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 We are Maidstone Canoe Club

 We sea kayak.

 We race.

 We are Maidstone Canoe Club.

 We mess about in boats.

 We run rivers.

Club History

A Brief History of Maidstone Canoe Club

1965: Club founded and based in Parkwood Youth Club, Maidstone.  Initially called Three Admirals Canoe   Club (name obscure)

1968: Moved to a dumb barge on the Medway at Mill Meadow, where our landing stage is now. Barge was used for transporting kaolin for the paper trade on the Medway.  Had boat storage below, and a changing area/clubroom (basic) on the deck. It rusted and was replaced by another dumb barge.

1970: Geoff Hunter – Round Britain in angmagssalik (Inuit style) kayak, solo.

1970: Geoff again, Round Iceland.  Two firsts.

1980: During the very high flooding, the barge was pulled over above the land.  When the floods receded it was left high and dry and used on land for a while before being sold to be cut up for scrap.

1981: Money from scrap was used to buy a very large site hut used in the building of the Thames Barrier.  Our first land based clubhouse.

1983: Official opening of the new clubhouse by Mayor of Maidstone, Geoff Good, BCU Director of Coaching and Bryn Hughes, Chair London and South East Region, BCU.  The Mayor went afloat in suit and chain of office with Alan Thompson in the red C2, still in the boat store.

1990, January:  following a very cold winter with some members putting in the steelwork, the concrete for the base of our present club was poured/raked/dug by 40 members.

1990, Easter:  Club wins Team Trophy in Devizes to Westminster Race Individual win by R.Catchlove and R.Elliott, K2 Senior, who follow up with 3rd in the Arctic Canoe Race the same year.

1999: Official Opening of our new clubhouse after extensive efforts by club members.

2004: Club membership exceeds 150 for the first time.

2009: Club membership exceeds 200 for the first time.