Wye Valley Archery Centre offers the opportunity to shoot without membership to any organisation. It allows anyone to visit and shoot, provided they abide by the safety rules and listen to their instructors. It is situated near Crick, only 30 minutes from Bristol The Wye Valley is breathtakingly beautiful, but is particularly interesting for archery, due to the variety of gradients and terrain. It is easy to find, although there is no sign on the road. Ample parking , toilets, control range and the club house are all conveniently located directly through the gates.
After an initial email enquiry which was promptly and clearly responded to, we were directed to book online. The Centre offers something for all abilities and ages ( above 7) . Complete beginners, established archers or anywhere in between can all be catered for. Wye Valley Archery Centre also offers team building, corporate events and stag/ hen hosting. The centre also offers equipment hire and tuition should you require them.
We arranged to shoot at 10.30. Our guide/ instructor was on time, welcoming and pleasant . We presented our equipment for inspection, to ensure that our hosts were happy that everything was safe. We were directed to warm up on the control range. This warm up enabled Ade, our instructor, to assess our ability and ensure that we understood basic safety and protocols before proceeding out to the 3D course.
The course is set over acres of private land. The terrain provides a variety of challenges , including uphill and downhill shooting, undulating ground, hidden dips, natural obstacles such as growth and trees and the more “ man made” shots such as a giant spider in an abandoned mine shaft. This course uses obstructions, shadows, light, dead ground and wide open spaces to great advantage. It is interesting that the course builders have used to many different techniques to challenge the archers, no matter which of the pegs you shoot from. Here, we were directed by Ade as to which colour we were permitted to shoot from. Rather than the usual ( for me, anyway) protocol of start at the farthest peg and move forward if you miss, we were directed to stay at the same peg. Most of the course was shot in this way, but a few lanes had multiple 3Ds, sometimes with a step forward for the second target.
Ade was fun and friendly. He shot along with us, and regaled us with stories which were funny and interesting in equal parts. He was a fantastic host, offering motivation and laughs and put us all at our ease. The Club was busy, but it didn’t feel crowded or unsafe in any way. He made us welcome and helped to contribute to the overall feeling of relaxation and fun. He was very informative about the club, discussing the facilities and philosophy. Interestingly the course is frequently altered, with some targets regularly moving around. Others are more permanent but pegs change. An innovative way of marking shooting positions are the flat plates which prevent trip hazards for the unwary, which is probably more necessary due to the high volume of beginner and “ have a go” visitors to this course. I really enjoyed the varied nature of this course. It required a real awareness of shooting as obstructions such as tall undergrowth, low boughs of trees and small “ windows” required stretching, kneeling and careful consideration. One of the most interesting techniques employed here is the use of camouflage, using different materials to make the 3Ds blend into the background. I particularly enjoyed the use of hessian to blur the outline of a spider and make it incredibly difficult to ascertain where the animal ended and the backstop began. I also enjoyed the huge variety of distances , from 10- 80Y, with everything in between.
We shot 41 3D targets and we were there from 10.30 until approximately 2pm. This time included equipment check, introductory talk, warm up and a short break between loops.
It cost £20 per person.( for equipped adults not requiring tuition. Other rates/ services are listed on their website)
The centre is cash only, so remember to bring money!
Please bring your own snacks/ drinks/ lunch/ anything you require.
Sturdy shoes/ boots required as well as suitable clothing . All information is available on their website www. Wyevalleyarchery.com