Abingdon Weir
From Wikipaddle
Contents |
Accesss
From Abingdon town centre, follow the signs for Oxford. This will take you off the inner one way system, north up 'The Vineyard'. After 100 yads, after traffic lights, at a mini roundabout, head right following the signs for Radley. After 100 yds, turn right at the next mini roundabout into Barton Lane. After 200 yds, after the road has gradually veered to the left, take the 2nd right, where there is a community centre and car park. Don't park in the car park- drive past it, turn left and park up just before the entrance to the Territorial Army centre, taking care not to cause an obstruction- you don't want your car run over by a tank! Carry your boat from here- head 20 yds back towards the community centre and take the footpath to the left. Follow this for 50 yds as it curves to the right until you reach a small back water. Go over the small footbridge, turn left and walk a further 50 yds until you reach the weir.
Alternatively you can park in the Abbey grounds car park and carry your boat to the 1st river on the right at the far end of the carpark (Although i am unsure what the price is, i think you have to pay to use this car park) you now can paddle up the river untill you reach Abingdon weir, make sure you exit the river and transfer your boat to the lower part of the thames before you reach the weir as you may get sucked down it (NOTE: it is not advisable that you attempt to run this weir)
Intro
looking from across the other side of the river towards Abingdon weir you will see 10 sloping gates on the left and on the right two radial gates which should not be entered. The ten gates on the left in the right levels are great for blasting in all its forms and is a great introduction to playboating beginers. The local club Kingfisher canoe club hold an annual competition here called the blastathon which is also open to the youth version of kingfisher club - pathfinders canoe club.
Water levels
Abingdon is at its prime from may to july when Hurley is dropping from 2 to 1, any earlier than this and the weir is often to sticky any later and all the gates will be closed, the weir should only be entered if the gates are alternatively open as two gates in a row can quite easily get you stuck and even if you manage to get out, your boat will most likely be a different story.
Description
Looking upstream at the weir from the weir pool, looking from left to right, you will find the play boating venue, followed by two dangerous walled in radial gates and then a walled in row of sluice gates, followed finally by the lock. When the river is at the right level, you will find between 1 and 5 gates open. Expect to find alternate gates open- as opposed to two in a row- thanks to a helpful lockkeeper.
each gate forms a stopper at the bottom about 1.5 metres wide and wide enough for one playboat as i mentioned earlier, Abingdons main if only move to be pulled is the blast although this can be pulled in many different ways below is a list of moves which can be pulled in abingdon weir:
-Stable forward blasts -reverse blasts -blast transition 360s -clean spins -hands only spins -no hands clean spin -all old school "show off" moves such as air guitar are easily acheivable
Duing the blastathon a ball is lowered down from the top of the weir and contestants can score points by hitting the ball with:
-paddles -a body part (rarely acheived) -and finally with the boat, a move which is extremely difficult and has never been acheived
notes
Please respect that the river does not belong to kayakers (it will one day but not today) and be aware that although they do not use the playboating venue abingdon weir is a popular place for anglers
other notable playspots in and around Abingdon
swift ditch
Swift ditch is a 3 mile circuit that joins up with the thames again towards sutton courtney, paddle upstream above Abindon weir untill you reach a danger sign on the right, by the danger sign there is drop which leads on to swift ditch, if you go this way then you will miss the only playspot on the river and run the risk of this section being overgrown and unpaddleable. Continue upstream untill you reach a second danger sign on the left, by this sign there is a small steep weir with two poles sticking up, shoot the weir and stay for a play at this playspot.
The playspot itself is great for people who want to learn to blast all the water gets pushed by two ledges running down either side of the weir gets pushed into the central flume applying pressure to the bottom of the playboat which makes for very easy blasts, this weir is wide enough for one short playboat and the two ledges either side mean that this weir can sometimes be a little tricky to get out of by paddling alone to make getting out of it easier you can push of against the side of the weir with your hand or paddle, unfortunately the boxed in nature of this weir makes spinmoves and backwards blasting difficult although acheivable
Furthur down swift ditch there is enougher small drop in low water which if not for the thorn bush on the left would have potential for a small playwave.
sutton courtney weir
is very close to abingdon for info on this weir look at its section on this site.
