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Various parties came together to provide the funding, these included the Environment Agency, the BCU National Access fund, BCU Southern Region, the BCU National Freestyle committee, Windsor CC, and the Castle Hill Centre.
Chris Hawkesworth the BCU’s Planning and Facilities Manager said “The weir sill has been drilled with holes. The holes allow tubes to be inserted to hold the boards that funnel the water. The flume was originally designed for summer river levels, to run at 4/5 cubic metres of water per second, this to give paddlers somewhere to go when nothing else on the Thames was running. The boards or “Flags” as they’ve become known as were due to be taken out in the autumn and replaced in the spring of each year. However, the Environment Agency have given permission for the flume to be used all year round but be warned, the flume can be meaty at times and many an expert paddler has been trashed.”
The head of the Ray Mill Island has been extensively re-worked as a flood prevention measure. Whilst under construction, the contractor and the Environment Agency worked with the BCU to provide an ingress/egress platform, portage path and steps that double as seats for spectators.
Further developments at Boulters are planned, the canoe flume is to be altered to make it less meaty and more attractive, a second one is planned and moves are afoot to enable surfing to take place under the new sluice gates. The BCU is working with the Environment Agency in other areas of the London and the South, new facilities are planned for paddlers on the island at Hurley, Marsh and Shepperton B Weirs are the latest to be modelled and scheduled for refurbishment. Chelsea Creek at Lot’s road power station is being appraised as a site for a possible regional white water course.
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