Canoe Days Out

Cheshire - River Dee - Bangor-on-Dee to Farndon

This page was submitted by Jim Thornton (E-mail this submitter)
How to get there - From Whitchurch take the A525 to Bangor-is-y-Coed. Leave the bypass, drive into Bangor itself and park behind the Royal Oak Pub next to the old bridge. If approaching from Wrexham you can drive straight into the village over the old bridge which is only open to cars one way. The Royal Oak was temporarily closed in 2007. The previous owners allowed camping, and we camped there quite happily in 2007, using the facilities in the other pub, the Buck House hotel.

For those with SatNav the postcode is LL13 0BU.

Get a map with driving directions to start or end (enter the postcode of your starting point at A)

Suggested Launch Site - Climb over a low stone wall for easy launching from a shingle bank immediately downstream of the bridge.

General Description - About 13 winding miles with no obstacles and only a few easy rapids. It's a lovely trip but the meanders can pall by the end of the day. Land right above Holt bridge and take a look at the red sandstone cliffs by the landing point. Even non-geologists can appreciate the 250 million year old cross-bedded triassic sand dunes. 13.5 miles by river to travel 5.5 miles as the crow flies!

This trip continues to Eccleston Ferry here.


Comments on this trip


25 Jun 2023
JamieI came across this very same Bailiff said I was trespassing.....A few locals got involved and told him where to go......I did manage to get his name but won't publish

C BENNETT
24 Apr 2023
A group of us also had issues with a man proposing to be the river bailiff this weekend but he didn't have any bailiff ID. He just had his Salmon Fishing membership which was flashed quickly to us... He said he'd left the bailiff ID at home. We were in discussions for a very long time... we called the police. The outcome was that we launched safely and really enjoyed our trip down to Farndon.

Jamie
29 May 2022
Hi I travelled from Overton Bridge to Bangor on Dee What a lovely lovely afternoon I had on the water I saw kingfisher's and all sorts of wildlife I had a lovely little picnic at the arched bridge I then made my way up the bank to the car park of the Royal Oak pub.A unsuspecting man came over to me whilst i was loading my canoe on my roof rack asking If I had a lovely afternoon I began to tell him of my wonderful paddle he then said he was a river bailiff and an ex police officer and was going to report me as the River Dee was privately owned. I asked him for some Identification of which he replied whilst taking his wallet out that I wasn't allowed to take a picture of it. I informed him I suffer from memory loss. He refused to show me the ID. Some locals from the pub who so happen to sit on the board of the salmon fishery got involved asking him who owned it and where are the signs stating it was private property........

John A
13 Jun 2021
Did the run from B on D to Holt in early june when the water was low, in a small sea kayak. Some nice easy rapids in the first few miles and lots of weird currents and mini whirlpools at times. The put in/outs at Farndon are rubbish. Better to go under the bridge on the left and pull out on to a small beach. There is a small car park through the top arch close to the beach.

j kelly
24 Sep 2016
How do you get back to the bridge currant was very very strong up river

Colin Davies
29 May 2015
Made this journey 28th May 2015. Plenty of water in the river, very meandering with a few mini rapids at Bangor end. On the whole a very safe and enjoyable journey which took 3.5 hours in my home made wooden kayak.

Bruce
06 May 2013
Completed in very low water after a dry spell. Ran aground a couple of times but soon got going again. The rapids get fewer as the trip progresses. Nothing to get stressed by. Lots of swans but all well behaved. Took us about 4 hours in a two man canoe with a couple of short stops. A very fine trip.

Steve Cathy
30 Dec 2012
We completed this trip when the Dee was in full flood (30/12/12), in fact it had burst its banks into the surrounding fields. Despite the high water there was little in the way of hazards but the flow was very strong with big eddies and some smallish whirlpools. Normally would take around 5hrs but we were done in 3.Parking at Bangor was easy on the road outside the church but the Farndon car park by the bridge was flooded so beware of leaving your car there if expecting big rise in river level.

Om
27 Jul 2012
Did this trip yesterday on 26/7/2012 and was a very pleasant river to paddle, quite similar to the Wye in herefordshire. The description is very accurate. Easy going with a few gentle rapids to aid the arms. Most fishermen were friendly with the exception of 2 'Sherry quoffing Joffers' who were fly fishing and very rudely opposed my 'permission' to paddle. ;0D









 



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The last trip loaded was Great Haywood to Great Haywood (Circular Route) on the River Trent / Trent & Mersey Canal by Peter Robinson