Wonderful full day trip covering 12 miles and allowing an hour for lunch...
The day trip from Ross is lovely and relaxing, you meet us 30 minutes before the start of your trip (8.30am) at Wye Adventures Ltd Centre, Symonds Yat West. You can park in the Pay and Display Car Park next door at the "River Wye Campsite" and then walk back to the road and the entrance to Wye Adventures and Wye Canoes where we fill out paperwork, kit you out with buoyancy aids, paddles and dry barrels and give you a safety briefing, we then transport you to Ross to begin your trip and you are required to get back to Symonds Yat West before 4pm, which is really easy even allowing an hour for lunch on the way down it's a fun day with very little pressure.
As you leave Ross you will pass underneath the 12 c sandstone Wilton Bridge and pass the remains of Wilton Castle before starting to follow the Wye as it meanders through stunning countryside and towards Goodrich Castle. The first place to stop for a break is Kerne Bridge some 5 miles downstream of Ross, you should reach Kerne Bridge after approximately 2 hours where you can stop for lunch, 5-10 minutes after passing under Kerne bridge around the bend there is the landing point for Kerne Bridge Canoe Launch on the left hand bank, there is a pub nearby, The Inn on the Wye , which can be accessed by following the footpath by the side of the village hall which will bring you out by the bridge and just across the road from the pub. (We are very very strict about consuming alcohol whist on our activities, there is nothing wrong with a pint or a glass of wine but anyone drinking excessively and found to be under the influence will be removed from the river without refund so be careful!
We require that you are back on the water and have left the lunch stop at Kerne Bridge by 1.30 pm to enable you reach the finish point at Symonds Yat West by 4pm.
A further 30 minutes downstream is Lower Lydbrook, where again you can find a picnic area, public toilets and the The Forge Hammer (Please be aware that although there are a couple of pub options on route, you will only have time for one stop for lunch). if you decide to stop at Lydbrook for lunch rather than Kerne Bridge we would suggest you leave Lydbrook by 2pm to make your 4pm finish time.
After Lydbrook you will pass by the YHA and the Church at Welsh Bicknor and under the disused railway bridge. The river meanders down beside Coppett Hill 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 car. 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!
- 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, birdlife and fungi. We can provide 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.
- After the island at Lower Lydbrook you will pass through Welsh Bicknor which despite its name is in Herefordshire, and past the Youth Hostel in Welsh Bicknor with St Margarets church beside it.
- Another disused railway bridge, last used in the 1960′s, now used as a footbridge.
- 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 500ft above you on the left, easily identified by the union flag.
- 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.
- 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 and find a member of the Wye Canoes / Wye Adventures team to take your equipment from you. Then maybe time for a refreshing drink at one of the local watering holes while planning your next exciting adventure.
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 - 2 hours into your trip is the Inn on the Wye and a further 30 minutes down river 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 times – 9am
- Meeting place - Wye Adventures Ltd Centre, Symonds Yat West
- Parking - Pay and display car park opposite southern entrance to Wye Street (2 mins walk from canoe launch)
- On river time – 30 mins after meeting time
- Duration – 6 hours (4-5 hrs journeying)
- Off water time - 4pm at latest
- Time of Year – Unguided – March-December, Guided – All Year Round
- 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
- Adult:Child Ratio Youth Group Guided, 1 Instructor/Guide:10 Youths + 1 free staff position
- Adult:Child Ratio Standard Group Guided, 1 Instructor/Guide:12 persons.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01600 890027
Read what our customers have to say about us here.
