Seasons
accessible at all times of the year but spring is best for watching birdlife and spring flowers, autumn shows the woods at their best and winter widens the views; the walk can be muddy during rainy spells and the river can flood making certain stretches impassable
Centres
Chepstow, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Hereford, Hay-on-Wye, Builith Wells, Rhayader
Difficulty
The Wye Valley Walk has some hilly sections but is suitable for any reasonably fit walker
Must See
Chepstow Castle, Angidy Valley, Tintern Abbey, Symonds Yat, Goodrich Castle, Hereford Cathedral, Hay-on-Wye, Hafren Forest, Plynlimon
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Overview
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Official guidebook to the Wye Valley Walk. Following the River Wye for 136 miles (219km) from the mouth of the river at Chepstow to the slopes of Plynlimon in Powys, the Wye Valley offers a perfect mix of river and hill walking. The walk can be completed in about ten days, or seven days by the very fit and determined.
Devised by the Wye Valley Walk Partnership, the way explores the superb scenery of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Several historic market towns including Chepstow, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Hereford, Hay-on-Wye, Builth Wells and Rhayader can be visited along the route, as well as many small villages and pretty hamlets.
Illustrated with colour photographs and OS 1:25,000 map extracts, and also includes a Wye Valley Walk passport, for walkers to collect stamps along the route for a permanent record of their journey. The walk leads through a dramatic limestone gorge, dense woodland beneath limestone crags and past peaceful river meadows in some of the most superb scenery in the heart of the Wye Valley.
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Table of Contents
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Contents
Introduction
Lower reaches of the Wye
Middle and Upper reaches of the Wye
Wildlife and nature conservation
When to go
How to use this guide
Maps
Public Rights of Way
Waymarks
Your Wye Valley Walk
Safe walking
Easy access
Wye Valley Walk Passport
The Route
Stage 1 Chepstow Castle to Tintern Abbey
Stage 2 Tintern Abbey to Monmouth
Stage 3 Monmouth to Symonds Yat
Stage 4 Symonds Yat to Kerne Bridge
Stage 5 Kerne Bridge to Ross-on-Wye
Stage 6 Ross-on-Wye to Fownhope
Stage 7 Fownhope to Hereford
Stage 8 Hereford to Byford
Stage 9 Byford to Bredwardine
Stage 10 Bredwardine to Hay-on-Wye
Stage 11 Hay-on-Wye to Glasbury
Stage 12 Glasbury to Erwood
Stage 13 Erwood to Builth Wells
Stage 14 Builth Wells to Newbridge-on-Wye
Stage 15 Newbridge-on-Wye to Rhayader
Stage 16 Rhayader to Llangurig
Stage 17 Llangurig to Rhyd-y-benwch (Hafren Forest car park)
Leaving the Walk Rhyd-y-benwch to Llanidloes
Appendix A Route Summary and Suggested Itineraries
Appendix B Tourist Information and Advice
Appendix C Accommodation and Public Transport
Appendix D Suggestions for Circular Walks
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Maps
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The Walk is separated into 17 convenient stages covered by individual maps. Route-finding information is included as well as information about features of interest along the way. Although the route is waymarked in both directions, this guidebook describes the walk from south to north.
A great deal of effort has been made by Rights of Way officers on the Wye Valley Walk in waymarking, providing stiles, gates and signs. However, signs can be casualties of weather or vandalism and their absence may create confusion. The route is as detailed as possible, and for most of the way walkers should find it easy to navigate using the book and map as occasional reference. Please go properly prepared with the appropriate Ordnance Survey maps and refer to the section on safe walking below.
Large-scale maps of each stage of the Walk are based on the 1:25,000 scale Ordnance Survey Explorer series. Please use the relevant ones to accompany the guide when you are walking.
The full list of current OS Explorer (1:25,000) and Landranger (1:50,000) maps covering the route is as follows:
Explorer OL14 Wye Valley & Forest of Dean
Explorer 189 Hereford & Ross-on-Wye
Explorer 202 Leominster & Bromyard
Explorer 201 Knighton & Presteigne
Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park
Explorer 188 Builth Wells
Explorer 200 Llandrindod Wells & Elan Valley
Explorer 214 Llanidloes & Newtown
Landranger 162 Gloucester & Forest of Dean
Landranger 149 Hereford & Leominster
Landranger 147 Elan Valley & Builth Wells
Landranger 136 Newtown & Llanidloes
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Updates
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Sept 2018
page 58/59 - Diversion at Lydbrook Bridge which has been closed for some time: A temporary walkway has been added to the bridge which will allow pedestrians to cross. It is anticipated this will open to the public on 24th September 2018.
Oct 2017
page 58/59 Lydbrook Bridge Closure and Diverson 2017
The published route of the Wye Valley Walk is closed where the path crosses the river at Lydbrook Rail Bridge (National Grid Ref: SO 587 176) due to the unsafe condition of this former railway bridge. Download a copy of the map diversion.
As a consequence:
If walking upstream: walkers are advised to leave the Wye Valley Walk just east of Huntsham Hill (NGR 567 168) and follow the riverside footpath downstream to Huntsham Bridge (NGR 567 182), cross the Wye using this narrow road bridge and then, turning right, follow the riverside footpath upstream all the way to re-join the Wye Valley Walk at Lydbrook Bridge.
It is possible to remain on the south side of the river from Huntsham Hill and follow the Wye Valley Walk to the village of Lydbrook but as you cannot cross the river at Lydbrook the options between that point and Kerne Bridge necessitate walking along sections of the busy B4234 with no pavement.
If walking downstream: remain on the same side of the river at Welsh Bicknor (NGR 587 177) until reaching Huntsham Bridge (NGR 568 182,) cross the river on this narrow road bridge and take the footpath on the left to walk upstream to re-join the Wye Valley Walk just east of Huntsham Hill (NGR 567 168).
August 2012
Stage 7 (pg. 81)
The text should read as follows:
…Enter the field and head straight across to a stile on the edge of the road. The route turns right and follows the road for approx 50 metres. Cross over the road here (take care of fast-moving traffic) and up the steps onto the floodbank.
Thanks to Wendy and Stephen Olivant
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Reviews
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The official guide of the Wye Valley Walk: a comprehensive guide that merits a place in the rucksacks of anyone planning to tackle this trail.
The Wye Valley Walk is a fine long distance walking route stretching 136 miles from the mouth of its eponymous river in Chepstow to near its source in the Cambrian Mountains. A mix of riverside and hillwalking, the route passes through the Wye Valley AONB, Tintern, Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, Symonds Yat, Hereford, Hay-on-Wye, Builth Wells, Rhayader, and Llangurig to Plynlimon.
Cicerone's publication, which is the official guide of the Wye Valley Walk Partnership, provides a useful companion to trail users with plenty of information to enhance the enjoyment of both day and through walkers.
The book is a 2018 reprint with updates to the first edition published in 20 I I. These changes do appear to have brought the guide up-to-date in key areas such as public transport availability and useful websites, as well as the route itself. This includes details of a significant diversion to the route due to closure of the Lydbrook Bridge in the section between Symonds Yat and Kerne Bridge. Cicerone also offers the useful feature of enabling the purchaser to register on its website for corrections and updates.
The book itself is primarily a reasonably detailed route description illustrated with colour photographs and 1:25k OS map extracts. The main chapters, based around 17 route sections, are well interspersed with snippets of information on key landmarks and points of history, while there is also a good introductory chapter providing an overview of the walk including its surrounding geography, wildlife and history.Appendices provide some basic information on accommodation, public transport and tourist information, primarily through contact details and web addresses, which provide a useful starting point for planning in these areas. Well written and readable, the book provides a comprehensive guide that merits a place in the rucksacks of anyone planning to tackle this trail.
Simon Pickering, Strider magazine
The cover of this book indicates that it is the official guide to the Wye Valley Walk, specifically asked for by the Wye Valley Walk Partnership.
The 136 mile route follows the River Wye from Chepstow to the slopes of Plynlimon in Powys. The Wye Valley Walk in managed by a partnership of the local authorities in Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Powys and no single author takes credit for the book.
Work on the route started in the 1970’s and for 30 years each county contributed sections of the route. The final 24 miles opened in September 2002.
The book highlights the superb scenery that the River Wye and the Wye Valley AONB has to offer.
Strider magazine, December 2011
A fully updated ring-bound guide to the Wye Valley Walk. It includes colour maps and is peppered with interesting detail and a full description of the route, from the river mouth at Chepstow to the source on Plynlimon.
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Where to Buy
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Google Play
Google Play Books available for Windows, Android, Mac and iOS
Kobo
Kobo eReader devices plus Kobo App available for Windows, Android, Mac and iOS
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Downloads
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