Tittesworth Water - a great reservoir to try kayaking, canoeing & SUP

Tittesworth Water is a reservoir near Leek and on the boundary of the Peak District.

A view of the jetty with Tittesworth Water behind

Owned and maintained by Severn Trent since 1974, it serves water to the people of Leek and surrounding areas. It's kept topped up from the River Churnet.

It has a surface area of 190 acres, contains 1.4 billion gallons of water and is just over a mile in length (Source: Wikipedia).

Tittesworth Water is the second largest reservoir by volume in the county of Staffordshire.

Severn Trent manage a visitors centre on the east side of the reservoir which offers local walks, events and a well stocked café. From there, a 4 mile walk goes around the reservoir. A pleasant journey if you have the time.

There are several nature reserves on and around Tittesworth and these are home to many wild birds including geese, herons, ospreys and flycatchers. In fact, over 200 species of birds have been recorded on the site (Source: RSPB).

A heron by the shore of Tittesworth Reservoir

With a backdrop of the rocky gritstone outcrops of the Roaches, a rock formation rising to over 1,500 feet, it offers stunning views and a varying level of weather familiar to the Peak District.

This makes it an ideal paddling location and is suitable for kayak, canoe and stand up paddle board (SUPs).

Self launching and craft hire can be undertaken from Tittesworth Water Sports and Activity Centre on the west side of the reservoir. This is a purpose built water sports centre with plenty of craft options and qualified instructors to help.

There are toilets, changing rooms, outside showers and a tuck shop for emergency snacks.

Moo and Dave out on Tittesworth Water in a canoe - great fun!

Self launch and craft hire permits you to travel within a specified area and, with emergency phone and more than two group members, this expands to cover most of the reservoir. The paddle to the dam at the south end is over half a mile and a challenging paddle in the wind!

Safety is provided via a powerboat should you get into difficulties. A reasurance for those new to Tittesworth Water and kayak, canoe or stand up paddle boards.

Taking to the water is done from the shore line or directly from the jetty (see photo at the top of the page). This is easy to do and provides an initially sheltered start to your trip. From here, you can make progress across the water or hug the shoreline south towards Badger Bay and eventually the dam (see above for restrictions).

There are a variety of routes to take and with changes in weather, no two visits are the same.

In the bays, there are opportunities to practice self rescues - always good to hone these skills.

Ed on a stand up paddle board at Tittesworth Water

Ed, Moo and I have paddled at Tittesworth Water and love it! Ed and I took stand up paddle boards out and enjoyed some gentle paddling followed by some self rescue practice - and forward rolls!

Ed was brilliant as it was his first time on a board. We used Red paddle boards - Ed on a 10.6 and me on a 10.8 (bit wider and easy to stay on!).

We paddled out to the pontoon, across to the other side and then back closer to the shore to have a mess about. You can see the videos here:

Ed vs. Dave - The challenges!

Moo and I spent a couple of hours paddling a canoe. We went to the pontoon and across to the otherside of the reservoir. Moo loved it especially seeing the wildlife including some rabbits!

Her paddling improved too although she liked it best when I did all the paddling!

You can see the video here:

In calmer days, canoes and stand up paddle boards (SUPs) are popular. With increases in wind, sit on top kayaks become the craft of choice as these are easier to paddle and love the bumpy waves!

Tittesworth Water Sports and Activity Centre also offer courses to improve your paddling skills. Starting with taster sessions and Paddle UK Personal Skills Awards, you can cement the core skills before moving through to full blown instructor and coaching courses.

Dave has paddled here a lot when running sessions for young people. The instructor teams are great, the scenery stunning and, all in all, it is a superb place to spend time.

Here's the location details should you wish to give it a go:

https://w3w.co/describe.attending.cubic

Have fun!

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