River Barle, 22 Feb 2026

River Barle to River Exe. 

Dulverton to Exebridge. Approx 8km.

Beginners & Improvers Sunday paddle. 

22nd Feb. 2026.

This was a mixed ability group of 7 paddlers. This section of the river winds its way through an attractive rural landscape and, with some careful precautions taken with the high levels, turned out to be ideal for training purposes. 

Ferry gliding, breaking in, and breaking out on the calmer sections progressed to practice on more rapid sections of river..... with mixed results......  which then allowed some rescuing practice as well. Which should be considered a bonus for some but maybe not for all.

With the bank at full level, there were occasional good bouncy wave-trains to enjoy along the way and some surfable waves, too.

There were, on the day, significant hazards to contend with. The first sizable weir with a fish ladder was a definite "no-no" for our group as it formed a series of 5 or 6 stoppers one after the other and looked inherently dangerous. The second sloping weir, however, was much more runnable, with just a little care needed to get the best line down it.

Unfortunately, trees spanning both arches of one small bridge forced another portage.

The river at this level was not much more than grade two with no real technical difficulties, but only if the hazards were spotted in good time and the first weir is portaged (this is much more amenable at lower levels). 

All in all, it was a very enjoyable run and recommended.