Paddle the North of England book
By Bruce Smith
Over the last few years, a swathe of SUP guidebooks has been published by Adlard Coles, a Bloomsbury Publishing imprint. Amongst these are Paddle Scotland, Paddle the East of England (both published in 2025) and Paddle London (published in 2026). Their latest is Paddle the North of England, written by Bruce Smith.
I was delighted to receive this book, as I have known Bruce for a very long time and was keen to see how his work compared to others in the series. It’s a great series showcasing our wonderful waterways across the country.
The cover shot is stunning, showing Bruce’s partner Karen paddling in the Lake District, and it really invites you to read the book.
The introduction contains advice on what to wear, equipment, what to take, and safety, all from someone with extensive experience.
You then move on to the contents section, featuring the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire, the North West, and finishing in Humberside. The photos of the routes are stunning, and many show not just the views and paddlers but different kinds of SUP activities, including SUP yoga, SUP surfing and SUP racing. It’s great to have this in a guidebook, as many paddlers are not aware of these other disciplines.
The format for each route follows the style of the previous books, starting with The Lowdown, which covers difficulty, water type (sea, river, lake, etc.), distance, parking, the What3Words location finder, and the type of launch area (bankside, beach, etc.). It’s a very easy way to check whether a particular route is right for your group or ability.
The brief history gives you short but fascinating details about the area. Anything from Coniston Water, being originally named ‘Thorstein’s Water’ after a Norse invader, to the River Tyne inspiring musicians such as Dire Straits, Sting and Jimmy Nail!
The Paddle takes you directly from the launch to the finish, showcasing the local waterways at their best. The route information tidbits are invaluable for your experience on the water.
Wildlife – this section highlights various animals and birds, and despite some being endangered, spotting them may just give us the impetus to do everything we can to protect our waterways.
Food Stops – such an important part of our paddling life – Bruce has ensured they are covered extensively in the book.
There is also great advice on how to reach the start of the route by car, train, or bus.
Other Activities include alternative sights to see and places to visit whilst in the area – this is great if you have other family members with you who are not into paddling. Bruce also shares many local SUP and paddling providers throughout the book – this is a great way to support those local businesses, and they are a mine of information too.
Need to Know covers all the little things that are so important to make your trip the best it can be, from where the local toilets are to top tips on the local weather and tides, to waterways licence requirements and portages.
A lovely and unique feature in this book is Bruce’s anecdotes – dotted throughout, they are incredibly personal memories and stories from his past and time on the water, from early days of racing on Lake Windermere to camping trips with the Boys’ Brigade on the River Derwent when he was 14. It really enhances this book, and there are some beautiful stories that give you a real insight into who Bruce is.
After 14 years of paddling, I have still not paddled in the Lake District and many of the other beautiful places listed in this book. From the photos alone, I am determined to visit, and I know this wonderful book, Paddle the North of England, will be coming with me, as it contains all the information I need to make my time there incredibly special. It’s very inspiring.
Price: £17.09
