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
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
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.
