eating & drinking
Sponsored by
lifestyle
Sponsored by
entertainment
Sponsored by
Business
Sponsored by
jobs
Sponsored by
property
Sponsored by
family
Sponsored by
shopping
Sponsored by
sport
Sponsored by
motoring
Sponsored by
Your Total Guide To lifestyle
The location
Only a short drive from Swindon, we arrived at Lechlade on Thames in the afternoon, and parked up in the pay and display car park directly outside of the hire venue. We were greeted with a smile by Edith, who welcomed us into the building and explained the plan and quickly provided us with our picnics.
Cotswold Canoe Hire is located at the stunning little town of Lechlade on Thames. The River Thames runs right through the town, and is home to some wildlife, as well as some beautiful canal boats. The water is nice and calm, which means you can row up and down the river as you please, and you don’t have to fight against moving water. The environment is simply so peaceful, and it’s so nice when the sun comes out.
The picnic
Cotswold Canoe Hire are running this activity in collaboration with The Riverside, a popular pub located on the river. All the picnic foods are prepared at the pub, so you know that the food is fresh.
When you sign up for the activity, you can choose between a standard picnic, or the deluxe package. The food is plenty enough for two people and there is quite a few options to pick, from the selection available. The food is presented in a nice basket, and complete with a blanket, should you choose to disembark the boat for your picnic!
For out picnic, we paid for £20 for the basic picnic, and £35 for the deluxe; these prices also included the hire of the boat. Drinks can be ordered separately and there is a few options to choose from.
We were more than happy with the food we picked. Starting with a couple of sandwich options we went for Avacado & Salsa, and Smoked Salmon. To go along with this we received 2 packets of crisps, strawberries & blueberries, the biggest scotch egg I’ve ever seen, and some brownies to finish! We also had some pink lemonade, which we drank out of some flute glasses!
We decided to have our picnic on board our little boat, but we sailed past so many nice spots where we could have gotten out to eat. The area is really so beautiful there is nice views all along the river.
The boat
We got into a nice rowing boat, which was surprisingly easy to get in. There were two benches within the boat, so we were able to comfortably fit the two of us in. Getting out of the harbour section and onto the Thames is where you really get to test your rowing skills. I’d initially found it quite difficult, which gave us a good laugh, but we managed to get out onto the river without a hitch.
We were advised on which route we could take, and we decided to head up stream. We navigated past all the ducks, and occasionally had to row to one side as we watched the boats sail by, giving the captain a wave as they passed. After about 20 minutes of gentle rowing, we decided to pull to the side and open our picnics. There were plenty of places where we could disembark the boat and sit on the grass with the blanket provided. So whether you prefer to stay in the boat, or sit off to the side, it’s your decision to make.
Our thoughts
We were able to spend about 2 hours out on the Thames, and we made the most of our time. 2 hours was the perfect length to relax, enjoy, and see the sights.
I would highly recommend this trip, especially for couples and families; sailing along the Thames was such a great bonding activity for me and my partner and we had such a laugh (mostly at me for my lack of coordination!)
It is definitely a trip that we will try again some day, and we’ve recommended it to a few of our friends already.
You can book the trip with Cotswold Canoe Hire by clicking HERE!
Cotswold Canoe Hire is an established family run business, perfectly placed to the heart of the River Thames close to its source at their stunning riverside location in Lechlade on Thames.
Park End Wharfe, Lechlade-On-Thames , Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3AQ
Website Email 01367 252303
We recommend
In case you missed it see what’s in this section
Listings
