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Family in canoes sailing down river
Enjoy a canoe ride downstream on this Houghton Mill route | © National Trust/John Millar
Cambridgeshire

Houghton Mill trout stream loop

Enjoy a delightful canoe paddle from Houghton Mill down the Houghton trout stream to Hemingford Lock, and then return on the River Great Ouse.

Licence requirement

Don't forget you'll need a licence – contact the Canal & River Trust or British Canoeing for more information.

Total steps: 4

Total steps: 4

Start point

Houghton Mill, grid ref: TL281720

Step 1

Launch your canoe from the portage located through the mill. (If you do not have a boat of your own you can hire one from a local boat hire company. For more details contact: Neil Chapman, Houghton Boats, tel: 07759 316260). Set off downstream.

Step 2

Shortly after passing Houghton Mill pond, paddling downstream on the River Great Ouse, you will see a weir on your left. Continue past this weir and in a short distance you will come to two more weirs close together on your left. Portage your canoe/boat down to the Houghton Trout Stream and continue downstream towards Hemingford lock.

Step 3

The Houghton Trout Stream joins the River Great Ouse slightly downstream of Hemingford Lock. As you enter the River Great Ouse turn upstream and proceed to Hemingford Lock. Portage your canoe/boat past the Lock and continue upstream to Houghton Mill. On this leg of your journey you will pass St James' Church on your left, a weir on your right, Battcock's island in the middle of the river (keep to the right of this island) before passing the weirs you saw earlier on the downstream leg of your journey.

Step 4

Return to Houghton Mill, where you can relax and enjoy a well deserved lunch at our riverside café.

River lock at Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire
Houghton Lock | © National Trust

End point

Houghton Mill, grid ref: TL281720

Trail map

Map of Houghton Mill trout stream loop
Map of Houghton Mill trout stream loop | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

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Get in touch

Mill Street, Houghton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2AZ

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