Chantelle Grundy
Access and Environment Officer
British Canoeing

Paddleboarding along the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone
© 2020 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Canoeing along the River Trent at Burton Upon Trent
© 2019 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Canoeing along the River Trent at Rugeley
© 2019 Victoria Bunter(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Interpretation Boards at Tucklesholme Quarry Nature Reserve
© 2019 Steven Cheshire(Transforming the Trent Valley)
Canoe trails enable communities to enjoy the natural and built-up environments of the landscape by reconnecting people to the 'blue space' within the Trent Valley. Canoe Trails are a free resource that give paddlers all the information needed to set out on a canoeing adventure on their own, with family or with friends. They are a great way for people with some canoeing experience to find new and exciting places to paddle and experience the native wildlife and natural heritage up-close.
We are installing new infrastructure including launch and landing points at key locations.
Local canoe clubs will be offering taster sessions as the new trails are launched to encourage people to take up the sport.
The legacy will be a canoe trail that can be used and promoted for many years, with minimal maintenance and upkeep costs being primarily managed by volunteers. The legacy will be more people accessing the Trent Valley waterways for recreation health and wellbeing, whilst linking rural communities together.
Both trails will form the basis from which future trails can be extended along the waterways within not only the project area, but neighbouring counties too. The success of the project will showcase how canoe trails inspire more people to get active and engage in their environment, to enable future funding to be secured to extend along the River Trent. The new trails will be available online.
Six thousand years ago, the Trent Valley was home to an ancient people; wandering farmers who worshipped strange gods of Nature.