Symonds Yat
Encyclopedia
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. The name is said to come from Robert Symonds, a 17th century sheriff of Herefordshire and "yat" as an old word for a gate or pass.
works are located down stream of the Symonds Yat Rapids
. The ironworks at New Weir date from the 1590s and were operated by the White family until 1753, George White leased the site to John Partridge, an ironmonger from Ross on Wye. Partridge combined the ironworks at New Weir with his forge at Lydbrook
which smelted pig iron
from his furnace at Bishopswood. The works closed when the lease ran out in 1798 and the adjacent weir and lock buildings were demolished and the lock filled in 1814.
In April 2009 Herefordshire Archaeology excavated New Weir Iron Works at Symonds Yat West to establish how the iron works functioned between the start of smelting in and the decline of the works in the 1800s. It was found that the works included a 'slitting mill', for making wire nails and a rolling mill powered by water wheels.
The Old Court Hotel in Symonds Yat West, which was built in the 16th century, was the ancestral home of the Gwillim family and was home to John Graves Simcoe
, who was governor and one of the founding fathers of Upper Canada
.
side of the river, it has two hotels, a canoe hire centre and the Saracens Head public house. A footpath leads from the village up to Symonds Yat Rock. Another footpath and a cycleway, constructed on a former railway line, runs on the eastern bank to Monmouth.
side and has a large caravan and camping site, as well as a small amusement park. Symonds Yat West also has visitor attractions including a maze built in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
, and the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo.
enable foot passengers to cross the river, powered by ferrymen who pulls the ferry across the river using an overhead cable. The only connection by road is upstream over Huntsham bridge; this is a five mile trip.
using local oak timbers in 1957. Linking Symonds Yat East to the Biblins camp site, the bridge was fully refurbished in 1997 and rotten timbers and the two support towers were replaced. Although it is designed to take up to 30 people, it has a sign requesting that no more than 6 cross at a time.
Symonds Yat Rock overlooks a spectacular gorge through which the River Wye
snakes. This rock is the perfect viewpoint from which to watch raptors. Pride of place goes to a pair of Peregrine Falcons that nest annually within sight of the rock, and can be watched through telescopes set up by the RSPB. Buzzard
, Goshawk and Hobby
are regularly seen, too, and migrant raptors such as Osprey
and Honey Buzzard
are possible.
at Symonds Yat has cut a deep gorge in the Carboniferous
Limestone
exposing impressive cliff faces. At nearby 'King Arthur
's cave' on the Great Doward, there have been important archaeological discoveries including the remains of a hyena
family and Sabre-toothed Cat
bones.
and kayaking
down the rapids
, boat trips, a maze
, an oriental garden and country pub
s.
as one of the wonders of the West Country. A scene from the movie Shadowlands
was filmed at Symonds Yat Rock, with the view of the Wye Valley in the background, but it was meant to be another location within the plot of the film.
2 man-made feature at Symonds Yat used by canoeists and kayakers for whitewater
training and playboating
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
and a popular tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
, straddling the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
and the borders of the English 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...
and 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....
, it is within a few miles of the Welsh border. The name is said to come from Robert Symonds, a 17th century sheriff of Herefordshire and "yat" as an old word for a gate or pass.
History
The Yat Gorge was mined for iron ore and remains of a smeltingSmelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
works are located down stream of 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:...
. The ironworks at New Weir date from the 1590s and were operated by the White family until 1753, George White leased the site to John Partridge, an ironmonger from Ross on Wye. Partridge combined the ironworks at New Weir with his forge at Lydbrook
Lydbrook
Lydbrook is a civil parish in the Forest of Dean, a local government district in the English county of Gloucestershire. It comprises the districts of Lower Lydbrook, Upper Lydbrook, and Joys Green.-Introduction:...
which smelted pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
from his furnace at Bishopswood. The works closed when the lease ran out in 1798 and the adjacent weir and lock buildings were demolished and the lock filled in 1814.
In April 2009 Herefordshire Archaeology excavated New Weir Iron Works at Symonds Yat West to establish how the iron works functioned between the start of smelting in and the decline of the works in the 1800s. It was found that the works included a 'slitting mill', for making wire nails and a rolling mill powered by water wheels.
The Old Court Hotel in Symonds Yat West, which was built in the 16th century, was the ancestral home of the Gwillim family and was home to John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
, who was governor and one of the founding fathers of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
Symonds Yat East
Symonds Yat East is on the GloucestershireGloucestershire
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....
side of the river, it has two hotels, a canoe hire centre and the Saracens Head public house. A footpath leads from the village up to Symonds Yat Rock. Another footpath and a cycleway, constructed on a former railway line, runs on the eastern bank to Monmouth.
Symonds Yat West
Symonds Yat West is on the HerefordshireHerefordshire
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...
side and has a large caravan and camping site, as well as a small amusement park. Symonds Yat West also has visitor attractions including a maze built in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
, and the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo.
River crossings
Two hand ("pull") cable ferriesCable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
enable foot passengers to cross the river, powered by ferrymen who pulls the ferry across the river using an overhead cable. The only connection by road is upstream over Huntsham bridge; this is a five mile trip.
Biblins Bridge
A suspension bridge was built over the river by the Forestry CommissionForestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
using local oak timbers in 1957. Linking Symonds Yat East to the Biblins camp site, the bridge was fully refurbished in 1997 and rotten timbers and the two support towers were replaced. Although it is designed to take up to 30 people, it has a sign requesting that no more than 6 cross at a time.
Symonds Yat Rock
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
snakes. This rock is the perfect viewpoint from which to watch raptors. Pride of place goes to a pair of Peregrine Falcons that nest annually within sight of the rock, and can be watched through telescopes set up by the RSPB. Buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
, Goshawk and Hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
are regularly seen, too, and migrant raptors such as Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
and Honey Buzzard
Honey Buzzard
The European Honey Buzzard , is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers....
are possible.
The Wye
The River WyeRiver Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
at Symonds Yat has cut a deep gorge in the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
exposing impressive cliff faces. At nearby 'King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's cave' on the Great Doward, there have been important archaeological discoveries including the remains of a hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
family and Sabre-toothed Cat
Smilodon
Smilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
bones.
Tourism
Tourist activities include canoeingCanoeing
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...
down the 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:...
, boat trips, a maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
, an oriental garden and country pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s.
Media
Symonds Yat was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural WondersSeven Natural Wonders
Seven Natural Wonders was a television series that was broadcast on BBC Two from 3 May to 20 June 2005. The programme took an area of England each week and, from votes by the people living in that area, showed the 'seven natural wonders' of that area in a programme.The programmes were:The series...
as one of the wonders of the West Country. A scene from the movie Shadowlands
Shadowlands (film)
Shadowlands is a 1993 British biographical film directed by Richard Attenborough. The screenplay by William Nicholson is based on his 1985 television production and 1989 stage adaptation of the same name. The original television film began life as a script entitled I Call it Joy written for Thames...
was filmed at Symonds Yat Rock, with the view of the Wye Valley in the background, but it was meant to be another location within the plot of the film.
Symonds Yat Rapids
Symonds Yat Rapids are a gradeInternational Scale of River Difficulty
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...
2 man-made feature at Symonds Yat used by canoeists and kayakers for whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
training and playboating
Playboating
Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
.