We reached this point in the river after a lovely peaceful paddle during which Tom sighted more wildlife than I'd ever would have noticed without his keen eyes. Kingfishers, Grebe, long-tailed Tit, and other don't recall. We stopped having seen the battlements of Goodrich castle on the hill trying for a photo op, but the trees just took it out of sight.
Not so easy to get to this point as you may think. We had to brave a few ' no entry' signs to finally breach the castle walls.
Goodrich castle overlooks the Wye and commanded the trade route between England and Wales via a ford that existed in the river just past the tower in the picture below. The castle became a royalist stronghold in the civil war resulting in it being destroyed by a locally fashioned mortar cannon (still present in the castle grounds).
Tom, keen eyed as ever spotted this good spit of land for a nights kip. Just below a small weir (the one in which The Moose became stuck on the last trip) that rumbled throughout the night.
Tom surveys the grace of God in providing a ready supply of fire wood for the night.
Whilst I anticipate the potential for flood defence.
"..the front of the tent should come to about here".
(Which is about where the waters edge ended up the next morning !)But by faith we held back them waters and enjoyed a most excellent stared night in all it's glory, followed by a descent breakfast.
A strong southerly held back the rain on Sunday providing us with a beautiful day to cruise down to Symonds Yat and the rapids. Tom did a sterling job at holding the canoe to the correct line through the rough and somehow managed to stay indecently dry. Whilst I received quite a lap full!
The final stretch through to Monmouth included this lovely spot of still water given us a little time out to play on the stoppers.
The Moose liked this spot.
Thanks Tom Clarke for great company on our mini-adventure down the Wye.
