Devon, England

Newton Creek slipway, Newton Ferrers

Launch — A hard beach and slipway, known locally as The Brook, on the north bank of Newton Creek opposite Noss Mayo. Newton Creek dries out completely away from high water; the slipway is usable only for around two and a half hours either side of high tide.

Parking — No dedicated car park. The launch sits on Riverside Road West, where roadside space is limited; the Harbour Authority asks visitors to park considerately as the village gets busy.

Access — The slipway itself has no gates or barriers. A craft launched under the visitor day rate must be removed from the foreshore at the end of each day, rather than left in place. Anyone teaching or guiding a group must contact the Harbour Office before launching.

Season — Onshore facilities at Yealm Steps (showers, toilets, waste disposal) run from 1 April to 31 October, when harbour dues are also collected on the water. The Brook is used for a raft race and rowing heats during the annual River Yealm Regatta each summer. Local dinghies are permitted to lie ashore on the quays over winter, which can reduce space on the foreshore.

Regulations — The River Yealm Harbour Authority holds statutory jurisdiction over the estuary under a Statutory Instrument and local byelaws, and requires a harbour due for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards launched, retrieved or landed anywhere within its limits. Navigation is subject to a 6-knot speed limit and a general requirement to minimise wash.

The Brook is a hard beach and slipway on Newton Creek, the tidal western arm of the River Yealm estuary at Newton Ferrers, opposite Noss Mayo. The creek dries out completely away from high water. The wider estuary lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is designated a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, functioning as a bass hatchery.

Newton Creek runs between Newton Ferrers on its northern bank and Noss Mayo opposite, carrying a deep channel at high water but drying out completely as the tide falls, exposing wide stretches of estuary mud. At low water two ancient causeways, the Newton Voss and the Noss Voss, emerge across the flats and are used as footpaths between the two villages.

Moving out of the creek into the main river channel, the estuary becomes a working harbour. The fairway and visitor moorings get busy with yacht and tender traffic through the summer, and the River Yealm Harbour Authority licenses every kayak, canoe and paddleboard launched anywhere within its limits.

Further downstream, the river narrows through a buoyed fairway before reaching a sandbar that almost blocks its entrance into Wembury Bay. Offshore winds in Cellar Bay, just inside that entrance, or a strong ebb tide, can carry a paddler out to sea.

Nearby

Show on map

The Green

An independent deli-café in the village, open Tuesday to Sunday.

Website

Conditions to check

Shallow or rocky

Newton Creek dries out completely away from high water, exposing mudflats; the slipway is usable only for around two and a half hours either side of high tide.

Source

Tidal flow

Tidal streams in the river can run at up to 2 knots.

Source

Boat traffic

The river is very busy with boats of all sizes during the summer, and congestion at the estuary's launching sites is a recognised concern for the Harbour Authority.

Source

Other

A sandbar almost blocks the river's entrance into Wembury Bay. Offshore winds in Cellar Bay, or a strong ebb tide, can sweep a paddler out to sea.

Source

Log in to add a photo. Paddled here? Add the first photo — we review each one before it goes on the page.

Questions

No questions yet

Ask about parking, access or conditions. Anyone who knows this water can answer.

Log in to ask or answer. Share what you know about this spot.

Comments

No comments yet.

Log in to comment. Add conditions or a photo to this spot.

Save your own spots

Keep the places you launch, check the wind and shelter before you go, and log every paddle. Add a spot to the directory too, and other paddlers will find it. Free to start.

Get started, it’s free Log in

Location data

OpenStreetMap

View this point on OpenStreetMap