HELPFUL INFO

What you need to bring for a day on the river

Please note we do not provide wetsuits. It is important that you consider the list below and determine what else you might wish to bring:

• * Appropriate clothing for the activity such as tracksuit bottoms, gym kit, trainers, or wetsuit shoes. Jeans are not advisable!
• * Waterproof jacket
• * A change of clothes, towel, and shoes
• * Bikini or swim shorts and a woolly hat if swimming, even in the summer.
• * Sunblock and sun protection
• * Personal medication that might be needed during the day (we have dry bags and containers available)
• * A snack or picnic appropriate for the length of the trip planned.

We can also offer canoe and camping trips, hen and stag parties, paddling lessons, and kids parties. 

Anna 

"3 of us spent yesterday morning kayaking from Kempston Mill to Cardington Lock. We organised it last minute and the team at Canoe Trail was really accomodating. They met us at Kempston Lock (it's right by the King William pub) an gave us a little briefing, which helped me feel a bit more confident, having not done anything like it before. we put our essentials into the provided dry bag and set off. We had a beautiful 3 hours. The river between Kempston and Bedford is stunning, with trees and waterlillies, ducks, geese and fish. It was nice seeing the centre of Bedford from a different angle and passing under rather than over the bridges! You need to lift the kayaks out the water at Bedford School rowing club to move to the lower river so we had a quick snack at Longholme coffee shop, although taking a picnic would be just as nice. We then did the last stretch from there to Cardington Lock, passing Priory Marina and Barns Hotel. It was again stunning, much more open than the first stretch, with the highlight of seeing a heron. Physically we're fairly active people, but not mega fit by any stretch and coped fine with the physical nature of it. I'd highly recommend Canoe Trail and this route to anyone wanting to spend a relaxed half a day doing something a bit different."