‘The river becomes an otherworldly bayou’: five of the best paddleboard and kayak adventures in the UK

Navigating to a backwater pub or brewery and around one of Britain’s last wildernesses is a magical way to explore

Make this the summer you get back out on the water, with fish plopping beneath you, bulrushes shimmying and kingfishers darting by. Even if you don’t have your own kayak or paddleboard festering in the garage, there are dozens of excellent hire places and guided tours up and down the country, on beautiful rivers, lakes, canals and coastlines. I’ve spent a couple of years researching a book about the loveliest, and here are five of my favourites.