7. ANYWHERE ADVENTURES: walk along a river bed

Remember that? Walking along a river bed in the summer, looking for sticklebacks, going home feeling grubby but happy? Didn't we all do that? For me it's one of those memories that I shall always associate with being a child: mucking about by the River Chess, walking over fallen trees, being late home for tea, getting told off, feeling guilty but pleased inside.

It's something I want my kids to enjoy too, so I've made it my business to take them the long way to the beach every so often, via the course of our local river. Their mum rolls her eyes when she finds out what we've been up to. Anyway, I'd recommend it as a Great British Adventure any day of the week.
Here in Devon there are countless streams that trickle towards the coast down wooded combes - but of course they exist all over the country so there's no excuse for not having a go yourself. Few of the streams in Devon are rarely bigger than a trickle, which makes them perfect. Any bigger and you'll need a wetsuit to turn it into a wild swimming adventure. That's for another day, so for now, let's concentrate on this meandering river adventure.
The river nearest our house tumbles down a steep sided valley and ends up at a waterfall that drops about 20 feet onto the beach below. Walking the last mile or so takes a couple of hours and means passing under stone bridges, climbing a dam that once created a trout pool, clambering down gushing mini waterfalls and scrambling over fallen trees. As you get closer to the waterfall the wind begins to swirl around the steep sided gorge and the smell of the sea takes over from the dank odours of the wood. The light, as you slosh out of the valley and into the sunshine, is bright and sharp.
One of the things that I like about the journey down the river is that it gives us a new perspective on a walk that we do often. There is a path that follows the course of the river higher up the valley side. You can see down into the river from the path but it's only when you enter the river that you see the valley from its bottom. Here, in the damp depths, we find wood sorrel, brambles and dead men's fingers. We put our hands on slugs and into deep patches of vivid green moss as we steady ourselves against the current or to stop us from slipping on algae coated rocks. We wipe webs from our hair and empty our boots when they fill up. Inevitably of course, we get stung or prickled but it doesn't matter. Hours later we'll smile when we feel the fizzing of the nettles' toxins on our skin.
Another thing that's great about walking the river is that teaches the kids not to be afraid of the woods. They have to get on with it, and whilst they might get stung a little, they soon learn that it's not so bad. Obstacles that present themselves around every curve have to be got over, under or around if they wish to progress. There are many lessons to be had there.
And it's free.

You will need:

• Any river will do, as long as it is navigable by foot
• Wellington boots and old clothes
• A well behaved dog (you can borrow Bob if you like)
• A swishing stick for the swift removal of brambles and nettles and testing of depth in pools
• Some snacks for strategic morale boosting at tricky points
• A reward for completing the journey
• A field guide for identifying plants along the way