River Wye - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.

Description

The source of the Wye is in the Welsh mountain

Mountain

Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

s at Plynlimon

Plynlimon

Plynlimon is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, and the highest point in Mid Wales. It is a massif that dominates the countryside of northern Ceredigion....

. It flows through or past several towns and villages including Rhayader

Rhayader

Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....

, Builth Wells

Builth Wells

Builth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....

, Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...

, Hereford

Hereford

Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...

(the only city on the River Wye), Ross-on-Wye

Ross-on-Wye

Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...

, Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat is a village in the Forest of Dean and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye and the borders of the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, it is within a few miles of the Welsh border...

, Monmouth

Monmouth

Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....

and Tintern

Tintern

Tintern is a village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about 5 miles north of Chepstow...

, meeting the Severn estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

just below Chepstow

Chepstow

Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...

. The total length is 215 km.

The Wye itself is a Site of Special Scientific Interest

Site of Special Scientific Interest

A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...

and one of the most important rivers in the UK for nature conservation. Much of the lower valley

Wye Valley

The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....

is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...

. The Wye is largely unpolluted

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

and used to be considered one of the best rivers for salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

fishing in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

, outside of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. However, in recent years the runs of salmon in the Wye have declined dramatically and according to the Environment Agency

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...

rod catch returns for 2009 it is not even the most productive salmon river in Wales, as more salmon were caught from the Welsh Dee. In England the Tyne, Ribble, Wear, Lune and Eden all had larger catches in 2009. In 1967 the Wye rod catch was 7,864; as recently as 1988 it was 6,401 but by 2002 it was only 357, a low from which it is recovering only very slowly despite the extensive habitat improvement work carried out by the Wye and Usk Foundation that was set up to restore the spring salmon runs. The Wye was particularly famous for its large "spring" salmon that had spent three or more years at sea before returning to spawn. They used to enter the river between January and June and sometimes reached weights of over 50 lbs, the largest recorded being 59 lbs 8oz landed after a long fight by Miss Doreen Davey from the Cowpond Pool at Ballingham on 13 March 1923. The last recorded 50 lb rod-caught salmon from the Wye was taken in 1963 by Donald Parrish and weighed 51 lbs 8oz. These large spring salmon have virtually disappeared over the past two or three decades.

It is also a popular river with canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

ists due to the relatively slow-flowing water, making it good for beginners. The Symonds Yat Rapids

Symonds Yat Rapids

Symonds Yat Rapids are a grade 2 man-made feature on the River Wye, near Symonds Yat on the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire border. They are most commonly used by canoeists and kayakers for whitewater training and playboating.-Construction:...

are more challenging. There is a public right of navigation downstream from Hay. Walkers

Walking

Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...

can enjoy the Wye Valley Walk

Wye Valley Walk

The Wye Valley Walk is a long distance footpath in Wales and England following the course of the River Wye .-Distance:The whole route now that it has been extended runs for 136 miles .-The route:...

which follows the route of the River Wye from Coed Hafren to Chepstow along a series of well-maintained way-marked

Waymarking

Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...

paths.

A viewpoint near The Biblins on the Wye is known as 'Three Counties View', the meeting place of the counties of Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...

, Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

and Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...

. The lower 16 miles (26 km) of the river from Redbrook

Redbrook

Redbrook is a village in Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the border with Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located on the River Wye and is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.- History :...

to Chepstow forms the border between England and Wales.

Tributaries

The Wye's tributaries

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

include the rivers Lugg

River Lugg

The River Lugg , rises near Llangynllo, Powys. It flows through the border town of Presteigne, Wales then through Herefordshire, England, including the town of Leominster, south of which it is met by a tributary, the River Arrow, then to a confluence with the River Wye, which it joins at Mordiford,...

and Arrow, Elan, Dulas, Irfon, Marteg, Monnow

River Monnow

The River Monnow flows through south-west Herefordshire, England and eastern Monmouthshire, Wales.- Border River :For much of its short length it marks the border between England and Wales before it joins the River Wye at Monmouth. The Wye is also half English from Monmouth until it meets the...

, Trothy, Ithon, Llynfi

Afon Llynfi (Wye)

The Afon Llynfi is a short river in the county of Powys, south Wales. A tributary of the River Wye, it runs approximately south to north just to the west of the Black Mountains and partly within the Brecon Beacons National Park. The river rises as a small stream to the west of the village of Bwlch...

, Letton

Letton

Letton may refer to:*Letton, Herefordshire*Letton, Norfolk...

Lake, Tarennig (the Wye's first tributary) and Bidno.

History

The Romans constructed a bridge of wood and stone just upstream of present day Chepstow. The River Wye was and still is navigable up to Monmouth

Monmouth

at least since the early 14th century. It was improved from there to a short distance below Hereford by Sir William Sandys

William Sandys 'Waterworks Sandys'

William Sandys of Fladbury was known as Waterworks Sandys to distinguish him from his cousin, the spendthrift 'Golden Sandys'...

in the early 1660s with locks to enable vessels to pass weirs. According to Herefordshire Council Archaeology, these were flash locks. The work proved to be insufficiently substantial and in 1696 a further Act of Parliament authorised the County of Hereford to buy up and demolish the mills on the Wye and Lugg. All locks and weirs were removed, except that at New Weir Forge

Finery forge

Iron tapped from the blast furnace is pig iron, and contains significant amounts of carbon and silicon. To produce malleable wrought iron, it needs to undergo a further process. In the early modern period, this was carried out in a finery forge....

below Goodrich

Goodrich, Herefordshire

Goodrich is a village, in south Herefordshire, England which is very close to Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean situated near the River Wye at and is famous for its old red sandstone Norman and medieval castle.Not strictly in the Forest of Dean but close enough to count Goodrich is a small...

, which survived until about 1815. This was paid for by a tax on the County. Weirs were removed all along the Wye in Herefordshire

Herefordshire

, making the river passable to the western boundary, and beyond it at least to Hay on Wye. A horse towing path

Towpath

A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...

was added in 1808, but only up to Hereford; previously, as on the River Severn

River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...

, barges were man-hauled. Money was spent several times improving the River Lugg

River Lugg

from Leominster

Leominster

Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...

to its confluence with the Wye at Mordiford

Mordiford

Mordiford is a village in Herefordshire, England on the B4224 Hereford to Mitcheldean road 4 miles east south east of the city of Hereford.This village grew up around an ancient ford over the River Lugg. The river is now crossed by the oldest surviving bridge in Herefordshire, dating in part to c...

, but its navigation is likely to have been difficult. The Wye remained commercially navigable until the 1850s, when commercial traffic moved to railways. It is still used by pleasure craft.

Navigation and sport

The Environment Agency

Environment Agency

is the navigation authority

Navigation authority

A navigation authority is a company or statutory body which is concerned with the management of a navigable canal or river.-Rights of a navigation authority:...

for the river. The Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the river is Bigsweir

Bigsweir

Bigsweir is a locality in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which straddles the boundary between Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in Wales. It is located about 2 miles north of Llandogo, 2 miles south of Whitebrook, and 3 miles west of St. Briavels...

and navigation below this point is under the control of the Gloucester Harbour Trustees

Gloucester Harbour Trustees

The Gloucester Harbour Trustees are the Competent Harbour Authority for the tidal part of the River Severn from the Gloucester weirs down to just below the Second Severn Crossing and on the River Wye up to its tidal limit .The Trustees have responsibilities for navigational safety in that part of...

as Competent Harbour Authority.

The River Wye provides for canoeing

Canoeing

Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....

and kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

as it has sections suitable for all ranges of skills and free access all the way downstream from Glasbury

Glasbury

Glasbury , also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village in Powys, Wales which lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the former counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire. The village is just outside the Brecon Beacons National Park, north of the Black Mountains. The...

through Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye

to Hereford

Hereford

and the Severn Estuary

Severn Estuary

The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...

.

There are a wide range of canoe hire and supervised trips, as well as campsites at key points on the river. Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat

has a particularly popular series of rapids that was purchased by the British Canoe Union

British Canoe Union

The British Canoe Union is a national governing body for canoeing in the United Kingdom, whose stated purpose is "Helping and Inspiring people to go canoeing”....

in 2003 to preserve the rapids for recreational use.

There are three rowing

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

clubs on the river at Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth

Monmouth Rowing Club

Monmouth Rowing Club is located on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouth, the county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. The club is affiliated with the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association and hosts several annually organised race events....

. Annual regatta

Regatta

A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...

s are held at Ross-on-Wye

Ross-on-Wye

Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...

and Monmouth for rowers and scullers of all abilities, next to the local rowing club.

Cultural references

The Romantic poet William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....

includes an apostrophe

Apostrophe (figure of speech)

Apostrophe is an exclamatory rhetorical figure of speech, when a speaker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract quality or idea...

to the Wye in his famous poem "Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

Tintern Abbey (poem)

"Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey on revisiting the banks of the Wye during a tour, 13 July 1798" is a poem by William Wordsworth. Tintern Abbey is an abbey abandoned in 1536 and located in the southern Welsh county of Monmouthshire...

" published 1798 in Lyrical Ballads
Lyrical Ballads
Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798 and generally considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature...

How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee,

O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,

How often has my spirit turned to thee!

External links

The River Wye described from Source to Sea

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.