Bath Boating Station

Bath Boating Station offers Thames Skiffs (rowing boats to you and I!), Canadian canoes or punts for a day's jaunt on the water where you may well encounter residents such as kingfishers, herons and otters! You can hire your vessel by the hour or by the day and should be guided by your mobility levels, with each type demanding differing energy input.

Canoes are propelled by paddling, but double paddler kayaks are also available so at least you can share the work! The punts are pushed along manually with a long pole, which you are shown how to use before setting off. Skiffs must be sculled amidships (rowed from the centre, come on landlubbers, keep up!) but again there is a larger variety where 2 may row together while the passengers steer with the rudder.

The scenery is pleasant, the atmosphere nicely wild for the area and the water is steady, so it's as great a spot for total beginners as it is for seasoned water rats. Because of the wonderful variety of boats and routes available this is a delightfully flexible option too.