Lazy days & action stays on the river

Time Out on the Water

Whatever floats your boat, Beccles on the meandering River Waveney is sure to please. Dayboats, ‘stay’ boats, pedalboats or paddleboards; canoes, kayaks, charter boats or gentle ferry rides – choose your craft and go explore from Suffolk’s ‘Gateway to the Southern Broads’!

Or why not cruise this way? Historic Beccles makes the ideal boating holiday or short break destination from the nearby waterways of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, and booking a mooring at beautiful Beccles Quay online couldn’t be easier.

Fun times on the river

From paws to oars, we’ve something for everyone to enjoy. So what’s it to be? A relaxed ferry ride or gentle half-day in the canoe, heading west for a refreshing drink at The Locks,  Geldeston’s historic waterside inn? A spin in a pedal boat made for two perhaps? Or is a Waveney river encounter with the paddleboard in the balance?

Hire a day boat and head down river. Cruise this way, to moor up and stay a while at Beccles Quay – by the open spaces of Beccles Fen, with the heart of dog-friendly Beccles just a short ‘walkies’ away.

hire now about the broads
Dog on board boat Beccles
Paddleboarding on the Waveney /Beccles Broad

The river at the heart of town

Nothing beats experiencing Beccles from the water. Its stunning historic waterfront not only puts the town’s past and development in perspective, but hits home how much the river still means to those who live and love Beccles today.

Anglo-Saxon sea-faring settlers. Generations of fishermen who heaved herring up through the ‘scores’ to sell their catch at Old Market. Old malting buildings, tanneries and wharves. Towering St Michael’s… and the splashes of laughter from young swimmers at the Lido.

The River Waveney simply connects them all.

About Beccles

Ferry nice indeed

Operating out of Beccles Lido Quay, Big Dog Ferry offers a gentle 3-mile skippered river shuttle between Beccles town and the countryside inn at Geldeston’s 1670s lock.

A summertime service, this small craft is a popular, no-effort-required way to enjoy and experience both town and country from the calm Waveney waters.

Advance booking recommended. Also ideal, combined with a walk along the Angles Way.

Find out more Walks & Trails
On Big Dog Ferry from Geldeston, approaching Beccles town

Stay this way – boating & just floating holidays on the river

A whole fleet of Broads boating opportunities; ‘static’ quayside houseboats; floating glamp-pods with pontoon-decking… there’s so much more to holidays on the river in Beccles than you could ever imagine! Just across the bridge from Beccles town centre at Gillingham Dam, you’ll find a fine crop of river cruisers plus comfortable, quirky accommodation with watch-the-Waveney-world-go-by views of Beccles Quay.

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Calling all skippers!

Overnight and daytime moorings for visiting craft are available at Beccles Quay / Yacht Station. The Quay has a range of facilities available and is only a short walk from town centre shops, places to eat, services and public transport hubs. Moorings can now be booked online.

quay facilities BOOK A MOORING

 

Water-based Activities & Hire options in & around Beccles

Embark on your own water-born adventures directly from the boatyards and quays of Beccles, where you’ll find self-drive, self-paddle or self-pedal craft available for hire by the hour, half-day or full day. Stay this way in a self-catering property by the river and you may even have access to your own row-boat or landing stage. If you’d like a bit more of a hand-hold, guide-led experiences on the water are a great way to put a paddle in the water.

Looking to set off from elsewhere and navigate your way to Beccles? You’ll find a number of boatyards and kit-hire providers in the villages along the River Waveney, at Ellingham (up-river) and down-river near the quirky ‘ziggurat’ church tower of Burgh St Peter.

Either way, activities provide provide full safety briefings and most share excursion suggestions too. If you have your own paddlecraft, you must hold an annual or short visit licence, or be a member of PaddleUK to paddle on UK Waterways/ the Broads.

Some river excursion ideas are included in the downloads section below.  

Day boats

Discover your inner-captain as you and your passengers enjoy the scenery, sunshine, wildlife and camaraderie of other folk on the River Waveney.

A 6.5 hour hire is plenty to explore the famous ‘Back Gardens of Beccles’ panoramas and do a return trip to Burgh St Peter with moor-and-explore-time.

Find out more Day Boat Trail
Dayboat hire on the River Waveney
canoes and autumn colours on the river

Paddle the day away

Dip your paddle in the water and glide along the Waveney on an up-close-to-nature trail. Whether you hire a one or two-person canoe or kayak at Beccles or Geldeston – or have your own – the Waveney provides some great places to launch and explore.

Paddling at a leisurely pace, a return excursion from Beccles to Geldeston/ Shipmeadow Lock is easily doable in a day.

Find out more

Guided river experiences

An ideal and exciting way to explore the river with all the family.  Guided canoe or kayak experiences set out from Beccles and lead  down river, seeing the town, marshlands and water-meadows from a different angle.

Along the way, you’ll learn some paddle techniques  and gain some real insights into the plants and wildlife which call the river home.

Find out more
Guided boating tour on the river in Beccles from Hippersons Boatyard
Paddleboarding on the Waveney /Beccles Broad

Get on board

Fancy testing your balance and taking a few paddleboard lessons? Have your own kit and want to find the perfect slipway? Hold a paddlecraft licence and plan to hire?

Beccles has all your options covered – so you can have a SUPer time!

Find out more

Charter boat – Waveney Stardust

An accessible, volunteer-staffed cruiser, the wonderful Waveney Stardust ensures that everyone can share in the joy of time out on the water.

The purpose-built, step-free, 12 person craft can welcome up to 6 wheelchair-users (at least one person in the party requires accessible facilities) and offers chartered cruises on the rivers and waterways of the Southern and Northern Broads.

Find out more
Waveney Stardust accessible Broads charter boat
Fishing in rivers around the Broads National Park

Angling

The Broads and its nearby waterways have long been popular destinations for anglers, and the area around Beccles is no exception. Day tickets for one still water location, plus three tidal/ non-tidal river stretches around Ellingham, can purchased in advance from an angling supplier in Beccles town centre.

Broads area fish species include bream, rudd, tench, roach, perch, carp and pike. There are also permit-free fishing locations (Environment Agency rod licence required).   

Find out more

Stay safe on the river

Plan, prepare, be aware. Take only photographs and leave only ripples.

Safety is at the heart of enjoying your time on the river and respecting others and the environment you have come to experience is of paramount importance too.

Listen to your boating or paddlecraft briefings. Download the paddlers code.

Be prepared. Explore responsibly. And have the best time.

A family receiving a briefing before they start canoeing. Norfolk Broads.