Winding River Canoe

About

Winding River Canoe specialise in guided canoeing trips along the River Dart in South Devon, the River Wye on the Welsh border and Scotland.

Our trips give you a break from your busy life, allowing you to relax, go slow and to experience the magic of the river world. Whether you’re joining us for a day trip, an evening paddle, or for a few days canoe-camping, we guarantee you an adventurous, relaxing and fun time.

Winding River Canoe offers a variety of different tours of the river and can accommodate any occasion including children’s birthdays, stag-and-hen weekends and provides different experiences to make your trip truly unique.

One of our most popular trips is the Evening Paddle. This canoe trip is an opportunity to slow down, switch gear and experience the natural world on the water as it moves from day to night. The fading light, bird-song, bats, moonlight, dusk. After a short briefing, introductions, and a little canoeing tuition we set off in the daylight and paddle our canoes for a while (usually between 60-90 mins). Pitching up on the river bank, we'll gather around the fire and sup hot chocolate and eat cake whilst we are entertained by a river tale or two from our on-board story-teller. As the final light is fading, we'll then hop back in the canoes and paddle to the finish point (30-40mins) where the trip ends about 9.45pm.

Or you may opt for the luxuriant canoe picnic… Explore a beautiful and scenic stretch of the River Dart by canoe, topped off with a gourmet riverside picnic, using food and drink sourced from small independent local suppliers. The trip starts at 11am at one of two locations depending on weather and water conditions. We use either the stretch of water below the Sharpham estate, leading out to Stoke Gabriel, or the more sheltered stretch running below the Dartington Hall estate. Both locations are known for their natural beauty and bird life. After a very brief introduction to canoeing we set off and paddle for about an hour. The canoeing is gentle and easy going, but enough to work up a good appetite for the sumptuous riverside picnic that awaits you. After the picnic, we paddle for a short time finishing off about 3pm.

If that isn’t quite adventurous enough for you, you can come canoe-camping. We’ll pitch over-night at some of the most stunning wild-camping spots you’ll ever visit. Cooking up a feast on the campfire, camping under the stars…

Guests don’t need to be able to canoe or have any experience with canoeing, the majority of offered trips are suitable for novices and our experienced river guides are not only fully qualified British Canoe Union Instructors but are also very friendly and accommodating with an intimate knowledge of the river. They’re happy to go over the basics with our guests and with their instruction, you’ll be paddling along in no time!

We also offer tailor-made trips for private group bookings. This is a great option for groups of families and friends; for reunions, get-togethers, and celebrations where you want to preserve the intimacy of your group. We are happy to adapt trips to suit your own requirements to make your experience truly unique and memorable.

Winding River Canoes has over ten years of experience planning and running canoe and camping expeditions for children and adults and are regularly inspected to ensure that safety regulations are up to date.