2 star trip: Thames Backwaters, 6 June 2009

A paddle on the backwaters of the thames and St patrick stream

We parked in Wargrave, at a public carpark, the put in to the Thames is across at the traffic lights and then down to the right - its a small road, though i wouldn't drive anything smaller than a car down it.

We paddled up the river to shiplake lock, where there is a friendly portage peir on the left hand channel that puts you in right across in front of the lock. we then paddled futher up stream til we met the inlet to st patricks stream on our left hand side. St Patricks stream was fast flowing and bendy - a lot of fun. It widens out as it is joined by the River Loddon past which there were lots of opertunities for practising gentle breaking ins and out, as well as ferry gliding. The stream rejoins the Thames just between the put in and shiplake lock, and its an easy paddle down to The St George & Dragon pub - which we eat or lunch outside om a grass bank, buying tea and coffee and using their facilities (their lunch service being rather slow when we tried).

After lunch we paddled