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Some General Stats, for those who enjoy such things:

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General notes & disclaimers go in here

1. For those peeps that care about such things, this site does use cookies. The cookies are used to communicate scale and position information of the map to the functional stuff of the site.
   
2. This site does not endorse trespass or any form of militant paddling activity.
   
3. Canoeing and kayaking are generally categorised as extreme sports and every year there are fatalities. Although anyone can buy a boat and paddle, we strongly recommend that all beginners attend a club, or venture forth with an experienced party member and take appropriate precautions with safety kit and the prevailing weather. These are brilliant sports/hobbies, great for exercise and adventure for all ages and experiences, so go out there, have fun, respect those your meet, enjoy and keep safe.

A Couple Of Opinions on The Legal Position

1. Historically, there was a general public right of navigation on all rivers subject only to the physical constraints of the river and the size/nature of the craft using them.
2. Mr. Justice Lightman (in the case Josie Rowlands v Environment Agency, 2002) said "Public Right of Navigation may only be extinguished by legislation or exercise of statutory powers or by destruction of the subject matter of PRN e.g. through silting up of the watercourse."
3. Other than specific Navigation Acts, there has been no legislation or exercise of statutory powers which has extinguished the general public right of navigation.
4. Therefore there is a common law public right of navigation on all rivers where the situation has not been changed by specific Navigation Act(s).

Source: River Access For All website.

1. From 1189 to 1600 there was a public right of navigation on all rivers which were physically usable.
2. Rivers were more navigable in the period 1189 to 1600 than they are now.
3. A right of navigation can only be extinguished by statute, statutory authority or the section of river becoming un-navigable.
4. There is, therefore, a public right of navigation on all unregulated rivers which are physically usable.

Source: Boats On Our Rivers Rev’d Douglas J.M. Caffyn.