’ where at low water levels a gravel bank on river left push the flow into a line of bushes on river right, this can be easily avoided by trying to stay central. At the end of the trip its best to land before the first bridge in town where you will find a accessible slipway on the right or you could stop at the Terrace for a refreshment at the end of your trip by parking up at their access point before paddling directly opposite to exit at Frankwell carpark.
Distance: 12 miles
Shuttle: if you only have the one vehicle then drop your boat at Montford Bridge and drive to the end before catching the X5 bus back to Montford Bridge (doesn’t run on Sundays)
Launch fee: £2 per person
Parking: plenty at either end
Boat hire: www.hireacanoe.com
Shrewsbury town loop – Return trip with flat, slow flowing water
Explore the historic medieval town of Shrewsbury from the river as you set off down stream its important to stick to river right as there will likely be rowing boats and the tourist boat using the river. The first thing you come across is on your left where you will see the old town walls under the road by the pillars and a set of ancient steps that are worn from centuries of use. The first major bridge you reach is called the ‘Welsh Bridge’ as its in the direction of Wales, Further along you pass the large park called ‘The Quarry’ and at the top of it you can see the unusual shaped 150 year old ‘St Chads Church, on your right is the Shrewsbury school which is the same school that Charles Darwin went to school. The point for turning is a stone bridge named ‘English Bridge’. On your way back you will notice the gentle flow slows you down a little so if you stay river right the flow is slightly less strong. You have a couple of refreshment options including the ‘Coleham Tap’ and the Boat House Known locally as ‘the boaty’.
Distance: 3miles to English bridge and back
Parking: Frankwell carpark (pay and display, no height barrier)
Launch fee: none
Boat hire: www.hireacanoe.com
Iron Bridge to Bridgnorth – One way trip with a grade 2 rapid
An action packed route that is suitable for those with a little more experience. Starting off at Dale end car park and heading out onto a flat section of river where you can gently float under the historic Iron Bridge marvelling at the engineering behind the worlds first cast iron bridge built in 1779 , keep your eyes on the left bank after the bridge and you will see the Bedlam Furnaces that really give you a sense of how Iron Bridge would have felt like Mordor, and, its by here that the river starts to pick up pace with a shingle rapid pushing you into the left wall and its hanging spiky blackberries. Passing under the ‘New’ bridge you will start to become aware of the horizon line and noise from Backfields rapids, the lower the water levels the bigger the rapids become, the line is on the right side of the river and either just to the side of the big wave or straight through it depending on how adventurous you are feeling. Beyond the rapids you pass the Half Moon pub (start here to avoid the grade 2 Backfields rapids) on your right that has a slipway for easy access and then you begin to descend into the beautiful wooded gorge thats interspersed with shingle rapids and flat sections, worth noting that phone signal is poor throughout this section. When you pass a castle shaped industrial building along a long flat section of river this indicates you are near the end, the egress slipway in on river left in Severn Park.
Distance: 9.1miles
Parking: pay and display at both ends with a 7ft height barrier at the Bridgnorth end.
Shuttle: 2 vehicles or join the old railway line for a rough but surfaced cycle back
Bridgnorth to Arley – One way trip with steam train return shuttle.
Arguably the most popular section of the River Severn with many companies offering canoe hire here. You start by heading down and through Bridgnorth being careful of the old bridge in town that at low water pushes the flow at the right leg creating a pin hazard that has caught out many unwary canoe hirers. Heading down through the rolling hills of the Severn valley you are immersed in the beauty of the English countryside mixed with the noise of the occasional steam train puffing back and forth along its riverside line. The route has a good mixture of flat waters to lay back and relax and then faster flowing shingle type rapids around islands. Just above Arley at the end is a note worthy shingle rapid that at low water forces you into an overhanging tree mid flow, here if inexperienced its best to stay river right and portage over the beach. At the end of the trip if you have hired a canoe land on river left or if in your own you can land river right which is closer to the train station and Harbour inn pub.
Distance:
Parking: Large car park at Severn Park with 7ft height barrier
Shuttle: Heritage train back from Arley
Boat Hire: Click here
Newtown to Abermule – Grade 2 white water trip
The classic grade 2 white water trip on the River Severn that starts high up the river in Newtown that starts with a grade 2 (3 in high water) rapid, you can skip this and use the steps at the bottom of the rapid to enter, there’s a great inspection point from the footbridge by the carpark. The route is best paddled at around 0.85m on the gauge at Newtown and provides a continuous bouncy grade 1 flow with a couple of slightly bigger rapids thrown in (nothing more than grade 1).
It’s important to be aware of the weir in the middle of this route, it cannot be paddled and has claimed lives in the past.
On the portage route of the weir there’s a nice bird hide to have your lunch sat inside.
The route takes around 3 – 4 hours at a relaxed pace and ends just before the Abermule iron bridge on the river left. you can use the canal to reduce the distance carrying your boat back to the layby but be aware it is quite often overgrown/empty and difficult to paddle through.
Distance: 5.2miles
Parking: large pay and display car park at the launch with no height barrier, smaller layby at the end on the roadside.
Shuttle: 2 vehicles needed
Download Wild Otter to get exploring the great outdoors
