Ben Seal is Places to Paddle Manager at British Canoeing and joins me to discuss the situation currently with the Clear Access, Clear Waters Campaign, seeking to secure fair, shared and sustainable open access to waterways in England.
Access to the countryside for peaceful enjoyment has never been more important to our health and wellbeing. But access to our rivers to swim and paddle remains highly contested, with some believing that rivers are private and off limits to members of the public.
While in Scotland, there is a freedom to roam across land and water, in England, less than 4% of rivers have an uncontested right to paddle.