THREE QUARTER day canoe hire – Kerne BRIDGE to Symonds Yat

Our three quarter day canoe hire costs £35 per person.

summer holidays special 15% OFF monday – friday

*terms and conditions apply, discount auto applied at checkout, reduced from £35pp to £30pp for 1 day, ¾ day, ½ day trips, not valid for multi-day trips and hourly hire*

DURATION

Canoeing from Kerne Bridge to Symonds Yat takes about 3 hours.

However if you choose the three quarter day trip arriving at 11:30am, you will be on the river between 12:30pm to 4:30pm. This gives you an extra hour to complete the journey.

Ideal for an extended lunch, giving you an hour of stopping off time for a picnic at Welsh Bicknor or in the canoe. 

WHATS INCLUDED

The three quarter day canoe trip is inclusive of canoe hire, equipment hire (paddles, buoyancy aids and dry barrels), transportation to the start point, launch fees, landing fees, maps and a safety briefing. 

The car park is pay and display, which needs to be paid at one of the ticket machines. The machine accepts cash, card and phone payments. Maximum tariff is £7 for all day.

BOOK THIS TRIP

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Setting off from Kerne Bridge launch site you will head South down the Wye Valley along a fairly straight section of river. 15 minutes into your journey you will come to a small S bend that requires a little bit of concentration. Then another 15 minutes onto Lower Lydbrook to navigate around a small island. So the first 30 minutes can be quite exciting. 

WELSH BICKNOR

Continuing your canoeing along the Wye you will pass Welsh Bicknor on your right and English Bicknor on your left.  At Welsh Bicknor there is a lovely church and a former Rectory in the grounds. This was previously used for the residency of the parish priest. The Rectory is owned by the YHA trust and used as a youth hostel. The surrounding area is very pretty with fantastic views looking down the Wye Valley. There is a large grassy area ideal for picnics.

STOWFIELD RAILWAY VIADUCT

Just downstream of Welsh Bicknor you will pass under an old railway bridge. The bridge was part of the Monmouth to Ross line. On the right hand bank the railway used to go through a tunnel under Coppett Hill and headed towards Ross on Wye. On the left bank there used to be a junction where the line met the Severn to Wye railway. This line was primarily used for exploiting mineral resources from the Forest of Dean. The remains can just about be seen on your left as you pass along the river in your canoe.

PICTURESQUE

Shortly after is the area where the 18th century Rev. Gilpin first introduced the word ‘picturesque’ to the English language. Used for describing the surrounding landscape. For him it defined “that kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture”. Bowens field can be found on the left hand side, a sloped meadow that heads up to the Forest of Dean often found with sheep roaming around.

SYMONDS YAT ROCK

When the river starts to turn west you will come through a beautiful valley.  You will find Ship Rock high above your left shoulder. The cliffs that run along the skyline are Coldwell Rocks, home to the Peregrine Falcon. The end of the line of cliffs is marked by Symonds Yat Rock.

From here the River Wye takes a long wide oval course, nearly coming back on itself at Symonds Yat. But before reaching Symonds Yat you will paddle your canoe under Huntsham Bridge (the green bridge). It takes about 30 minutes back to us from here. 

As you enter Symonds Yat West you will see large boulders on the left side of the river. This is the landmark we advise paddlers to remember, as our landing point is on the right just opposite them.

BRING A PICNIC

It is advisable to bring a picnic or packed lunch with you that can be eaten in the canoe or at Welsh Bicknor. We also have a designated area on our field next to the river where you finish that can be used for a picnic before or after your journey. 

If you wanted to stop for a pub lunch then the 1 day canoe trip would be a better option. This gives you the opportunity to stop at the ‘Inn on the Wye’ for midday.

WILDLIFE

This trip provides plenty of opportunity to see some of the local wildlife.  You are guaranteed to see nesting Swans, Canada Geese, Buzzards circling on the thermals, a variety of ducks and fish to name just a few.  You may even be lucky enough to spot a Kingfisher, an Otter, or a Peregrine Falcon.  Don’t forget to look out for Herons, it’s our company logo.