Watersports
With 250 miles (402 kilometres) of coastline, and a superb selection
of inland waters - the East of England offers some of the best areas
for watersports in the country. Enjoy courses, lessons and holidays
Inland Waters - Bedfordshire, Essex
Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire
Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire
Bedford is home to one of Britain's leading provincial
rowing clubs. They hold a range of races and
regattas on the River Great Ouse. Learn to sail in
Bedfordshire at Priory Country Park in Bedford
and Stewartby Water Sports Sailing School
(nr. Bedford) who both offer courses and lessons.
At Box End Park in Kempston (nr. Bedford), you
can try your hand at waterskiing on the cable tow.
The University city of Cambridge is noted for its
college rowing teams. Look out for them practising
on the river. During the year, the unusual Bumps
Races are held - in which a number of boats chase
each other in single file, with each boat attempting to
catch the boat in front without being caught by the
boat behind. Why not enjoy a cruise along the river
aboard the famous punts? These are square-ended
boats that are steered with a pole. The helmsman
stands on the platform at the back of the punt, and
pushes the pole against the riverbed to move the
craft. Have-a-go yourself or hire a chauffeured one.
Stretching out from The Wash, The Fens are noted for their wide, open
landscapes with dramatic skies and sweeping vistas that stretch for miles.
Enjoy the area by hiring a boat for a day or longer - both cruisers and
traditional narrow-boats are available.
Enjoy a range of watersports in Cambridgeshire and Essex (sailing, wind surfing
and canoeing) at the Lakeside Leisure Watersports Centre, Peterborough; Mepal
Outdoor Centre (nr. Ely); Grangewaters Outdoor Education Centre (nr. Grays);
Lakeside Diving and Watersports Centre, Thurrock; and the Grafham Water
Centre (nr. St. Neots) - based at Britain's third largest man-made reservoir.
The Lee Valley Regional Park is a mosaic of landscapes and habitats - with
lakes and watercourses, nature reserves, meadows, farm and woodland,
inlaid with centres for leisure, sports, heritage and entertainment. The park
covers some 10,000 acres, and stretches 26 miles (42 kilometres) on both
sides of the River Lea, from the more rural areas of Hertfordshire and Essex, down
into the heart of London's East End. Broxbourne will provide the home of the new
White Water Canoe Centre (Canoe Slalom) for the London 2012 Games.
The Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage; Hertfordshire Young Mariners' Base,
Cheshunt; and Stanborough Park, Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire have
courses in sailing, wind surfing and powerboating.
Click here for our Inland Waters section.
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Inland Waters - Norfolk and Suffolk
The Broads are Britain's largest nationally protected
wetland. There are around 60 broads, connected by
the area's six rivers - making up to 125 miles
(200 kilometres) of lock-free navigable waterways.
The best way to see them is by boat - enjoy
regular excursions, or hire craft for day trips,
short breaks or longer holidays.
Large single-sailed craft called wherries were
specially built to navigate the shallow waters. For
over 200 years they worked in the area, supplying
rural villages, as well as carrying imports and
exports to and from the coast. Later they became
the first pleasure craft for holidays. Canadian-style
canoes can be hired too, with route maps
showing places of interest. Visit
www.enjoythebroads.co.uk for comprehensive
listings of boat hire operators, canoe hire and
learning to sail courses. Whitlingham Country
Park (nr. Norwich) has a large lake with a full
range of water-based activities.
Oulton Broad forms the southern gateway to
The Broads, and is one of the finest stretches of inland water in England.
There are regular powerboat events, with fixtures mainly on Thursday evenings
from the middle of April to September. Have-a-go yourself - with training boats
available. You can also learn to sail or try some canoeing at Oulton Broad
with the Suffolk Water Sports Association Further south is Alton Water
(nr. Ipswich), set in 400 acres of countryside - a great place to learn
how to wind surf.
Discover the landscapes that inspired Britain's greatest landscape artist John
Constable - head to Flatford Mill at East Bergholt (nr. Ipswich) or Dedham to hire
a rowing boat on the idyllic River Stour for an hour or two.
Click here for our Inland Waters section.
The Lee Valley Regional Park is a
mosaic of landscapes and habitats,
with lakes and watercourses, nature
reserves, meadows, open spaces,
farm and woodland
Coastal Waters - Norfolk and Suffolk
Seaside Hunstanton is noted for its kite surfing,
sailing and wind surfing - the town offers some of
the best conditions in the country for this latter
activity. Hunstanton Water Sports has
courses and holidays.
The unspoilt North Norfolk Coast with its creeks,
natural harbours and maze of saltmarshes is
a paradise for sailing. Pretty villages such
as Brancaster (nr. Hunstanton) and Blakeney
are very popular in the summer for pleasurecraft.
There are a number of clubs and schools, where you
can enjoy sailing and powerboat courses: Sailcraft
Sea School and Norfolk etc They are geared
up to cater for all levels, from novices through
to the experienced sailor.
Deep swells, good waves and ice-cold seas are
also fast making Norfolk a mecca for the surfer.
Good spots to take your board include East
Runton (nr. Cromer), Mundesley and Cromer.
The Suffolk ‘Sunrise Coast', features the seaside
resort of Lowestoft - set at Britain's most easterly point. Try your hand at the
exciting sport of kiteboarding at nearby Kessingland - with KiteboardingUK, who
run lessons for all levels. Kitesurf East Anglia also hold courses in Suffolk,
including a taster day. Or jump into the depths of the sea, with some safe and
enjoyable diving courses - courtesy of Learn Scuba in Lowestoft. At Southwold,
take ‘The Drive of your Life' as you join the skipper behind the wheel of the
Coastal Voyager for an exhilarating experience.
The Rivers Deben, Orwell and Stour are renowned for some of the best leisure
sailing on the east coast - home to waterside hamlets, boat-building yards,
marinas and schools. Enjoy sailing and powerboat courses with Anglia Sea
Ventures, Britannia Sailing East Coast, East Anglian Sea School and the
Suffolk Water Sports Association
Click here for our Coastline section.
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Coastal Waters - Essex
Essex is home to three major sailing centres.
Brightlingsea is the only Cinque Port outside Kent
and Sussex. West Mersea is set on Britain's most
easterly inhabited island, and has a popular wind
surfing club. Burnham-on-Crouch, known as the
'Cowes of the east coast', is home of the longest
running annual yacht regatta on the UK mainland.
Essex Outdoors at Bradwell (nr. Maldon); Crouch
Sailing School, Burnham-on-Crouch; North Sea
Yachting, Walton-on-the-Naze; and the Southend
Marine Activities Centre all offer a range of exciting
ways to get on the water - including sailing, jet ski
and wind surfing. Or why not learn to surf the
waves - with the Essex Kitesurf School at Southend.
The estuaries, backwaters and creeks of the Rivers Blackwater, Crouch
and Roach are dotted with little sailing hamlets, clubs and marinas. The
ancient hilltop town and sailing centre of Maldon is home port to the largest
fleet of fully rigged Thames Sailing Barges. With their rust brown sails and
broad, flat-bottomed hulls, they were once the principal way of transporting
goods and cargo between London and the east coast ports in the 19th C.
Today you can enjoy day trips, weekends or holidays: Thames Sailing
Barge Trust, Topsail Charters Limited and Traditional Charter Annual
barge races are held at Pin Mill (nr. Ipswich), Brightlingsea, Maldon
and Southend-on-Sea.
Click here for our Coastline section.
