Boating On The River Stour
The River Stour is a statutory navigation and a right to travel by boat along the whole river is still preserved. Almost half of the river is now re-opened for use as a through navigation for boats (from Sudbury to Great Henny on the upper reach and from Stratford St Mary to Brantham on the lower reach). However, the remaining locks, which provided through navigation on the unrestored central section, are largely derelict or have disappeared, and the Trust continues to work towards restoring these and other obstacles to enable boats to navigate the whole river.
Bylaws provide that from Ballingdon bridge (Sudbury) to Great Henny, boats with engines may be used, but are subject to a strict speed limit of 4 mph, which does not create wash or damage to the banks. However, boats with engines are precluded from using the river below Great Henny, unless they were licensed at the time of the Anglian Water Act 1977. Currently, only boats light enough to maneuver around many the obstacles may use the river below Great Henny. This restricts most of the river to canoes although, even for such small craft, the river is not sufficiently navigable to allow easy passage along its entire lower section.
River Stour Trust volunteers offer boat trips from Easter to October so that members of the public can enjoy the beauty of Constable country.
Read more about this topic: River Stour Trust
Famous quotes containing the word river:
“If a walker is indeed an individualist there is nowhere he can’t go at dawn and not many places he can’t go at noon. But just as it demeans life to live alongside a great river you can no longer swim in or drink from, to be crowded into safer areas and hours takes much of the gloss off walking—one sport you shouldn’t have to reserve a time and a court for.”
—Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)