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Distance 18 miles. Full day trip option 3
Full day trip: Launch from The River Wye Canoe Hire Company at approx 9.30am and pick up at Monmouth (Monmouth Rowing club right hand bank, second large concrete landing area, before stone bridge) at approx 5-5.30pm
Journey Overview
Launching from the public launch/egress point by the Riverside Inn, this half day trip is simply one of the most scenically beautiful journeys you can take on the River Wye.
Your journey starts with a series of long loops which take you towards the A40 and back inland so on and so forth. After approx three and a half miles you will suddenly see on your right hand side Goodrich Castle, meandering further on you will come to the first bridge on your trip, Kerne Bridge which is a three arched stone bridge spanning the River Wye. Please make sure that you pass under this bridge through the centre arch as the river flow pushes you towards the right hand bank.
What you need to do is keep your canoe over to the left hand side of the river as much as possible hugging the shale banks as you flow round the left hand bend and keep to the left of the small island. Please make sure that you all keep paddling at this particular point. Once you have cleared the bend, look out for an electricity pylon on the left hand bank. Shortly after this, and partly obscured by shrubbery, you will see a disused railway bridge abutment. The landing point is immediately after this feature and is also partly obscured by shrubbery which is growing from the river.
There are two official stopping/launch points en-route (Kerne Bridge and Lower Lydbrook), several private stops, two of which are at pubs (Ye Olde Ferrie Inn Symonds Yat West and The Saracens Head at Symonds Yat East) and five pubs!
The first of which is 5 miles from the start of your journey, at Kerne Bridge.
The pub, The Inn on the Wye, can be seen from the river at Kerne Bridge and is accessed from the landing stage by walking to the entrance of Kerne Bridge Picnic Site, crossing over the road and walking back three hundred yards to your left. The pub is a wonderful place to stop for drink and lunch; it boasts a terraced garden area which has views over the River Wye and towards Goodrich Castle. Contact no 01600 890872.
This landing stage can be found approx five hundred yards after the bridge on the left hand bank. Simply pull your boats up and secure them to the water depth markers. If you do stop here please take all your equipment and personal belongings with you. Here you can have a picnic/BBQ and there are public toilets situated in the new village hall through the car park area.
Once back in the river you are starting to canoe through one of the most picturesque stretches of The River Wye and surrounding countryside.
The river loops at a gentle pace around Coppit Hill, passing Bishops Wood Holiday Park on the left bank. Approximately one mile further on your left you pass a water pumping station with flood lights set in the walls. Thereafter, the river takes a long right hand bend taking in all the sites and sounds of the Wye. Please take the long way through this bend and try not to cut it off. (Keep in the centre of the river).
Approximately one and three quarter miles further on you come to Lower Lydbrook. You can't miss this stop as there's an island in the center of the river. (You must take the left hand channel around the island i.e. the island will be on your right).
To the left, after passing the island, you'll see the second landing point which is a set of concrete steps with a hand rail leading up to the picnic area. If you wish to stop here simply pull your boat in and tie to the water depth marker, again taking everything with you. The two pubs here The Courtfield Arms and The Forge Hammer can be found two hundred yards to the left of the picnic area entrance on the opposite side of the road. Also there is the Garden Cafe opposite the picnic area.
Public Toilets: These are situated next to the Forge Hammer pub.
Once back in the river after approximately half a mile on the right hand bank you pass Welsh Bicknor Youth Hostel and church. Meandering on, you'll soon paddle under a disused railway bridge now a footbridge. Please note that we request you to pass under this bridge in the centre of the river and NOT as is requested by the painted sign on the stanchions to pass to the left.
Meandering on a further 2 miles, you start the long right loop passing directly under the famous Symonds Yat and Collwell Rocks which are famous as the nesting place for the Peregrine Falcons (Cameras at the ready!!!!!)
Carrying on through the loop with Coppit hill on your right you will come to another bridge which is Huntsham Bridge, an iron bridge which is a single track bridge carrying the road between Symonds Yat East and Symonds Yat West.
A further mile on and you will pass on your right Symonds Yat West Leisure Park. At this point, please be aware of the four to five large river cruisers that use this stretch of the river: please give them a wide berth, they will make it clear where they need to go.
Meandering on you will pass a large boulder in the river on your left, please be aware of people swimming and diving in this area. Ye Olde Ferrie Inn at Symonds Yat West is a bit further on and is situated on your right, approximately half a mile further down river at Symonds Yat East is The Saracens Head pub and Rose Cottage tea garden situated on your left. Both of these places can be accessed from the river at the hand ferry landing stage.
Carrying on and you will approach THE RAPIDS! These rapids are the only rapids on the whole of The River Wye and are listed as Grade Two rapids as stipulated by The British Canoe Union.
Rapids are graded from one to five, with five being the most challenging, hence grade two is nothing to worry about. Please observe the smoother the river the greater the depth and when you see disturbed water the river is shallower.
Inexperienced canoeists must view the rapids from the bank before proceeding. If you are in any doubt whatsoever about your ability to proceed on the river, you must disembark at the ferry landing stage, porter the canoe around the rapids and re-enter the river below them.
Approach the rapids centrally to the river; however you pass the island on its left (so the island will be on your right). Please make sure that everyone paddles at this point and the person at the back of the canoe steers your way through the rapids.
Once clear of the rapids, meandering on down the valley, you will pass under The Biblins wire foot bridge. Carrying on, you will pass a Chateau on your right which is the Nimbus Foundation where they say the CD was developed. The A40 road will now be directly ahead of you; from here the river takes a left bend and runs parallel with the A40 to Monmouth and the finish point. This is at Monmouth Rowing Club on your right hand side.
Times are approximate and during peak periods, whilst every effort on our behalf is made to keep to them, please ensure that you are clear at the time of booking as to what your actual meeting times are.
Always arrive 20 minutes before your departure time to complete the hire agreement, receive health and safety briefing and be fitted with buoyancy aids.
Local Information to Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye Car Park
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