Hire at Dundas Aqueduct, Bath

Our boathouse, affectionately known as Monkton Combe boathouse by locals, resides beneath the globally renowned Dundas Aqueduct, along the banks of the River Avon. We are conveniently situated just a 5-minute drive or a 30-minute bike ride from Bath, Somerset.

Due to our unique riverside location, we don't have a standard postal address. However, you can easily locate us using What3Words, a postcode, or Google Maps.

What3Words location - ///shell.factor.handy

Local postcode - BA2 7BL

Google Maps - https://goo.gl/maps/zPGDU4aosyoU7m2F8

We are now closed for our 2024 season

Dates for 2025 coming soon!

*Pre-bookings only, We accept walk-in bookings 30 mins later than pre-booked sessions.

** Last hire goes out 1 hour before we close.

Although there is a limited amount of free parking on the A36 Warminster Rd, we would encourage you to use the locally owned, Brass Knocker Basin car park otherwise known as the Canal Centre Visitors Centre Carpark; which is the closest place to park.  

Please be aware: This car park is locked at 9pm sharp. 

What3words location - ///spring.avoid.tune

Local postcode - BA2 7JD 

Google Maps -https://goo.gl/maps/A5J12oHh1xpBGHJo8

We're the only hire centre in this area, making us a convenient choice for your aquatic adventures. Our Boathouse enjoys a unique location right on the River Avon, with the Kennet & Avon Canal practically overhead. This provides our visitors with a rare opportunity: you can launch directly onto the river from our pontoon or ascend a flight of stairs to start your adventure on the Canal.

We believe we're the only riverside hire location in the UK that allows paddling in four distinct directions. This means even the most cautious adventurers could visit us four times without the slightest hint of repetition.

For those seeking a more daring experience, you can combine the canal and river into a horseshoe-shaped paddle route. This exciting loop enables you to continually move forward on your adventure, and yet return to our Boathouse.

You'd start on the Canal at Dundas Aqueduct, paddle for 4km until you reach Avoncliff Aqueduct. Here, you have the option to take a break and enjoy lunch at the Cross Guns Pub or continue your journey straight onto the River for a 5km paddle back to Dundas.

Intermediate paddlers typically take about 2.5 hours to complete this loop, which includes navigating a slow-flowing weir.

If the loop seems too much, don't worry. You're always welcome to hire a board and enjoy a simpler paddle on the river. 

For each type of hire, we provide the following:

• Paddleboard hire: We supply a board, paddle, waist leash, and buoyancy aid. If you're hiring for a longer session, we can also provide you with a bag, pump, and repair kit – simply ask us!
• Kayak hire: We provide a kayak, paddle, and buoyancy aid.
• Canoe hire: You'll receive a canoe, two paddles, and two buoyancy aids.

If you require additional equipment, perhaps for a child joining the adventure, we have extra gear available for hire. Please let us know what you need, and we'll do our best to assist you.

At LiveFree Adventures, we understand that plans can change. However, to ensure our continued service quality and to be fair to all parties, we've established clear booking and cancellation guidelines. Please review these carefully before confirming your booking.

Booking and Session Times: All bookings with LiveFree Adventures Ltd are final once confirmed. Session times are set and cannot be changed, based on the times you have booked. No amendments, alterations, or adjustments to session times will be permitted. We encourage you to check your booking details and scheduled session times carefully before confirming to ensure everything is correct.

Booking Fee:

• A 5% booking fee is included in the total price of your reservation.
• This fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

Refund Based on Cancellation Timing:

• 48-72 hours prior: Cancel between 48 to 72 hours before your scheduled activity to receive a 50% refund (excluding the 5% non-refundable booking fee).
• 24-48 hours prior: Cancel between 24 to 48 hours before your activity for a 25% refund (excluding the 5% non-refundable booking fee).
• Under 24 hours: No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled activity.

How to Cancel:

• All cancellations must be made in writing and sent via email to our customer service team.
• Cancellations are effective from the time we receive your email.

LiveFree Adventures-initiated Cancellations:

• We might cancel sessions due to adverse weather or unforeseen circumstances.
• Instead of a refund, we will offer a credit equivalent to the value of the cancelled session. This credit can be used for any of our adventure activities, private sessions, or special events within the same calendar year.
• We prioritise rescheduling within our 6-week summer operating period. If rescheduling isn't feasible, the credit option will be provided.

The short answer is no, anybody can hire our equipment. We're located on a slow moving section of the River Avon, with claimable banks on both sides providing a relatively safe and wonderful place for paddling, making it an ideal spot for those new to the water.  

We always talk people through how to use the equipment correctly and safely, we would however suggest that its best practice to have a beginners lesson with us first.

Yes! Our hire is suitable for all ages. Its strongly advisable that sub 8 year olds will need to sit on the front of their adults board/kayak. 0-18 year olds must be accompanied on the water by an adult with a maximum 2:1 ratio. 

Our boathouse is located riverside, beneath the Aqueduct, and the access includes a set of stairs that might prove challenging for wheelchair users. 

However, the route from the car park to the Canal is wheelchair-friendly and to accommodate our guests, we can meet you on the upper level and assist you in starting your paddlesport session on the canal.

We can  offer a 3x3m pop-up gazebo as an accessible changing area at the canal side.

We're committed to ensuring all our guests have an enjoyable time on the water. If you need further accommodations or have specific requirements, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We're more than happy to assist in any way we can.

At LiveFree Adventures, we offer an exceptional 'Try and Buy' program. If you're new to paddleboarding or kayaking and not sure about committing, this offer is perfect for you!

Here's how it works:

1. Book a session with us to try out paddleboarding or kayaking.
2. If you love the sport and the equipment, you can purchase the exact paddleboard or kayak you used at our highly discounted trade price.
3. The cost of your hire session will be fully refunded upon purchase of the equipment. In other words, your trial session is free if you decide to buy!
4. The savings are substantial: a paddleboard with a retail price of £500 is available for just £350, and a kayak worth £429 can be yours for only £249.

Whether you want to collect your new equipment on the same day or prefer to have it delivered straight to your home, we have you covered – and the delivery won't cost you extra. So why wait? Give our 'Try and Buy' program a go. It's a fair deal you won't find elsewhere!

We offer 5% discount to 

• Armed Forces
• Emergency services 
• Key workers
• Students
• PIP/UC claimants

To claim this discount, book and pay full price online and upon attendance evidence proof of discount for a 5% refund. 

To avoid the disappointment of us being fully booked; its best to pre-book and pay online however we do accept Cash, Cards and Contactless for walk up bookings and self launches at all of our sites. 

Remember Cash is King, especially as we often have bad signal for card payments.

While we prefer to hold a piece of photo ID as a security measure, we understand that this isn't always feasible. 

As alternatives, you can leave a bank card, car keys, or provide a deposit of £200. Please rest assured that these items will be securely stored and returned to you once the hired equipment is safely returned.

Yes you're more than welcome to launch or land your own craft here at our boathouse, in fact; its strongly encouraged.

We have facilities that you're more than welcome to make use of! Changing rooms, lockers, spare equipment, refreshments, a pontoon to launch from and anything you may have forgotten; can all be found at the boathouse.

We do however ask for a £5 launching/landing fee to help pay towards the upkeep and maintenance of this beautiful area.

We do indeed! So, if you really enjoy your hire session then make sure you speak to our our staff about how you can take your paddlesport to the next level!

While we are not opposed to other providers utilising our space, it's important to note that we grant permissions on a case-by-case basis. Any interested parties must contact us a minimum of 48 hours in advance. We charge a fee of £5 per person on the water, which includes both the instructor and participants. Please contact us directly to discuss this further.

Indeed, we do have a shop on-site. Here, you can purchase a variety of items and hire equipment as per your needs. 

Our offerings include:

• Refreshing drinks
• Snacks to keep your energy levels up
• Ice creams for a sweet treat
• Watersports equipment for your aquatic adventures
• Balance-boards for some fun and challenge at home
• Deckchairs for a relaxing sit-down by the water

Whether you're looking for a quick snack or the right equipment for your water activities, we've got you covered!

While our boathouse provides changing areas and storage lockers, we don't have toilet facilities as we are a riverside site.

The nearest toilet is located at the Somerset Coal Canal Visitors Centre, near the Brass Knocker car park, which is your most likely parking area.

Please be aware that this toilet is part of a private facility that is not affiliated with LiveFree Adventures. As a show of support to our local businesses, we kindly suggest making a purchase from the nearby Angelfish café when using these facilities. Your cooperation and understanding is greatly appreciated.

We offer 24 wire mesh lockers available for use on a first-come, first-served basis. If needed, you can rent a locker from us for a fee of £1, with a refundable deposit of £5. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for any items left in the lockers or elsewhere on our premises. 

We encourage all our visitors to ensure the safety of their belongings.

In a way you can! We're all about doing our bit for the environment! To help keep our waterways clean, we provide mesh bags for participants to collect rubbish during their outing. If you return a full bag of river litter, we'll reward you with a free hire. 

In other words, the more you collect, the more you save – we'll match the percentage discount to the percentage of the bag you fill. 

1 full bag = 1 free hire

Please bear in mind, only genuine waterway litter counts – we can tell the difference between actual rubbish and any leftover snacks from your paddle session! So, let's work together to protect our rivers.

The aim of the game is to stay dry, but sometimes, especially on paddleboards, a splash is inevitable! Therefore, we advise you to wear clothing that you would feel comfortable getting wet in or potentially swimming in. This will ensure you are prepared for any fun, unexpected dips in the water!

All of our customers are offered a buoyancy aid and are strongly advised to wear them throughout the hire session. 

Please note that fees will be charged for any lost or damaged equipment. These fees include an administrative charge to cover the time taken for the replacement process. The charges for individual items are as follows:

• Locker key: £5
• Leash: £20
• Dry-bag: £30
• Paddle: £50
• Phone case: £10
• Buoyancy Aid: £75
• Kayak: £429
• Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP): £499
• Canoe: £1000
• Rowing Boat: £1400
• Rowing Oars: £150

We kindly ask that all equipment is returned in the same condition as it was when hired to avoid these additional charges.

At LiveFree Adventures, we prioritise the safety and enjoyment of our participants. Therefore, we closely monitor weather conditions and may have to cancel sessions if we believe conditions could affect the safety of the experience.

In the event of a cancellation due to adverse weather,  we will offer a credit equivalent to the value of the cancelled session. This credit can be applied towards any of our adventure activities, private sessions, or special events within the same calendar year.   Please note, we will always make every effort to reschedule the session within our 6-week summer operating period first. If rescheduling is not possible, the credit option will be provided. 

This way, we ensure that even if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, you still have the opportunity to enjoy the exciting experiences LiveFree Adventures has to offer.

The meaning of life is a philosophical and existential question that has been asked by many but maybe not enough!

Depending on who you ask, be it a philosopher, google, a religious group, your mum, an AI or Dave from down the road, you're going to get plenty of mixed replies.

Although we appreciate your interest and intrigue; we couldn’t possibly help you on this one but we do suggest, our stretch of the River Avon is a good place to ponder.