This list is intended to give guidance. Leaders should seek further advice or consult guidebooks to gain more detailed information. Some rivers will change their designation at higher o lower flows. This should be taken into account when selecting a river for a trip.
For rivers in high flood or spate, or with long complex rapids or high falls that can not be adequately protected, careful consideration should be given to risk assessment and how incidents might be dealt with.
Beginner
- Brathay
- Dee (Dent to Rash Bridge),
- Eamont( Brougham castle to Eden),
- Eden, (Appleby to Lanagwathby or Lazonby( portage Eden Lacey falls))
- Derwent Bassenthwaite to Cockermoth or Cockermouth to Workington)
- Eden (Musgrave to Appleby ), Appleby to Lazonby (portage Eden Lacy falls)
- Kent (Burneside to Scroggs weir),
- Lowther (Bampton to Askham),
- Lune (Killington Sessions),
- Lune (Kirkby Lonsdale to Hornby or Hornby to Crook of Lune)
Improver
- Border Esk ( Canonbie to Longtown)
- Caldew (to Sebergham or Sebergham to Carlisle)
- Cocker
- Duddon (Below Ulpha Bridge for 2km)
- Eamont (Ullswater to Brougham castle)
- Eden ( Lazonby to Armtahwaite)(Portage Armathwaite weir)
- Eden (Armathwaite to Wetherall )
- Esk
- Irthing (to Crammel Linn),
- Kent (Stavely to Burneside)
- Liddel Water (Newcastleton to Penton Bridge)
- Lowther (Rosgill to Brampton)
- Lune (Killington → Rawthey Conf) at a low level
- Lune (Tebay to Beck foot)
- Lune ( Rigmaden to Kirkby Lonsdale)
- Lyvennet,
- Rawthey New Bridge, Sedbergh to Lune confluence (Brigflats gauge below 1.3)( see more information below)
- Rothay
- Tees (Cotherstone to Barnard Castle)
- Wenning (Clapham Station to Bentham or Wennington or Hornby)
Intermediate
- Borrow Beck, Crake (trees)
- Dee ( Rash Bridge to Rawthey)
- Duddon (Hall Dunnerdale to Ulpha Bridge)
- Great Langdale Beck (Portage PiIlar falls)
- Greta (Keswick up to 2.0m at Riddings Wood gauge)
- Greta (Ingleton)
- Hindburn (Portage Falls)
- Little Langdale Beck
- Irthing Lower, Kent, ( Kentmere to Staveley)
- Kent ( Scroggs weir to just above Sedgwick bridge)
- Lowther (Askham to Brougham castle)
- Lowther (Wet Sleddle to Rosgill)
- Lune (Beck Foot to Killington)
- Lune (Killington → Rawthey Conf)
- Mint, Ribble ( below 0.7)
- Scandale Beck (Trees)
- Swindale Beck ( (Lowther)
- Tarras water
- Tees (Middleton to Cotherstone)
- Tees (BC to Winston Bridge)
- Upper Derwent
- Rawthey To Lune confluence on Brigflats gauge over 1.0)
Advanced
- Artle beck,
- Arkle Beck (Trees!)
- Calder, Clough
- Cowside Beck
- Upper Duddon to Seathwaite
- Greenfields Beck/Upper Wharfe
- Greta (Keswick -above 2.0m at Riddings Wood gauge)
- Irthing (from Crammel Linn)
- Kent ( Sedgwick gorge and Force falls
- Kent (Cowan Head), Leck Beck
- Liddel Water ( Penton Bridge)
- Leith (Trees!), Lune (Tebay Gorge)
- Newlands Beck, Rawthey (Upper)
- Ribble ( above 0.7)
- Roeburn, Sprint
- Tees (Low Force Section)
- Troutbeck,
- Upper Calder
Easy river trips are for those with an understanding of paddling rivers who would just like a day out. NOT suitable for beginners. There may be rapids up to grade 2.
- Derwent, Grange Bridge to Portinscale bridge, Bassenthwite to Cockermouth, Cockermouth to the sea
- Lune, 400m below Rawthey confluence ( from bridleway in woods)to Rigmaden Bridge, Devils bridge to Hornby, Hornby to Halton, Halton to the sea
- Ribble- Settle to?, Clitheroe to Ribchester, and lots of other possibilities
- Ure – Hawes to lay-by before Aysgarth, Wensley to Masham, Masham to Ripon
- Eden- Kirkby Stephen to Great Musgrave, Great Musgrave to Appleby, Appleby to Temple Sowerby, Temple Sowerby to Langwathby, Langwathby to Lazonby, Wetherall to Carlisle, Carlisle to Rockliffe.
- Border Esk- Canonbie to Longtown or Metal Bridge, Garwaldwaterfoot / Eskdalemuir to Enzieholm bridge, Enzieholm bridge to Langholm.
- Irthing- Lanercost to Newby East
- Liddle-Newcastleton to Penton Bridge, 600m below Penton Bridge to Longtown
- Esk- Forge bridge to Ravenglass
- Irt, In case you were wondering. Swift flowing and has many low branches and trees across the river. One easy grade 3 but trees across entail hard eddy and portage through garden so river is not possible until this is removed
- 2 day easy river trips
Annan- Moffat to Annan, Nith Drumlanrig to sea, Loch Ken and river Dee.
Rawthey at 1.3
Sedbergh New Bridge (Lower Rawthey put on) Picture guide to levels around 1.3m Brigflats. As the gauge is somewhat further downstream, then this only equates when the river is slowly dropping. These pictures are of bridge stanchion on right side, downstream; i.e. just where you usually launch.
From where the arch meets the stanchion, there is half a brick below, then three more bricks with the last one having horizontal crack in it. The bottom of thi brick is about 1.3. Below that is a little ledge. When the water is lower there is a concrete apron too.
Lakeland Canoe Club 