River Wye - Citizendia

River Wye (Afon Gŵy)
River
The Wye at Hay-on-Wye
Countries	Wales, England


Source
- location	Plynlimon
- elevation	741 m (2,431 ft)
- coordinates	52°28′04″N 3°45′47″W / 52.467867, -3.763019
Mouth
- location	Chepstow, Severn Estuary

Length	297 km (185 mi)
Basin	4,136 km² (1,597 sq mi)

The Wye at Tintern

This article is about the river that flows along the Anglo-Welsh border. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Tintern (Tyndyrn is a Village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, at about

See River Wye (disambiguation) for other rivers called Wye.

The River Wye (Welsh: Afon Gŵy) is the fifth-longest river in the UK and forms part of the border between England and Wales. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic This article is a list of the longest rivers in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is important for nature conservation and recreation.

1 Description
2 Tributaries
3 History
4 Canoeing and Kayaking
5 Cultural references
6 References
7 Further reading
8 See also

Description

The source of the Wye is in the Welsh mountains at Plynlimon. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak |} Plynlimon (anglicised from Pumlumon in Welsh, meaning "five peaks" is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales. It flows through or past several towns and villages including Rhayader, Builth Wells, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Symonds Yat, Monmouth and Tintern, meeting the Severn estuary just below Chepstow. Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy meaning Wye Falls is a historic Market town in Powys, Wales. Builth Wells (Llanfair ym Muallt is a Town in the modern day Welsh county of Powys, in what was the historic county of Brecknockshire Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll or Y Gelli) often described as "the town of books " is a small Market town in Powys, Wales Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Ross-on-Wye ( Welsh: Rhosan ar Wy) is a small Market town with a population of 10089 (according to the 2001 census in southeastern Herefordshire Symonds Yat is a Village within the Forest of Dean and a popular Tourist destination straddling the River Wye on the county border This is about the Welsh town of Monmouth For other uses see Monmouth (disambiguation. Tintern (Tyndyrn is a Village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, at about For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Chepstow (Cas-gwent is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England.

The Wye itself is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the most important rivers in the UK for nature conservation. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Much of the lower valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB is an area of countryside with significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland The Wye is largely unpolluted and is therefore considered one of the best rivers for salmon fishing in the United Kingdom, outside of Scotland. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

It is also a popular river with canoeists due to the relatively slow flowing water, making it good for beginners. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors The Symonds Yat Rapids are more challenging. Symonds Yat Rapids are a grade 2 man-made feature on the River Wye, on the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire border Walkers can enjoy the Wye Valley Walk which follows the route of the River Wye from Hay-on-Wye to Chepstow along a series of well maintained way-marked paths. Walking (also called ambulation) is the main form of Animal Locomotion on land, distinguished from Running and crawling The Wye Valley Walk is a Long distance footpath in Wales and England following the course of the River Wye. Waymarking is a means by which people can catalog mark locate and log unique and interesting locations around the world usually with a GPS receiver

The lower 16 miles (26 km) of the river from Redbrook to Chepstow form the border between England and Wales. Redbrook is a Village in Gloucestershire, England, UK, adjoining the border with Monmouthshire, Wales. A viewpoint near The Biblins on the Wye is known as 'Three counties view', the meeting place of the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire. Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century Ancient county See also Monmouthshire (historic The ancient county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales

Tributaries

The Wye's tributaries include the rivers Lugg, Elan, Irfon, Monnow, Trothy, Ithon, Llynfi, Letton Lake, Tarennig (the Wye's first tributary) and Bidno. A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river The River Lugg (Afon Llugwy rises near Llangynllo, Powys. It flows through the border town of Presteigne, Wales then through The River Monnow ( Welsh: Afon Mynwy) flows through south-west Herefordshire, England and eastern Monmouthshire, The River Trothy ( Welsh: Afon Troddi) flows through north Monmouthshire, in rural south east Wales. The River Llynfi ( Afon Llynfi in Welsh) is one of three main Tributaries of the River Ogmore. Walford Letton and Newton is a Civil parish in north Herefordshire, England, close to the border with Shropshire.

River Wye and Lancat and Ban y Gore Nature Reserve

History

The river Wye was and still is navigable up to Monmouth at least since the early 14th century. This is about the Welsh town of Monmouth For other uses see Monmouth (disambiguation. It was improved from there to a short distance below Hereford by Sir William Sandys in the early 1660s with locks to enable vessels to pass weirs. William Sandys of Fladbury (1607 - 1669 was known as Waterworks Sandys to distinguish him from his cousin the spendthrift 'Golden Sandys' A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. According to Herefordshire Council Archaeology, these were flash locks. ^[1] The work proved to be insufficiently substantial and in 1696 a further Act of Parliament authorised the County of Hereford to buy up and demolish the mills on the Wye and Lugg. All locks and weirs were removed, except that at New Weir Forge below Goodrich, which survived until about 1815. Iron tapped from the Blast furnace is Pig iron, and contains significant amounts of Carbon and Silicon. Goodrich is a Village, in south Herefordshire which is very close to Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean situated near the River This was paid for by a tax on the County. Weirs were removed all along the Wye in Herefordshire, making the river passable to the western boundary, and beyond it at least to Hay on Wye. Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll or Y Gelli) often described as "the town of books " is a small Market town in Powys, Wales A horse towing path was added in 1808, but only up to Hereford; previously, as on the river Severn, barges were man-hauled. A towpath is a Road or Trail on the bank of a River, Canal, or other inland waterway For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin Money was spent several times improving the river Lugg from Leominster to its confluence with the Wye at Mordiford, but its navigation is likely to have been difficult. The River Lugg (Afon Llugwy rises near Llangynllo, Powys. It flows through the border town of Presteigne, Wales then through Leominster ( IPA /ˈlemstə/ or Lemster; is a Market town at in Herefordshire, England. Mordiford is a Village in Herefordshire on the B4224 Hereford to Mitcheldean road 4 miles east south east of the city of Hereford The Wye remained commercially navigable until the 1850s, when commercial traffic moved to railways. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. It is still used by pleasure craft.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Kayaking near Hay on Wye

The River Wye is ideal for canoeing and kayaking as it has sections suitable for all ranges of skills and free access all the way downstream from Glasbury through Hay-on-Wye to Hereford and the Severn Estuary^[2]. Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation. Kayaking is the use of a Kayak for moving across water Kayaking is generally differentiated from Canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of Glasbury ( Y Clas-ar-Wy) is a village in Powys, Wales which lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, the natural and administrative Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll or Y Gelli) often described as "the town of books " is a small Market town in Powys, Wales Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. The Severn Estuary (Môr Hafren is the Estuary of the River Severn, the longest River in Great Britain.

There are a wide range of canoe hire and supervised trips, as well as campsites at key poinys on the river. Symonds Yat has a particularly popular series of rapids that was purchased by the British Canoe Union in 2003 to preserve the rapids for recreational use^[3]. Symonds Yat is a Village within the Forest of Dean and a popular Tourist destination straddling the River Wye on the county border RAPID is an acronym for Rural Address Property IDentification a scheme instituted in New Zealand to assist emergency services in identifying and locating rural properties The British Canoe Union (BCU is the National Governing Body for the sport of Canoeing and Kayaking in the UK helping and inspiring people to go canoeing

The navigation on the tidal part of the Wye, below Bigsweir, is under the control of the Gloucester Harbour Trustees as Competent Harbour Authority. Bigsweir is a locality in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which straddles the boundary between Gloucestershire in England The Gloucester Harbour Trustees are the Competent Harbour Authority (CHA for the tidal part of the River Severn from the Gloucester wiers (Llanthony & Maisemore

An annual regatta is held at Ross-on-Wye for rowers and scullers of all abilities, next to the local rowing club. A regatta is a term used to describe either a Boat race or series of boat races Ross-on-Wye ( Welsh: Rhosan ar Wy) is a small Market town with a population of 10089 (according to the 2001 census in southeastern Herefordshire

Cultural references

The Romantic poet William Wordsworth includes an apostrophe to the Wye in his famous poem "Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" published 1798 in Lyrical Ballads

How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee,

O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,

How often has my spirit turned to thee!

References

^ I. "Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey on revisiting the banks of the Wye during a tour July 13 1798" (often abbreviated to Tintern Abbey or Lines Lyrical Ballads with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798 it is typically Cohen. The Non-tidal Wye and its Navigation (from Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, 1958 pg 86-94). Retrieved on 2006-12-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
^ http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/river-wye/boating River Wys boating (accessed 2008-04-270
^ BBC NEWS | Wales | River rapids sold to canoeists

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