The Wye Valley
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of th ...
(AONB; cy, Dyffryn Gwy) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political bo ...
between
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
.
The
River Wye
The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales ...
( cy, Afon Gwy) is the
fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The upper part passes through
Rhayader
Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locat ...
,
Builth Wells and
Hay-on-Wye, but the area designated as an AONB covers surrounding a stretch lower down the river, from just south of
Hereford
Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a populatio ...
to
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
.
This area covers parts of the counties of
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) 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.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
,
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...
and
Monmouthshire, and is recognised in particular for its
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to c ...
scenery and dense native woodlands, as well as its wildlife, archaeological and industrial remains. It is also historically important as one of the birthplaces of the modern tourism industry. The area is predominantly rural, and many people make a living from tourism, agriculture or forestry.
Ross-on-Wye is the only town within the AONB itself, but Hereford,
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...
,
Coleford and
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
lie just outside its boundaries.
Geology
The varied landscapes of the Wye Valley can be explained by underlying rocks and structures, and how ice and then the river and tributary streams have acted upon them through time.
Close to Hereford, the geology of the area around the village of
Woolhope is largely made up of
Silurian
The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozoi ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
s,
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especia ...
s and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
s. To the south of this, the Herefordshire lowlands are largely underlain by red
mudstones and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
s, producing a redder soil. These rocks are softer than the limestones elsewhere, so the river created more
meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ban ...
s, a wider
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
, and a gentler and more rolling landscape. Around
Symonds Yat, limestones and red sandstones meet. This leads to a landscape of hills and plains, as well as substantial meanders which have formed impressive river cliffs.
The Lower Wye landscape was formed by the river acting on a series of layers of rock that dip towards the
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to t ...
. Here the river has incised into the margins of the
Old Red Sandstone plateau to form a gorge with substantial river cliffs. The steepest parts of the Wye gorge are cut through the
Carboniferous Limestone
Carboniferous Limestone is a collective term for the succession of limestones occurring widely throughout Great Britain and Ireland that were deposited during the Dinantian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period. These rocks formed between 363 ...
. Here the combined action of the river, natural joints in the rocks and quarrying have exposed many vertical faces, particularly between
Tintern
Tintern ( cy, Tyndyrn) is a village in the community of Wye Valley, on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about north of Chepstow. It is popular with tourists, in particular for the scenery ...
and Chepstow.
Geological interest extends underground, and there are many
rock shelters and solution
caves
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
in the area. These include King Arthur's Cave and many others in the area of Symonds Yat and
Slaughter Stream Cave
Slaughter Stream Cave, also known as Wet Sink, is a cave system in the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean.
A series of fixed ladders and two pitches lead to sporting streamways, sandy crawls and fossil passages. The cave also contains some interesti ...
near Berry Hill. At
St Arvans, near Chepstow, the underground watercourses have carved out long cave systems, which exit at
Otter Hole
Otter Hole is perhaps one of the best decorated caves in Britain. Located on the Wales–England border just north of Chepstow, the cave runs from the banks of the tidal River Wye under the Chepstow Racecourse and onwards through various cha ...
at the base of Piercefield cliffsthe only cave system in England or Wales which can only be reached through a tidal sump, making it a
mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow val ...
for experienced cavers.
Wildlife and nature reserves
Lancaut and Ban-y-Gor are
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserves. They both have
SSSI status being part of the nationally important
Lower Wye Gorge SSSI and within the Wye Valley
AONB. The Wye Valley is important for its rich wildlife habitats.
The area has three sites of international importance, designated as
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
's
Habitats Directive
The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The ...
. These are the
River Wye
The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales ...
(''Afon Gwy''), the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites (''Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena'') and the Wye Valley Woodlands (''Coetiroedd Dyffryn Gwy''). It supports a population of
lesser horseshoe bats, a growing population of
peregrine falcons
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, ...
,
goshawks,
raven
A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned ...
s, rare
whitebeam,
nightjar and lesser known fish like the
shad
The Alosinae, or the shads,[Alosinae]
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...
''
Oecophora bractella
''Oecophora bractella'' is a species of gelechioid moth. It belongs to the subfamily Oecophorinae of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae). As the type species of its genus ''Oecophora'', its affiliations and phylogeny (which are not com ...
'' are found here.
In September 2006 it was reported that one colony of lesser horseshoe bats in the area had reached record numbers, with some 890 bats in a small stone barn (599 adults and 291 babies recorded).
Archaeology
The valley has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years. Caves near
Symonds Yat and
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
provide evidence of settlement dating from
Palaeolithic times, and finds from later stone ages such as the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...
have also been found. These have yielded evidence of how
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
human populations lived as nomadic hunters and traders.
Standing stones at Huntsham,
Staunton, and
Trellech all have origins dating back to the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. Later,
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
forts along the lower Wye Valley, and in the Woolhope area, took advantage of the natural hilltops and promontories to form well-defended settlements. It is likely that many of these marked the edges of disputed
tribal pre-Roman territories.
Watling Street
Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main ...
ran through the
Roman settlements of
Ariconium (just north of modern
Ross-on-Wye) and
Blestium (Monmouth), and a number of other small Roman settlements are known. The first evidence of the exploitation of iron and coal in the valley is found in the Roman period, with iron working known from sites at
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...
, Trellech and elsewhere, as well as in the adjoining
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to t ...
. The medieval boroughs of
Goodrich and Chepstow, at each end of the Wye Gorge, may have originally been established at this time.
Closely following the River Wye,
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke ( cy, Clawdd Offa) is a large linear earthwork that roughly follows the border between England and Wales. The structure is named after Offa, the Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia from AD 757 until 796, who is traditionally believed to h ...
was built in the 8th century under
King Offa to mark out the boundary between England and Wales and is, today, the longest archaeological monument in Britain.
Offa's Dyke Path long distance footpath today traces the route through the Wye valley on the English bank, while the
Wye Valley Walk follows the Welsh bank.
The medieval period
When the
Normans
The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. T ...
conquered the region in the 11th century they immediately built major
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
s at
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
and
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...
to defend the territory. Smaller castles were built at
St Briavels,
Ruardean,
Goodrich and
Wilton Castle.
Tintern Abbey was founded in 1131 by
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...
monks, and largely rebuilt in the 13th century. It is the best-preserved
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
in Wales and an outstanding example of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. I ...
.
Many of the smaller villages in the area probably date from the Middle Ages, and much of this expansion was probably associated with the early iron industry. The medieval iron industry consumed large quantities of
charcoal and much of the woodland was
coppiced for this purpose. Trellech was one of the largest communities in Wales during this period.
The development of industry
Iron has been made in the Wye Valley since
Roman times, using the ready supply of timber, good quality ore and abundant
charcoal from the
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to t ...
. The river provided transport for the raw materials and finished product, and with the introduction of the
blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric p ...
in the 16th century, its tributaries began to be used for water power.
The first
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...
made in Britain was founded at
Tintern
Tintern ( cy, Tyndyrn) is a village in the community of Wye Valley, on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about north of Chepstow. It is popular with tourists, in particular for the scenery ...
in 1566.
Wire
Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm
A wire is a flexible strand of metal.
Wire is co ...
-making followed, with water mills situated on all the tributaries of the lower Wye. The area resounded to the noise and smoke of heavy industry for the next 400 years and gave rise to many pioneering industries. For instance,
Whitebrook
Whitebrook ( cy, Gwenffrwd) is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located four miles south east of Monmouth in the Wye Valley.
History and amenities
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the Whitebrook v ...
became famous for paper milling, when
wallpaper
Wallpaper is a material used in interior decoration to decorate the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste Adhesive flakes that are mixed with water to pro ...
became a fashionable way to decorate houses. At
Redbrook, copper works were established by 1691, and a century later the village became one of the world's major
tinplate manufacturing centres. This industry survived until the 1960s and was renowned for producing the thinnest, highest quality plate in the world. The
Lydbrook valley was also a thriving centre for metal industries, such as the manufacture of telegraph cables.
The valley woodlands were carefully managed to produce mature trees for
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roo ...
, or by coppicing for
charcoal, and to provide bark for
tanning
Tanning may refer to:
* Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
* Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
** Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
** Sunless tanning, application of a stain or d ...
. The valley industries were also massive consumers of timber. A ship of 150 tons, for example, required 3,000 wagonloads of timber to complete – and in 1824, 13 ships were launched at
Brockweir alone.
The river was the economic backbone of the region, providing an important means of transport, trade and communication. In late medieval times,
salmon
Salmon () is the common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of ...
weirs hindered free passage on the river, but the Wye Navigation Act in 1662 enabled the river's potential to be developed. By 1727 shallow draught boats could get upstream beyond Hereford, and a significant shipbuilding industry developed at Monmouth,
Llandogo, Brockweir and Chepstow. However, by 1835 it was stated that the Wye ''"can scarcely be considered a commercial highway"'' above Monmouth, and by the 1880s Brockweir bridge was the effective upper limit of navigation.
As the 19th century progressed, the valley's industries gradually declined, and management of the woodlands lessened when there was no longer a ready market for their products.
The origins of British tourism
The Wye Valley witnessed the birth of British tourism in the 18th century. The earliest known appreciation of the area's spectacular beauty can be dated to the beginning of the century, when
John Kyrle developed the 'Prospect' at
Ross-on-Wye, and it was later mentioned in verse by
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
.
In 1745,
John Egerton, later
Bishop of Durham
The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durha ...
, started taking friends on boat trips down the valley from the rectory at Ross. The area became more widely known following the publication of works by the poet
Thomas Gray, and, in particular, ''Observations on the River Wye'' by the Reverend
William Gilpin, published in 1782. The first illustrated tour guide to be published in Britain, it helped travellers locate and enjoy the most "
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...
" aspects of the countryside. Regular excursions began to be established from Ross, the boat journey to
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
taking two days.
Some of the most famous poets, writers and artists of the day made the pilgrimage to the great sights of Goodrich,
Tintern
Tintern ( cy, Tyndyrn) is a village in the community of Wye Valley, on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about north of Chepstow. It is popular with tourists, in particular for the scenery ...
and
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
among them
Coleridge,
Thackeray and
Turner.
Wordsworth was also captivated by the area, writing ''
Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey
''Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey'' is a poem by William Wordsworth. The title, ''Lines Written'' (or ''Composed'') ''a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798'', is often abb ...
'' in 1798. Poetic influence continued to be felt in the next century, as in 1811, popular 'peasant poet',
Robert Bloomfield wrote 'The Banks of Wye; a Poem in Four Books' providing account of an 1807 trip made by him and a party of friends down the
River Wye
The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the fourth-longest river in the UK, stretching some from its source on Plynlimon in mid Wales to the Severn estuary. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales ...
and surrounding areas.
The first of Britain's great landscapes to be 'discovered', the Wye Valley's particular attraction was its river scenery, and the many guidebooks, engravings and paintings ensured a continuing steady stream of visitors. Viewpoints were specially constructed, including
the Kymin
The Kymin, ( cy, Cae-y-Maen), is a hill overlooking Monmouth, in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located approximately one mile east of Monmouth, on the eastern side of the River Wye and adjacent to the border with the Forest of Dean and England. ...
above
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...
, with its round house giving panoramic views across the town. Another highlight for travellers was the cliff ascent and walks at
Piercefield. However, most of the truly 'Picturesque' scenes were sketched from river level, with the shimmering water as the foreground for the forests and cliffs behind, and the castle and abbey ruins.
Transport
In 1813 the Monmouth Tramroad linked
Coalway (near
Coleford),
Redbrook and
Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...
. This was the world's first railed-way to make specific powers in its Act of Parliament to allow for the charging of fares to passengers.
The standard gauge
Wye Valley Railway line between Chepstow, Monmouth and Ross opened much later, in 1876. This made the valley more accessible and popular to tourists. In the early 20th century, crowds of up to 1300 would travel on a special train journey to see Tintern Abbey on the night of the harvest moon. The line closed to passengers in 1959, although sections remain as bridleways and footbridges.
There are now main line railway stations at
Hereford
Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a populatio ...
and
Chepstow
Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...
.
The road network in the lower Wye valley remained essentially undeveloped during the rise of the Valley's industrialisation, until a series of
Turnpike trusts were authorised during the 18th century. It was not until 1828 that the current Wye Valley road, the
A466, was first constructed. The area became more accessible by road to much of the country with the building of the
M50 between the
M5 and Ross-on-Wye, and the opening of the
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge ( cy, Pont Hafren) is a motorway suspension bridge that spans the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and ...
(now part of the
M48) in 1966.
Management of the area
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was designated in 1971. The designation indicates the importance of recognising and preserving the area's distinctive qualities, for the benefit of present and future generations.
Administratively the area is very complex, being the only protected landscape to straddle the border between England and Wales. The counties of Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire are each in a different government region.
Co-ordination of conservation across these political boundaries is undertaken by an AONB unit and Joint Advisory Committee. A Management Plan for the AONB enlists a range of partners in conserving and enhancing its beauty for the benefit of present and future generations.
The navigation of the tidal part of the Wye (below
Bigsweir
Bigsweir Bridge is an 1827 road bridge crossing the River Wye, straddling the boundary between the parish of St. Briavels, Gloucestershire, England, and Llandogo, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Location
The bridge carries the A466 road, and is locate ...
) comes under the control of the
Gloucester Harbour Trustees as Competent Harbour Authority.
See also
*
Kingstone Brewery, Meadow Farm, Tintern
*
Wye Valley Brewery
*
Wye Valley Walk
*
List of places in the Wye Valley
{{incomplete-list, date=June 2012
This is a list of places in the Wye Valley, which is on the border between England and Wales.
West side
The following places are on the west side of the valley and are listed in order from south to north.
...
References
External links
Official site for the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) The Picturesque Wye TourGloucestershire Wildlife TrustNatural EnglandBat Conservation TrustTourist information on the Wye Valley Wye Valley & Vale of Usk Visitor Guide 2010
{{authority control
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales
Valleys of Gloucestershire
Valleys of Herefordshire
Valleys of Monmouthshire
Forest of Dean
Protected areas established in 1971
Protected areas of Gloucestershire
Protected areas of Herefordshire
River Wye
1971 establishments in England
1971 establishments in Wales
Communities in Monmouthshire