THE PROGRAMME

 

Day One

Buses pick up at school at 9.30am and drive to The Grand Western Canal.  

We will join the canal at a suitable entry point. We prepare the boats and get on the water for a practice paddle. Our bags and the field kitchen will be delivered to the campsite whilst we make our way along the canal.

The whole canal is a nature reserve and is teeming with life - everything from water lilies to Kingfishers. The water is crystal clear and easy to paddle on. The route goes through wooded valleys and open fields passing bridges and cottages. We will be taking our time, with several stops along the way as we journey  towards our campsite. The canal leads us past Victorian quarries and lime kilns. The wildlife still ever present, we paddle towards the end, entering into a narrow tunnel through a hill finally brining us to the end of our journey and the end of the canal just inside Somerset.

Finally after landing the boats, we walk or drive to the campsite at Gamlins Farm.

We camp in a private field alongside open farmland with good access to the campsite facilities. We set up camp and cook tea. The evening is spent relaxing and playing games on the campsite field.  

Day Two

After a night in the tepee tents, we wake for breakfast and prepare to leave.  We make our back to the canal and explore another section of the canal. Once back on the water we head south toward Tiverton taking in a section that passes through villages and more open landscapes.  

We will be pick up from a suitable point and return home.  

Another option is to take in two canals in one trip.  On the second day we can visit the Exeter Ship Canal and make a trip alongside the Exe estuary, taking in the breath-taking expanse of the estuary and flood plain, heading to the sea at Exmouth. We also visit the wild and remote Turf Locks.

Useful Links

• Gamlins Farm Caravan Park
• Grand Western Canal Visitor Information Guide (pdf)
• Exeter Ship Canal