River Blackwater Swallowfield
Riseley Farm Part Lane Swallowfield Nr. Reading Berks RG7 1TB
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.
If you want to park at the farm continue on Ford Lane then bear right into School Road. Turn right at the end into Part Lane. Riseley farm is then on your right a few hundred yards on. Turn right into the farm (NOT Riseley House (?) a bit before). Park in front of the open barn structure – make sure you don’t obstruct farm vehicles & horse boxes etc. Leave your parking permit in the windscreen if you park in the farm.
Walk on the concrete roadway left of the new closed covered Atcost Barn. Pass through the metal gate – either use the pedestrian gate (close it after use) or push the button on the right and the vehicle gate will automatically open. It will close itself after a couple of minutes. Walk on past the farmhouse and go through the paddock in front of you – leave the gate as you find it but if there are horses in the paddock close & secure the gate with the latch and the chain.
At the far end of the paddock there is another gate – go through and the river is at the bottom of that field. You might well meet the young cattle anywhere through this last gate so make sure you close the gate securely. You can fish left or right from the weigh-in where you reach the river.
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.