Howsham Weir

Phil Stephenson

Map 100 Grid Reference SE732625

Nearest postcode YO60 7PW

LOCAL MAP

Howsham is Lower Wharfe CC’s slalom training site. It is located about 12 miles east of York. The weir itself is about 150 metres long with a drop of about 8 metres in low water. There is a chute in the weir built in for canoeists.

In high water the weir gives a playful stopper along its length but the chute is just a big hit of a stopper. In low water the chute produces narrow standing waves with sharp eddies either side that make quick exciting crosses.

Below the weir where the river narrows there are a number of permanent single poles, thanks to Alan Cardy’s forward thinking! This section is flat flowing water with usable eddies. On training nights bearers are put across to add extra gates. Negotiations are currently underway to have permanent lines erected.

When using the site, parking is downstream of the weir by the road bridge. Get in either side of the bridge and paddle up to the weir. There is a public footpath either side of the river for non-paddlers.

LWCC main training night is on Tuesdays at 6:30pm during summer daylight saving times.

POSTCODES: Because a lot of people use satnav to find unfamiliar places, we include postcodes. Bits of river don't really have postcodes: we show the one for the nearest address we can trace. Using these should get you somewhere near the site but you might find yourself ½ km away, and even on the wrong side of the river. If you can offer a better postcode for any of the courses, email it to .