Kent, England

Yalding put-in (Maidstone)

Launch — An Environment Agency slipway with an adjoining canoe and kayak platform, on the Upper Medway Navigation at Hampstead Lock (Yalding Depot).

Parking — The Environment Agency describes on-site parking here as free but very limited; capacity, height and overnight restrictions are not published.

Access — Every craft, including unpowered open boats such as paddleboards, must be registered with the Environment Agency, or carry a Paddle UK membership card, which acts as registration. The Environment Agency asks users to call 01622 752864 and give 24 hours' notice before launching or taking a boat out.

Season — The Environment Agency aims to keep this navigation clear for boating from Easter to the end of September each year, and carries out maintenance that can close it between the end of September and Easter, giving at least 28 days' notice through its Notice to Mariners service.

Regulations — This stretch is governed by byelaws made under the Upper Medway Navigation and Conservancy Act 1911. A 5-knot speed limit applies on the Medway Navigation, and landing on gravel shoals and islands is prohibited between 1 April and 31 July.

This slipway is on the River Medway at Hampstead Lock, just outside Yalding, close to where the Medway meets the River Beult and the River Teise. It sits on the 29 km Medway Canoe Trail, which runs from Tonbridge to Allington.

From here the navigation continues north through Teston Lock and East Farleigh Lock before reaching Allington Lock, the gateway onto the tidal Medway below.

This reach's level is monitored at the Yalding Hampstead Lock gauge, which normally reads between 1.52m and 3.42m; the highest level recorded here is 5.75m, on 25 December 2013.

Nearby

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River View

A riverside campsite for tents and caravans in the middle of the Medway Canoe Trail, with direct access to the river for canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding.

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Conditions to check

Lock

Hampstead Lock lies immediately beside this slipway.

Source

Boat traffic

Hampstead Marina, a moorings basin, lies close by on the same reach.

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