Kayaking the Severn is always an adventure, and in May, we had the pleasure of helping a wonderful group of gentlemen set off on their trip. They hired kayaks from our Montford Bridge centre near Shrewsbury for a 5-day journey down the Severn to Gloucester. One of the group, Ken, has kindly shared the story of their experience on the water.
Weād been planning this Severn trip for years, but postponed twice. Once due to high water and once because a member broke ribs. It felt great to arrive at Montford Bridge, pick up our kayaks, and finally get on the water. We were warmly welcomed by Hire a Canoeās team leader, Chris. The kayaks were ready, complete with paddles and life vests.
Our five-day trip planned stops at Shrewsbury, Iron Bridge, Bewdley, and Upton upon Severn before ending in Gloucester. We estimated that each leg of the journey would average about 20 miles, with some days being longer or shorter. At a leisurely paddling speed of 3 miles an hour, we were looking at six to seven hours a day.
The first 3 days
For the first three days, the river was shallow with riffles and currents that kept us focused on navigating carefully. We approached the relatively modest Jackfield Rapids with caution, but still ended up soaked anyway. The current helped us paddle faster in spots, but estimating distances and travel times on the winding river proved challenging.
The river was wider for the last two days with less current and less exciting paddling. We navigated six locks, and at each one, the lock keepers greeted us with kindness and helpfulness.
Generally, we would try to paddle for a couple of hours before stopping for a break and a stretch of the legs. Sometimes a couple of hours would coincide with a pub or, in one instance, a wonderful cafĆ©. Normally, we would find a spot to pull into the bank. At the end of each day, we would arrive at our destination, pull the kayaks out of the water, leave them safely out of anyoneās way, and go to the pub where we would be staying. We had prebooked these pubs along the way, and at each we found friendly staff and much-needed cold beer!
Bumping into other paddlers
The Severn was very quiet when we did the trip. We met one other kayaker, four or five canoes and perhaps a dozen longboats or motorboats over the five days. Of interest was the numerous boat clubs on the Severn, and we did encounter a few rowers. The most exciting moment came when we came upon a small regatta of sailing boats, which looked like a flock of angry swans, and we had to paddle past them with care.
The Severn runs through Worcester and Gloucester, amongst other very pretty villages. We did not have time to stop and wander around, but we certainly recognised the historical significance of these ancient towns. On the river itself, there are some wonderful old iron bridges of the 1860s, including Ironbridge itself.
We will certainly remember the birdlife on this trip. Ducks of many varieties, geese, lots of swans, including one black one, birds of prey, herons, a lone kingfisher and an extraordinary giant terrapin. Being spring, there were chicks faithfully following their mums around and avoiding the kayaks.
Arriving at Gloucester
As the trip finished, we called Mike from Hire a Canoe with an estimated arrival time, and he was waiting for us. The kayaks were loaded up onto his transporter, and we took off to our hotel. Nothing could have been easier.
We planned the trip carefully, booked the kayaks and pubs in advance, and made sure we had everything we needed each day. Looking back, we agreed an extra day for more stops wouldāve been nice, but we all had a great time. Five days on the water allow for old friendships to be refreshed, old bodies to be tested and strengthened, and new memories to be created.
What better way to spend five days.
Thanks to Ken and his friends for sharing their Severn kayaking adventure and sending us some great photos! Want to plan a similar trip? Email [email protected] or visit our group bookings page to learn more.
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