Go Canoeing's First Guided Tour
Go Canoeing’s Guided Tours are one of the best ways for those with some canoeing experience to get out on the water and make the most of their precious paddling time. So if you’re bored of your local lake or you no longer find your nearest river riveting, signing up for a tour could be the perfect way to broaden your horizons and reinvigorate your passion for paddling.
Initially taking place at 12 locations across the country, the tours are designed to help participants discover new places to paddle, meet like-minded people and experience the social side of canoeing. And while we were pretty confident we had put together a varied range of exciting routes to meet everyone’s taste, we were keen to run a trial tour and gather some feedback from participants.
With this in mind, Tour Leader Ben Seal strapped on his trusty buoyancy aid and led a group of intrepid paddlers out onto the River Trent for the inaugural Go Canoeing Guided Tour back in January. The tour took in the highlights of the historic town of Burton-on-Trent, which is best known for its brewing industrial heritage.
Ben said: "It's a great location for a Guided Tour and makes for a really interesting and also very scenic paddle. The town itself is steeped in history and was home to over a dozen breweries in its heyday, so there's a lot to see. The tour then follows the river out of the town and as it meanders across the valley floor there are some fascinating geological features to be seen, as well as some stunning scenery.
"As this was one of our Explore Tours we kept to a leisurely pace and the participants were able to enjoy the tranquillity of the surroundings and the freedom of being on the water. This type of tour is perfect for people with a bit of canoeing experience, who want to explore the environment and take in the local wildlife, scenery and historical sites."
Despite being held so early in the year, the weather for our first ever Guided Tour was close to perfect and although there was a nip in the air, the sun was shining and the rain held off. Ten participants took part in the tour and were treated to two hours on the water, exploring Burton's highlights.
Tour participant Jacky Pearson said: "It was a fantastic day, all we had to do was turn up and everything was sorted for us. There was lots of really interesting information about Burton-on-Trent and its brewing history and we saw some local wildlife, including a heron, moor hens, coots and swans.
"We felt we had truly escaped the hustle and bustle and the tour was a great way to explore the environment, without feeling like we were disturbing the wildlife. The Go Canoeing Tour Guides were brilliant at encouraging and supporting us and making sure we had a great time."
To find a Guided Tour visit the Go Canoeing Activity Search or to see pictures of the tour visit our gallery.