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Harefield slalom site is located along Coppermill Lane on the
outskirts of Harefield, opposite the Coy Carp public house (formally The
Fisheries). St Albans & Hertsmere Canoe Club's site is on the Grand Union Canal,
approximately 1 mile from Harefield town Centre and 3 miles from M25 junction
17.
The
flow is created by water flowing through two sluice gates, making for an easy
grade 1 - 2 most of the year. St Albans paddlers use the site all year round as
a training site with permanent gates. The training sessions make for an ideal
introduction for beginners and a good place to learn white water canoeing
skills. In fact a number of British team paddlers learnt their initial skills at
Harefield!
Access is from the canal bank across the road from the
public
house car park (although the car park cannot be used by competitors during the
event at the end of July). It is recommended that you wear something on your
feet as you will have to walk across the car park and along the road to the
canal bank to the access point.
During winter months the water levels can change
quite quickly, going from small jets to large jets of water through the sluices
with some quite strong eddy lines and strong currents that can catch out even
Premier and Division One paddlers. During the summer we maintain a reasonable
level of flow except in the driest spells! At the slalom, camping can be found
behind the pub car park in an adjacent field about 100 metres from the slalom
site. |
