The Sherborne Estate, Gloucestershire

A lovely circular walk with some added extras!

The Sherborne Estate is cut in half by the section of A40 that runs from Cheltenham to Oxford. It is about 18 miles to the east of Cheltenham and about a mile from the A40. On one side of the road you have Lodge Park, now owned by the National Trust and on the other is the main part of the estate, car parking, the village of Sherborne and the walk I am talking about here.

Sherborne House was built for Thomas Dutton after he bought the manor of Sherborne in 1551. Elizabeth 1 stayed at the house in 1592. In 1624-40 John 'Crump' Dutton acquired land 2 miles south-west of the village to create a deer park. He had Lodge Park built as a grandstand to watch deer being coursed by greyhounds and to fuel his passion for gambling, baqueting and entertaining.

It became the National Trust's first restoration project in 1998 and relied on archaeological evidence to return the building to its former glory. It is situated two and a half miles from Sherborne village and the wider Sherborne estate, the other side of the A40.

Ewe Pen Barn Car Park

The three marked estate walks all begin from Ewe Pen Barn car park. There is plenty of parking here and the National Trust ask for a donation of £1.00. It is worth mentioning that there are no toilet facilities here.

Before you begin your walk, you may want to go into the barn where you will find some useful information about the estate.

We have been walking here for several years, since our children were quite small. It is popular with families because the walks are not too long. We tend to follow the circular family trail which is about 3 miles long. Along the route there are two rope swings to find, a see-saw, several climbing structures and also some sculptures to spot. You will need to look for these (in the case of the rope swings, just listen for the squeals from other children!) because they are not all immediately visible from the path.

The walk begins through open farmland before descending into woodland for a short while. Here you will find two sculptures along the route. It emerges from the woodland onto the road that passes through the village of Sherborne (please be aware that there is no gate or stile at this point so nothing to prevent eager children or dogs from running out into the road).

You then walk for about half a mile along the pavement, passing some beautiful old Cotswold stone houses, former workers cottages and estate buildings, until you come to the village church and then the war memorial. This section provides some lovely views of the river Windrush. Here the walk turns a sharp right, heading almost back on itself, through a gate in a high wall.

At this point you might want to make the short detour, by continuing along the road, to the Sherborne Village Shop & Tearooms which are definitely worth the very short detour from the route. The shop sells ice creams and sweets for weary travellers (!). There are three tables inside if you are unlucky enough to have bad weather but plenty of tables in the pretty garden to the front. There is also a toilet at this point. The food here is simple but delicious and it is well worth a stop. It can't be a coincidence that all of our walks here seem to fall over lunchtime! The owners are incredibly friendly and welcoming and are very popular with the round brown spaniel because they have a stash of doggy biscuits that they offer to well-behaved dogs!

Resuming the walk, you will follow a field boundary for a few hundred metres. A glance to your right will reveal the back of Sherborne House. The walk then turns right into more woodland along a well-trodden path. It is in these woods that you will find the swings, see-saw and climbing structures and also the ice-house that once stored ice for the occupants of Sherborne House.

You will pass through the woods before entering more open farmland. As you continue you will see the buildings of Ewe Pen Barn car park ahead of you.

If you are looking for an easy to follow, short. circular walk through some varied Cotswold countryside with the opportunity for extending it with a nice lunch or cooling drink and an ice-cream then this could be the one for you.

Sit-On-Top Kayaks

We are very fortunate to live within a short drive of four very different rivers - the Wye, the Severn, the Avon and the Thames. All four rivers offer opportunities for fun on the water so, with that in mind, a few years ago we decided to treat ourselves to three kayaks. We currently have a double sit-on-top and two singles. We have recently added an inflatable kayak to our collection too.

We did a considerable amount of research before we made our purchases, going to open days at different retailers in order to try out a selection of canoes and kayaks before we chose.

So, what is the difference between canoes, kayaks and sit-on-top kayaks? The most obvious difference is the sitting position. In a canoe (often referred to as Canadian canoes) the paddler either kneels on the bottom of the boat or sits on a raised seat. In a kayak the paddler sits on a low seat with their legs extended in front. You have to climb into a kayak and your legs are enclosed. With a sit-on-top kayak you literally sit on the top of it. The next obvious difference is in the type of paddle you use and the number of blades it has. A canoe paddle has a blade on one end, while a kayak paddle is bladed at both ends.

Why did we choose a sit-on-top? At the time we started looking our children were around 10 and 7 years old. We tried Canadian canoes but found that they struggled to paddle them and we found them difficult to paddle alone. As we couldn't find a canoe that could comfortably accommodate two adults, two growing children and a fat spaniel it quickly became clear that Canadian canoes were not going to be an option for us - at least not for a few years until the children were older.

We have a relative who has a kayak so we were able to spend time messing about with hers on the river Thames one summer. It was a lovely kayak, very light and easy to steer and fast through the water but none of us were comfortable with the enclosed nature of a traditional kayak. We were worried that the children would panic in the event of a capsize and would not be able to get out quickly. Then, at an open day run by a local canoe and kayak retailer, we tried a sit-on-top for the first time and we loved it. My advice to anyone thinking of buying any sort of canoe or kayak would be to make sure that you try before you buy. You can either do this through a reputable retailer, who will be only to happy for you to have a play with a variety of different canoes and kayaks, or by paying for a days hire, loading up a picnic and giving it a go.

Sit-on-top kayaking is enormous fun, whether you are on a river, a lake or the sea, they can cope with everything. As a sport it is accessible to almost everyone and you do not need to be particularly fit to enjoy it. Sit-on-tops are made from moulded plastic and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are very stable and easy to paddle. We found our children took to them very quickly because they did not have a fear of capsizing - it you tip a sit-on-top over you simply fall off into the water.  They are slightly more cumbersome  through the water than a traditional kayak but, I think, less so than a Canadian canoe. We transport ours on roof bars on the car with no difficulty. The double kayak is big and heavy and takes two people to get it onto the roof where as the single ones can be loaded by one person.

So, where can you paddle in the UK? It would be wonderful if you could drop your kayak into any river, lake or canal that you fancied and paddle away but it is not quite that simple (but it isn't hugely complicated either). The restrictions in England and Wales are considerably more than in Scotland where they take a much more relaxed view of rights of way and of navigation.

RIVERS

Messing about on a river can be a fantastic way of seeing the countryside from a different perspective. You will see wildlife that you would not normally see and, if you are lucky, you may experience total solitude. It is a lovely way to unwind from a busy working week.

In England and Wales the situation regarding use of our rivers is not terribly enlightened, with  many landowners claiming ancient rights over the river that flows through their land. This is particularly so if they also sell fishing rights. Many of the larger rivers, such as the Severn, the Thames and the Trent require a British waterways licence (this is included in the cost of membership of the British Canoe Union). The larger rivers are often busy with floating gin palaces passing up and downstream. Be aware of the rules of the road and always paddle on the right. You can find a lot of useful information on the do's and don'ts on the British Canoe Union website.

To the best of my knowledge, the river Wye is the only river in England and Wales that has a right of navigation for virtually all of it's length. This explains why it is so popular and why there are so many canoe hire companies and campsites based along it's banks. The beauty of the Wye is that it has something for everyone. There are sections that you should not attempt unless you are experienced but there are many sections that are suitable for the complete novice. If you are interested in trying some canoeing or kayaking on the Wye the best place to start is with a marvellous little book called 'Wye Canoe? Canoeists Guide to the River Wye' produced by the Environment Agency for Wales. This will tell you everything you could possibly want to know about canoeing on the Wye (see below for a link to a downloadable PDF of this book)

CANALS

As the 'roads' of the industrial revolution in the 18th & 19th century, canals run through the heart of many historic towns and cities. They also pass through some beautiful countryside. The licence included in the membership pack of the British Canoe Union covers the entire canal network. The drawback of using canals is the locks. Canoeists must get out and carry (portage) their canoe around the locks. My advice, if you plan to use canals, is to do some research and try to find stretches with few locks. Canals are often busy with large boats so, if you are not very confident, you may wish to avoid them.

LAKES

The same access considerations apply to lakes as to rivers. Many will be privately owned and you will have no right to use them. On others, such as many in the Lake District, you will find all types of craft including canoes and kayaks. Paddling on lakes can be incredibly hard work, particularly if the lake is large and it is windy. You have been warned!

THE SEA

Sit-on-tops are incredibly popular at the coast because you can have a huge amount of fun riding the surf once you have the knack. However, it is essential that you make sure that you take advice from lifeguards and other surfers familiar with the beach you plan to use. Local conditions may make kayaking unsafe in certain coastal locations. Make sure you understand the tides, currents and the effect the wind can have before you venture out.

So, you have your kayak or canoe, what other equipment will you need to get started? The list below shows what we bought initially:-

• buoyancy aid - a no-brainer!
• paddles - basic ones often come as part of a package
• removable clip in seats with adjustable back support
• straps to secure the kayak to your car

That's it! There are other bits and pieces and items of specialist clothing you can buy but that is all you need to get out there and have some fun. In terms of clothing, we go for layers that you can easily put on and take off. We tend to wear aqua shoes or neoprene wetsuit boots (you will get wet feet!) and a windproof jacket, such as a soft-shell is a useful addition.

If you know you will be out all day take enough drink and food to keep you going (unless you plan to paddle past a lovely riverside pub, in which case, take your wallet!) and a mobile phone in a waterproof case in case you have a problem.

I also bought three books that I have found very useful:-

• 'Wye Canoe? Canoeists guide to the River Wye' - Environment Agency Wales
• 'Sit-on-top Kayak' - Derek Hairon
• 'Pub Paddles - the best short canoe trips in the South of England' - Peter Knowles

Happy paddling!