2025 12 13 River Ribble, Edisford Bridge to Ribchester – Progression to White Water

Section: Edisford Bridge to Ribchester
Level: 0.616 m on the gauge

Kayaking the River Ribble from Edisford Bridge to Ribchester proved to be a popular and scenic winter paddle, ideal for intermediate paddlers. Although the river level was slightly lower than expected at around 0.616m, there was still ample water for a largely scrape-free and enjoyable trip.

For most of the group, this was their first time paddling the Ribble, and we were fortunate with the conditions. The weather was bright, sunny, and very cold, but it certainly didn’t disappoint.

On the water, we made time to play, practising eddy breakouts, eddy ‘ins’, and ferry glides. A reverse ferry glide proved more challenging than expected (less about technique, more about flexibility!), but overall, the water was forgiving and not too demanding.

River foam comes from natural sources like decaying plants/algae (releasing organic surfactants) or human pollution (detergents, sewage, firefighting foams), all reducing water’s surface tension so air gets trapped by turbulence (wind/currents) into stable bubbles.

We continued downstream to the stony section west of Siddows, which had enough water for a clean run provided you avoided the odd lurking rock. After passing beneath the aqueduct, it was another 300 m to Mitton Weir. This weir has a strong tow-back extending beyond a boat length and should always be portaged.

Passing Great Mitton Church and Hall, we were reminded of the old suspension footbridge, which was washed away during the Boxing Day floods of 2015—the original bridge stood just as high as the current one.

A short gorge section followed, offering a few interesting rapids before we headed down the long straight towards Ribchester Bridge. This stretch often involves battling a strong headwind, but today did not disappoint despite the sunny conditions.

With the sun slowly setting in the west, we paddled the final few kilometres, enjoying the peaceful winter light. Once off the water, cars were retrieved, boats loaded, and tradition upheld with a welcome stop at the Potters Barn Café before heading home.

A great day on the Ribble and definitely one to repeat.

Paddlers:
Noah, Nick, Ian, John, Chris, Ian, Gary, Dominic, Daniel, Keith