Kayaking on The Wye 2021

We are taking a group to The Wye Valley for a day of kayaking in September 2021.

Awesome trip with time for lunch on route…

The 11am 3/4 day trip from Kerne Bridge to Symonds Yat West is the shortest trip we do but with the most time to complete it, you can relax and chill out, stop for lunch or just take your time, ideal for the first time paddler or for children, and can be done self-guided between the months of March to November. After booking your Canoe, Kayak or Paddleboard online you meet us at Kerne Bridge Canoe Launch, HR95QT (unfortunately we are not currently running our normal shuttle service due to social distancing, we are running the drivers of cars back to collect the cars after your trip) there is a small pay and display car park to leave your car in, we fill out paperwork, kit you out with buoyancy aids, paddles and dry barrels and give you a safety briefing, you will have the small launch fee to pay to the owners of the launch site if self-guided (£2 per craft and they take cards).  You will paddle through Bishopswood and down to Lower Lydbrook where you can stop for lunch, at Lydbrook there are public toilets and places to buy food and drink (open in the main season). After Lydbrook you will pass by the Wye Valley YHA and the lovely Church at Welsh Bicknor and under the old disused railway bridge that forms part of the Wye Valley Walk. The river meanders down towards and under the famous Symonds Yat Rock viewpoint, where you may be able to spot peregrine falcons and other birds of prey. After passing Yat Rock you paddle for a further hour through stunning scenery into Symonds Yat and back to Symonds Yat West and your finish next to the Paddocks Hotel. Along the way you can see a variety of wildlife from otters, mink, swans, geese, deer, wild boar, peregrine falcons and plenty more.
The distance of about seven miles of this trip can be enough for the first time paddler and is perfect to enjoy the fantastic surroundings and stunning vistas the area has to offer.

Things to look out for on this trip!

1. Coppett Hill – After launching at Kerne Bridge you will paddle alongside beautiful heather clad Coppett Hill on your right, a local nature reserve of over 100 acres, it’s a mixture of woodland and open hillside and is a great place for butterflies, deer, bird life and fungi. There is a lovely guided walk along Coppett Hill which will show you the route of the river through the gorge as it winds around the hill itself.
2. After the island at Lower Lydbrook you will pass through Welsh Bicknor which despite its name is in Herefordshire, and past the Wye Valley YHA with St Margaret’s church beside it.
3. Another disused railway bridge, last used in the 1960′s, now used as a footbridge and part of the Wye Valley Walk.
4. Approximately half way through your trip Cliffs rise up in front of you, this Coldwell rocks and caves and Symonds Yat Rock where finds suggest iron age activity, but are probably more notable for the nesting Peregrine falcons and Symonds Yat Rock the view point some 500 ft above you on the left, easily identified by the union flag.
5. Now you have looped around and you are paddling the other side of Coppett Hill, you will go under Huntsham Bridge, a green iron road bridge that links the two sides of the River Wye.
6. You are entering Symonds Yat area when you see the old parish church of St Dubricius on your right hand side. Its foundations date from the 9th century and the oldest part the 13th century. St Dubricius lived in Herefordshire in the 6th century and founded monasteries which were centres of learning.

Your landing point is not far away now, as you round a right hand bend you will see our sign on a beach on the inside of a right hand bend indicating our private launch and landing site.

All you have to do now is carefully exit the river, remove your boat and carry it to the flag then find a member of the Wye Canoes/Wye Adventures team to take your equipment from you.

Activity Information Facts:

• Minimum Age – 4 Years Old
• Fitness Level – Easy/Moderate
• Difficulty – Easy, suitable for novices, you will be required to carry your 34kg canoe between you and your paddling partner (we can assist groups with young children), we can sometimes help at the launch stage but if you capsize on route you will have to recover your boat yourselves as we are not there with you! you will also need to remove the canoe from the river at the end of the day.
• Stops on route – 30 mins into your trip is the public area of Lower Lydbrook which has public toilets, picnic area, Forge Hammer Pub and a few hundred metres further downstream is the Wye Valley YHA which also sells food and drink. (Please bear in mind that we don’t allow anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs to paddle our boats for obvious safety reasons, people under the influence or seen drinking alcohol whist in the boats will be removed from the river without refund and possibly without transport back to their cars).
• Meeting time – 11am
• Meeting place – Kerne Bridge Canoe Launch, HR9 5QT
  
• On river time – 30 mins after meeting time
• Duration – 4.5 hours (3 hours journeying)
• Off water time – 4pm at latest
• Location – Lower Wye Valley
• Adult:Child Ratio Unguided, 4-9 yr olds 1:1 adult to child ratio, 10-18 yr olds 1 adult:2 youths

Our chosen charity is Made a Mark. A local charity helping bereaved children treasure old memories and make new ones. If you would like to find out more or make a donation click the logo below.