Liverpool Canoe Club – Junior Club Trip to Chester Weir – 29 March 2026

Eight of us met at Sandy Lane car park for a junior paddle on the River Dee through Chester. It was a good day for it – clear enough to see what we were doing, with a steady flow on the river.

We paddled downstream past Chester Canoe Club and Deva Canoe Club, sticking to river right to stay out of the way of the rowing boats charging up and down.

At the weir, we got out for a proper look. We checked both the steps and the main ramp, and made sure we knew where the exits were on river left. Deva CC were just finishing up at the bottom, which gave us a good chance to watch the conditions before heading back to our boats.

Once back on the water, people chose their lines. Some went straight for the steps, while others took on the middle. Rosie, paddling a sit-on-top with Mandy, did a great job getting down. Clara and Anna both followed with really confident, stylish runs.

We had a go at a few break-ins below the weir, but it was pretty cold, so it didn’t last long. After that, we went for one final run. This time, everyone chose the steps, and Clara stole the show a bit – playing around on the middle step and pulling off a great roll in the bouncy water.

Once everyone was down safely, we got the boats out using Keith’s throwline and got moving again. The paddle back to Sandy Lane helped warm us up a bit, although the timing wasn’t great – just as we finished, the skies opened with some seriously cold rain.

Boats were loaded quickly, and we headed off, with a quick stop at McDonald’s to warm up and chat about future junior trips.