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Try Paddle Boarding along the way
Paddle boarding along Bristol Harbour

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Water Sports

Since the Great West Way flows along with wonderful waterways like the River Thames and the Kennet & Avon Canal, opportunities to splash about in the water abound.

For a sedate sort of water sport, try one of the many types of boating trips. You could hire a rowing boat at Henley-on-Thames and gently row downstream, past rafts of fluffy ducklings. Or kayak carefully down the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament and other equally big sites, on an alternative tour of London. Or even go stand-up paddle boarding on Bristol's floating Harbour.

There are some more heart-pumping options too. Cotswolds Water Park, comprised of 150 lakes, is bliss for people who like being by - or more specifically on or in - the water. You can kayak, canoe, windsurf, waterski, wakeboard, sail or brave the chilly waters and go for a refreshing open water swim. Or you can just hire a great big inflatable and have a laugh in the water with family and friends.

Take to the Water

Canal & River Trust

The beautiful Kennet & Avon Canal (or K&A as its known) flows along 87 miles of the Great West Way. From Bath to Reading, it winds through quintessential rolling Wiltshire hills, bustling towns and even a World Heritage Site. Since 1810, narrowboats have drifted along at four miles an hour, plying their trade from Bristol to London. Today, you'll find a mixture of holiday and live-aboard boaters, all seeking the calm and tranquillity that comes from life on or by the water.
Thames

A boat ride on the River Thames reveals a real spectacle of sights, winding out of London via some of the capital’s most magnificent attractions - the Houses of Parliament, Hampton Court Palace and Kew Gardens. But as you venture further west, new spectacles unfold.