RIVER WYE

Location: 52N 4W (Wales/England); length 220km/135mi; drainage basin: 4400sq km/1700sq mi

The historic bridge crossing the Wye at Hereford. The cathedral is on a dry river terrace site above the river.

This is one of the major rivers in Wales. It rises on Plynlimon Mountain in Central Wales, just a few kilometres from the source of the River Severn. From here it flows south and passes through western England to reach the Severn estuary at Chepstow, close to the first Severn Bridge.

The river is not navigable, but flows through a series of spectacular natural landscapes.

The Elan valley has been dammed at a number of points to provide reservoir storage.

Craig Goch reservoir.

The gate over the Wye is part of the city walls of Monmouth. On either side of the gate, the river banks have been built up into walls to prevent flooding.

The Wye valley has been important for communications through Wales and many castles are found near to its banks.

In several places, the 'white waters' (rapids) of the Wye are used for canoe slaloms. In its lower reaches as well, the river meanders through a spectacular gorge, the Wye Gorge, cut as the land rose in the path of the river (to give entrenched meanders).

The lower Wye has also become important for tourism because of its ancient abbeys and wooded slopes.

The meandering Wye as it reaches the Forest of Dean. Notice the waterweed shows how the fastest flowing water is against the outside bank. This fast flowing water causes erosion and produces a river cliff.

Symonds Yat, part of the gorges in the western edge of the Forest of Dean.

Canoeing in the Wye gorge.