Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in on the canal just south of Welshpool town lock, by the free car park, and paddle south-west along the Montgomery Canal. It is a quiet, reedy waterway, cut off from the rest of the canal network, with few boats and a great richness of water plants and wildlife; much of it is protected for nature. It runs below the parkland of Powis Castle, climbs through the two Belan locks and then Brithdir Lock, and winds on through farmland to Berriew. Take out on the bank above Berriew Lock; the village and its aqueduct over the River Rhiw are just beyond.
It is 7 km one way; allow about 2 hours in a canoe or kayak and 2½ on a paddleboard, including three portages. Get out on the bank before each lock and carry round. The grade is Easy: flat, sheltered water, but with plenty of getting in and out.
You need a licence: Paddle Cymru or Paddle UK membership includes one, or buy one from the Canal & River Trust. In dry summers the water can run low and weedy; since July 2026 the Belan locks have been locked to save water, which does not affect paddlers who carry round. Welshpool station is about 500 m from the start. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- A quiet, weedy rural canal, much of it a nature reserve for its water plants
- Three portages: the two Belan locks and Brithdir Lock
- Past the parkland of Powis Castle
- Few boats: this length is cut off from the rest of the network
On the water
- Put in: Car park 52.65786, -3.14633
- Take out: Berriew, above Berriew Lock (bank) 52.60450, -3.19130
- Lock: Belan Bottom Lock · 2.3 km (1.5 mi) from the start · carry round (portage)
- Lock: Belan Top Lock · 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the start · carry round (portage)
- Lock: Brithdir Lock · 5.8 km (3.6 mi) from the start · carry round (portage)
- Rules and licences: Canal & River Trust. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Welshpool, above the Town Lock. 52.65786, -3.14633
By train: Welshpool station is 0.5 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Welshpool: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.