River Leven in Cumbria

River Leven in Cumbria

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WATERWAYS LICENCES

Many waterways in England and Wales require a licence to paddle. Check the licence section below to see if this is one. Save money on your licence and secure paddling insurance by joining British Canoeing. Use our easy step RapidJoin process. Open the slider to join.

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River Licensing Information

Licence Required?

No licence required

Grade: 3-4 (can get as high as 5 in high water)

The River Leven in Cumbria is a short river, falling within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. It flows from Windermere approximately 8 miles before emptying into Morecambe Bay.

The river is popular with white water paddlers with the section between Windermere and Haverthwaite. It is a grade 3-4 paddle.

White water and the River Leven in Cumbria

This section of the river is an ideal spot for some serious white water entertainment. It has a combination of boulder strewn rapids, bedrock ones, and a variety weirs to look out for – see map above for more.

Look out for the intimidating Backbarrow Bridge rapid if you’re paddling here too. Make sure you have familiarised yourself with river levels before paddling.

Sections of rapids can be susceptible to varying river levels, so it’s important to check the forecast and levels before paddling here. You check water levels by clicking on a rapids PaddlePoint on the map above.

The River Leven in Cumbria actually flows out of lake Windermere, making it easily accessible for those who don’t know the area too well.