Monmouth to Ross-on-Wye

Walks:

C1:Lower Symonds Yat with one bridge, one ferry, and seven sisters

Grade:Moderate                     Length:4 miles

C2: Lower Symonds Yat – the post prandial circuit

Grade:Easy                            Length:2.5 miles

C3: Looping King Arthur’s cave and an ancient hillfort

Grade:Moderate                     Length:3.5 miles

C4: The alternative view of Symonds Yat

Grade:Moderate                     Length:6.5 miles

C5: Redwoods, Rocks and Ross on Wye

Grade:Easy-moderate            Length: 6.8 miles

Description of this stretch of the valley:

This stretch is full to the brim with all manner of exciting features – both man-made and natural.

A swaying suspension bridge (Biblins); soaring cliffs (the Seven Sisters on the northern bank- modestly cloaked in trees for the most part, and the massive naked slabs of Coldwell rocks – further upstream on the southern side of the river); rapids; the iconic views from Symonds Yat rock; a rope ferry across the river at the base of the Yat; the castle at Goodrich; and finally the view of Ross and its church spire, which seems to epitomise the rural idyll.

This stretch is the one in which the Wye makes the unexpected transition from the placid middle age which characterises it upstream in Herefordshire, to the turbulent rebel which flows from Ross to Chepstow.

Useful links:
Ross on Wye has its own walking festival and Herefordshire walking festival includes a variety of walks.

The Forest of Dean Tourist Information service (www.royalforestofdean.info/walking.shtml) describes walks on this stretch of the Wye.

The long distance Wye Valley Walk provides some information about walking along the Monmouth to Ross stretch.