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People who went: Alex, Luis, Diane, Ian Nisbett, Beth, Dan Halpern,
Caroline, Chris, Joanna,
Martin, Julia S , Dan Jones, Gavin, and Dan Jones's friend Ian Scott.
Most of the group gathered on Friday evening at the toll-bridge campsite
at Whitney-on-Wye in time
for an evening meal at the nearby Boat Inn. On Saturday morning Black
Mountain Activities dropped
off 6 Canadian Canoes, 14 paddles and various other bits of equipment
at the toll-bridge and cars
were shuttled to Preston-on-Wye. Just as we got on the water the forecast
rain, which was to
persist for most of the day, began to fall.
The river level was low and we ran into many shallows where the main
flow seemed invariably to set
underneath overhanging branches, with predictable and sometimes hilarious
results. We
occasionally encountered miniature rapids, some even noticeable enough
to prompt people to shout
"
Wheeeee!" as they went down. Sand martins swooped over the river,
their nesting holes clearly
visible in the sheer sandy banks. Diane and Ian spotted a swimming sheep
and went to see if it
needed to be rescued but it managed to get out by itself. The rain did
not let up for the lunch stop.
It did stop for a time in the afternoon but as soon as people had dried
off a bit, down it came again.
We eventually came to Monnington Falls and dutifully got out to inspect
it for obstructions as
recommended by the "Canoeists' Guide to the River Wye". But
the rapid failed to deliver the
exciting finale to the first day that some of the group had anticipated.
Someone summed it up in
three eloquent words: "Was that it?". We soon arrived, tired
and wet but not cold and on the whole
surprisingly cheerful, at the campsite at Preston-on-Wye. The rain had
at last stopped as we
hauled the boats up the steep muddy bank and began to set up camp. In
the evening we walked to
the Yew Tree pub where, by prior arrangement with the landlord, we had
an excellent and
inexpensive meal. The beer and cider were also excellent.
On Sunday we awoke to fine weather and a slight breeze. Cars were shuttled
to Hereford and we
set off down the river. The almost continuous rainfall of the previous
day had had no discernible
effect on the level of the river or its rate of flow. We stopped early
for lunch, not being sure of finding
suitable landing places further downstream although we need not have
worried. At one point Chris
and Joanna spotted a peregrine falcon stooping on a pigeon which effected
a lucky escape into the
tree canopy. The fine weather and shorter distance to paddle made the
second day easier and
more relaxed and, with fewer meanders on this section, it was not long
before the cathedral and
bridges of Hereford came into view at the end of a long straight reach.
We got the boats out below
the old stone bridge in Hereford and found ourselves in a pleasant grassy
park with an ice-cream
van parked nearby.
Whitney-on-Wye to Preston-on-Wye was about 14 miles and Preston-on-Wye
to Hereford about 10
miles.
Phone numbers:
Whitney-on-Wye toll-bridge (basic campsite and launching) 01497 831669
Boat Inn, Whitney-on-Wye (food, basic camping and launching) 01497 831223
New Court Farm (basic campsite), Preston-on-Wye 01981 500349
Yew Tree pub, Preston-on-Wye 01981 500359
Black Mountain Activities 01497 847897
All images © CSCC Chris Stephens, Alex Skinner, Luis Trevino
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