Salisbury Avon

The Avon has headstreams in the Vale of Pewsey through which the Kennet and Avon Canal passes. It flows south, with many twists and turns and lower down many channels and islands, through Salisbury Plain along the western edge of the New Forest through Ringwood to Christchurch Harbour.

Under an Act of 1664 the Avon and part of the Wylye were made navigable up to Salisbury with locks, partly by artificial cuts and partly by using the natural river channel. It carried traffic in the early 18th century but was not adequately maintained and fell into disuse being replaced by a project to construct a canal to Salisbury by a totally different route. Some of the artificial cuts are recognisable on maps and on the ground, but many have vanished. The Act has not been repealed but it is now impossible to trace the course of the navigation continuously.

There is valuable coarse and salmon fishing on the lower part of the Avon and trout fishing throughout. All is strictly preserved..

There is a local access agreement for canoeing in the immediate neighbourhood of Salisbury.

In many places the river down to Christchurch Harbour runs through private parkland. To canoe this river needs permission from numerous riparian owners, especially the principal estates. There are very few ingress and egress points and many landowners will not grant permission.

The last two miles of the river are tidal.

Above Salisbury there are numerous obstacles and little detailed information. A rowing boat was reported in the press to have been taken the whole way from Pewsey for a wager in 1920 and again in June 1947. The distance from Pewsey to Salisbury is about 30 miles and from Salisbury to Christchurch about 40 miles.

RIVER BOURNE
A tributary of the River Avon for which there are no access agreements nor any possibility of permission being granted, and is therefore not canoeable.

RIVER EBBLE
A tributary of the River Avon for which there are no access agreements nor any possibility of permission being granted, and is therefore not canoeable.

RIVER WYLYE
A tributary of the River Avon for which there is no access agreement nor any possibility of permission being granted, and is therefore not canoeable. However, there is one stretch only through private land where a disabled group, which uses the estate in question, has access.

For further information please contact the L.A.O. (with self addressed stamped envelope please)

PLEASE DO NOT PADDLE THESE RIVERS WITHOUT CONTACTING THE L.A.O.

B.C.U. Local Access Officer
Mrs Joy Purchase
Wyletta
1B Woodstock Road
Salisbury
Wilts
SP1 3TJ

Tel: 01722 328586