A huge number of travellers pass through Cheshire everyday by road and rail, racing to get from London and Birmingham to the Northern Powerhouse cities of Manchester and Liverpool. With traffic jams, delays, rail replacement bus services and more, it can be a fraught experience and you might find it difficult to find meaning in the Buddhist mantra “It’s better to travel than to arrive.” In order to understand this quote, you need to take a different tack, exchange the motorway and railway tracks for a lake or river and get into a kayak. We guarantee that the beautiful surroundings, the sound of the paddle in the water, and the way you glide through the water will make you grateful for a true journey of discovery.

There are several waterways in Cheshire that are ideal for kayaking. As well as a couple of sheltered lakes around the county which are fantastic for peaceful paddling, there’s the River Dee which slows through Chester, the county town. Up river, the Dee is a different beast - a raging course of white water and rapids. The great thing about this sport is that it can be whatever you want it to be: a meditative experience in nature, or an adrenaline fuelled wild ride. Whatever you choose, one thing’s for certain - you won’t want the fun to stop when you get to the end of your session.

Where are the best places to go kayaking in Cheshire?

• Chester: The Romans chose to put a fort on the site of modern Cheshire because of the River Dee. As it snakes around a S shaped bend, it rounds a rocky promontory, making a great defensive position. To this day the river is the focal point of the city, and is a fantastic natural highway for taking a tour through the city centre and through time, passing ancient, mediaeval and modern sights. Paddling out of the city, you can go wildlife spotting along the river banks. Alternatively, you can head for Chester Weir, a series of steps built into the river that allow salmon to swim up against the current. If you paddle down over these steps, you’ll enjoy a white water experience.

• Manley Mere: At the end of the last ice age, retreating glaciers carved out hollows in the landscape of Cheshire which are now lakes. One of these is Manley Mere, between Cheshire and Frodsham, a beautiful tree lined lake which hosts a variety of watersports. One of these is kayaking. It’s a wonderful place for messing about on the water, where the banks shelter the lake from the worst of the weather, and the unspoilt location is enough to make you forget about the worries of day to day life.

• Astbury Mere: Unlike Manley Mere, this mere, which is found on the outskirts of Congleton in the east of the county, was a silica quarry that’s been flooded. It’s a popular spot for all kinds of outdoor pursuits, including fishing, sailing and orienteering, but we think that the best way to enjoy it is in a kayak.

• Across the Border: This region sits on the border with Wales, and if you follow the River Dee across the frontier, you’ll find some fantastic destinations before long to continue practising this sport. The first is Past Lake in Hope Valley, a natural lake that’s a haven for animal, bird and insect life. Apart from that is the Dee itself, which changes from a lazy watercourse that winds through the landscape into something quite different after the town of Llangollen. This is the site of one of the most popular white water routes in the British Isles, where the water crashes over falls and boils over rapids. Many people brave these waters in inflatable rafts, but it’s also possible to enjoy some serious white water kayaking here.

What are the options for organising an experience?

- Some places in Cheshire, like Manley Mere, are so well suited to this activity that almost anyone can climb aboard and start to control the boat without a hitch. For this reason, kayak hire by the hour is a popular option in these places. In other places, you can join a session with a guide to learn about the equipment and develop a correct paddling style to make sure that you get the most out of the experience.

- Taking a tour on the River Dee in Chester is a fantastic way to enjoy and see the city from a unique point of view. You’ll join a group with a guide, who will help you to control the kayak effectively, and talk you through the key sites and events in the story of Chester in an experience that lasts 1.5 hours. If you want to enjoy the white water of the weir in Chester, you’ll get 3 hours. That time will include a warm up, before you face the descent, and then go back upstream to enjoy it all over again!

- The Llangollen white water kayaking experience is also a 3 hour activity, but we have to point out that this is a more intense experience than the white water on offer in Cheshire. The route will take you down several kilometres of falls and rapids along the River Dee, with names such as The Serpent’s Tail and Tombstones. If that floats your boat, come along for a real adventure!

Requirements to do this activity

On flat water, is a low risk activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Even 8 or 9 year olds can paddle their own kayak on a lake or a calm stretch of the River Dee, but if they’re younger or they think it will be more fun, they can get into a tandem one with an adult and work together with them. When it comes to white water, there’s a lot more to deal with, so the minimum age for an individual kayak is 12 years old. Children aged between 8 and 12 can ride in a tandem kayak alongside an adult who has experience of facing white water.

Finally, just because most of them are individual boats, that doesn’t mean that it’s a solitary activity. You can bring your friends, family, or organisation to enjoy this experience as a group - perfect for celebrating a special occasion or bringing everyone closer together as a team.

Take a more meaningful journey by booking with us - today!