The sharp-eyed among you will be astonished at this photograph, which has not been edited. My son climbed into a tree to catch a great view of the Flying Scotsman as it whistled past. In the foreground you can see our house, a former Victorian railway statio, and in the background on the left is our canoe building workshop, with a canoe on the roof of a guest's car, about to proudly take their canoe home after a fun week with us. The famous train has been past 3 times, I believe, so you are unlikely to spot it.
Built in 1846, this interesting Grade 2 listed building has been our home since 1998. It has an interesting history, the architect was William Parsons, whose work can be found all over Leicester. We converted it to live in, over a period of 3 years, and like many old buildings, it is a project which never comes to an end.
This view will give you some idea how rural our location is. The canoe building workshop is the grey building in the middle of all that green, We are surrounded by cattle pasture, with no near neighbours. The Wreake Valley just here is identified as an Area of Particularly Attractive Countryside.
People often ask if this photo is Photoshoped. No, it isn't. My friend is a professional photographer, and took this photo for the BBC "Sport for All" competition, but the judges didn't see how providing canoeing opportunities for goats fulfilled the brief... However, people do recognise the message of this photo. The canoes are stable enough to paddle even when a goat is wandering about, leaning out to grab branches and generally enjoying the ride. We had two Saanen goats for the best part of 15 years, they were great fun and enjoyed canoe rides from their earliest days. Sadly they are no longer with us, but hopefully you will still find our canoes stable and fun when you come and try one.
Spring and Summer 2022 Canoe building
We are very flexible regarding dates for canoe building, paddle making and other events, but the following dates are currently available ( as of 18 Dec 2022--- please check with me to ensure your chosen date is still available before making arrangements.
Monday 18 April to Saturday 23 April 2022
Monday 2 May to Saturday 7 May 2022
Saturday 14 May to Saturday 20 May 2022
Tuesday 21 June to Saturday 25 June 2022
Tuesday 5 July to Saturday 9 July 2022
Monday 11 July to Saturday 16 July 2022
Monday 18 July to Thursday 21 July 2022
Please note, you can opt for a 3 day or a 6 day option within these dates, to start on a date of your choice. In some case, arrival earlier than the first date shown might be possible, do let us know what you would prefer
Text me on 07922 164061 or email me at jclohesy@gmail.com