Canoe wild- Beautiful day out in Fordwich

I was really keen to give Canoeing a go! I had seen my friend El give it a go at local place in Canterbury so I dragged her out last Saturday afternoon for a go. I really had a great time there so I thought I would share the experience with you guys :)

The company we used to hire out the Canoe was Canoe wild. They have two sights Fordwhich and Grove Ferry. Both are pretty close to where I live but we decided to head to the Fordwhich sight as it is slightly closer. It was super easy when we got there, the staff were super friendly and after a quicks after briefing we were on the water within 15 minutes!

I had never used a Canoe before but I was super impressed with how easy it was to pick it up. I feel like rowing and paddle boarding gave me a helping hand with some transferable skills though. The instructors at Canoe wild gave you some guidance on how to use the paddle though so I would not worry if you have no experience, it is very easy to pick it up! It’s also pretty hard to fall out of it so you should stay dry :)

The location was absolutely stunning! Fordwich is located on the River stour and even within a hour you can paddle up and find yourself in some beautiful nature. We saw lots of swans, ducks, moorhens and coots. It was lovely and peaceful to immerse yourself in the nature! We were also lucky going quite late in the afternoon so the river was very peaceful- I think we only came into contact with one other group the entire time we were on the water!

Our trip on the water was for an hour which I think was a great length of time for a beginner session. I was getting a little tired by the end of it. They also offer a two and a half hour journey in which you paddle from the Fordwich site to the Grove Ferry sight and they pick you up and drive you back. I am 100% going to go back and give that a try as I think that would be a lovely afternoon.

You also don’t have to rent a Canoe at Canoe wild. They also offer the opportunity to rent Kayaks and Paddle boards so you could give them all a go! It was also very affordable, at £25 for the hour. That worked out at £12.50 each which is definertly an affordable way to spend your afternoon.

Because we were already Fordwich, we thought we would have a little explore of the area while we were there. Fun fact it is actually the smallest town in England:) There is a local pub called the George and the Dragon, which we stopped off at for a drink and some food… they had some banging cheesy garlic bread! It was a very picturesque town so not only could you go for a Canoe, you can also grab some lovely food at a pub and have an explore round a wonderful town!

Thank you to El for coming along with me, her company definitely made the experience better! Go follow her outdoors account: @Ellie.outside. I also have a reel on my instagram of the experience if you fancy checking it out ;)

One of the very many pretty views walking round Fordwich