River Blackwater Swallowfield
Riseley Farm Part Lane Swallowfield Nr. Reading Berks RG7 1TB
We have 4 guest permits with the RAE club who have over a mile of the lower River Blackwater from the confluence with the Whitewater near Riseley to just above Swallowfield village.
The Blackwater permits are available online here via Clubmate (including the lock combination codes for the southern farm gate). THIS IS NOT AN OPEN ACCESS FISHERY AND PERMITS MUST BE BOOKED OUT IN ADVANCE.
Get onto A30 heading West – towards Hartley Wintney. Pass Blackbushe Airport, go straight over the roundabout that leads to the Airport & British car Auctions. At next, bigger roundabout turn right. Continue on this road past Eversley Church and the Antiques barn next to it. Down a hill and turn left.
Follow this road past the school playing fields on right. There is a 50mph speed limit as you go up a slight hill – turn right at the minor crossroads into Ford Lane (If you reach the boarded-up pub (Hatch Gate) you have overshot your turning. Follow Ford Lane to the sharp left turn – pass the ford on your right the shortly after cross the Whitewater Bridge. This is the start of the RAE stretch. If you want to fish the top end you can park on the verge by a farm gate with an RAE Angling Club sign. The pedestrian gate has a combination padlock – be very sure to re-lock the gate . Once through the gate you can then either follow the hedge line right to reach the Whitewater close to the road bridge or you can follow the wide grass path to the next open hedge then follow that hedge line to the confluence.
You can also access the bottom end of the river by parking in Swallowfield Church car park (I do not know the church’s view on this parking so at your own risk). Leave the car park bear left along the road until you see a footpath bridge over the river – go down this path & over the next foot bridge over the backstream. The bottom end of the main river is then away on your left.