For more detail about the different sections of the river, including walks, just choose the stretch you’re interested in from the Wye Valley graphic at the top of the page. You’ll find a more detailed map for each section.  The key to these maps is directly above,  on the main menu bar (next to HOME).

The Wye valley walk is the long distance footpath along the river Wye from its source to the sea. The Wye Walker provides shorter circular walks along the length of the Wye – and is for those of you who want to do some walking in the country near this beautiful river in shorter bursts, as and when you have time.

The Wye Valley is relatively unspoilt, unknown and unvisited – and I love it. This site is my attempt to share some of my favourite walks with you, not just the map and directions, but the experience I had at the time I did the walk . The ‘experience’ bit is really intended for those of you who are too busy, too tied down, or physically unable to go walking any more.  Of course I have provided detailed routes and practical information for those of you who just want to get on with doing a walk and don’t want the ‘touchy feely’ stuff.

The Wye is an unusual river. It begins life in the usual way that rivers do, and even experiments with middle age ( paticularly between Hereford and Ross), but just when it should be settling down to a placid and predictable old age, before it joins the sea – it rebels. To paraphrase Dylan Thomas – it does ‘not go gentle into that huge sea’, but from Ross to Chepstow it beats a route through cliffs and gorges, before finally re-uniting with the River Severn to travel the last few miles together to the ocean. Re-uniting – because the Rivers Wye and Severn spring into being within a mile or two of each other, before taking very different journeys until amazingly they finally meld into one at the Severn estuary.

Sadly the Wye is no longer the ‘unspoilt’ river I described above. A combination of chicken farms in mid Wales, and the increasing discharge of untreated sewage into the river are killing it.There are few fish in it, the animals which depended on the fish have disappeared – including the otters.

If you are as angry about this as I am, you can write to your MP, or join one of the groups which are trying to help the river. Save the Wye is an umbrella for these groups. The Environment Agency has suffered cuts in recent years, but is trying to address the situation.

Useful links:

The Wye valley walk takes the long distance walker 136 miles from the source to the mouth of the Wye.  There is also information about adjoining local walks.

The Wye Valley AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) also provide ideas for walks through its newsletters and publications (click here)

In the southern sections of the Wye Valley the Offa’s Dyke long distance trail often runs near to the River Wye. The Offa’s Dyke Association also provides useful information, including ‘things to see along and near the path‘.