Woodmill Outdoor Activity Centre

Woodmill Lane Swaythling Southampton

Woodmill is a specialist canoeing centre approved by the British Canoe Union with a large and exceptionally diverse fleet of canoes and kayaks. The Centre offers a wide range of canoe/kayak courses ensuring that a suitable choice is available for all ages and levels of ability.

The waters around Woodmill together with the Centre's lake provide superb conditions for those taking the courses. More advanced courses use the floodlit tidal weirs which offer some 150 metres of moving water.

The Centre offers team/confidence building courses in orienteering, outdoor wall climbing, tunnelling, trapeze, low & high ropes, bushcraft, archery plus much more.

Some school groups come to the centre for day visits and use the classrooms and facilities available for their activities. Most school groups that come to the centre base their work on areas of the curriculum linked to the environment, geography and science.

Uniquely Woodmill also has daytime and nightime Salmon and Sea Trout fishing on the internationally renowned Woodmill Salmon Pool.

• Land and Environmental

Low Ropes and Challenge Course: Both great activities encouraging team awareness and co-operation culminating in a mini zip wire and a real sense of achievement. Challenges set to match the team’s ability to make it perfect for all ages as both a physical and mental challenge.

• Crossing Course: Test yourself and your team mates to see if you can make it across the course without any of you coming off and getting potentially one very wet foot…. or two!

• Problem Solving: The chance to work together in a team and/or to find your leadership skills to overcome obstacles and some imaginative challenges!

• Archery: Adjustable target ranges geared to every age group and skill level, given bows and arrows to match your individual strength and size. Challenges set to test you as much as you’d like or just to play a game.

• Orienteering: Test your mental skills and navigate yourself around our picturesque natural site, often bumping into our wildlife. Our instructors will set as hard a course as your experience and skill requires, as you learn skills such as how to use and read a map and compass to navigate yourself.

• Tunnelling: It’s dark! It’s scary! It’s spooky! Can you work together in your team to overcome your fears and make it through the tunnel? Then, can you handle the challenges our instructors will set you for the return journey?

Camping overnight: We can provide tents (no sleeping equipment), stoves and cooking utensils and a full range of camping facilities you would expect at any site. A member of staff will always be on site in case you need anything throughout the night. If you’re lucky, our duty staff member will also take you on an evening nature stroll to see the wildlife.

• Paddleability

In association with the British Canoe Union, Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre is opening up the sport of canoeing for people with learning and/or physical disabilities. Aiming High for Disabled Children has also part funded this activity and equpment. Our Paddleability programme is designed to get everyone on the water and show them what an exciting and fun sport kayaking and canoeing can be.

• Session cost is £5 per person
• Sessions are available for people with disabilities aged 8 years onwards
• No previous paddling experience is required.
• Sessions are taught in a safe environment by fully trained instructors.
• Sessions run at Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre where all boats, clothing and equipment are provided.