Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

River Wye

The Wye is one of the most beautiful of Britain's rivers, pursuing a winding course through the border country between England and Wales.

It rises on Plinlimon in North Wales, about four miles away from the source of the River Severn, of which it is a tributary. The Wye has a length of 133 miles.

The river has long been famous for its beauty, particularly over its last few miles, where there are a number of famous beauty spots, including Symonds Yat.

William Wordsworth visited the area in 1793 and 1798, and wrote lines celebrating its beauty.

Rhayader is a bustling small town with a well known Clock Tower, and one of the busiest livestock markets in Wales.

Builth Wells is another market town which developed into a spa, and which is home to the annual Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

Hay-on-Wye, right on the border with England, has become famous since the 1960s as the second hand book capital of the world.

Hereford is a historic cathedral city, which along with Gloucester and Worcester is one of the hosts of the Three Choirs Festival. It is still a bustling market town.

Ross-on-Wye benefited tremendously from the good works of John Kyrle. It stands on a sandstone bluff, and has a fine church and open Market Hall.

Goodrich has the remains of an impressive mediaeval castle.

Monmouth, with its much photographed fortified Monnow Bridge, was the birthplace both of Henry V and of Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce fame.

Tintern Abbey is one of Britain's most extensive monastic ruins.

Chepstow, close to where the Wye joins the tidal Severn, boasts Britain's first stone built castle as well as mediaeval Town Walls and gate.