WYE VALLEY WALK
In the Middle Ages, this was one of the most fiercely fought over regions of Britain but today you can enjoy nothing but peace on a beautiful 136-mile route through the heart of the Wye Valley, packed with natural beauty and rich in history.
With the Bristol Channel at your back, you start from Chepstow, with its medieval castle remains guarding the lower reaches of the Wye, and travel up through the Forest of Dean via Monmouth, birthplace of King Henry V, and Ross-on-Wye, all the time enjoying spectacular views along the Wye Valley.
After historic Hereford, you cross into Wales to the book town of Hay-on-Wye before pushing on to Builth Wells, where Welsh independence died with Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd at a battle in 1282, and then explore the Cambrian Mountains around Rhayadar before finishing at Plynlimon, the highest point in Mid-Wales and the source of the River Wye.
You can choose to do all or some of the Southern section of the Wye Valley Walk and Walklite Baggage Transfer is happy to discuss the route in detail to help you make up your mind.
ITINERARY
The Wye Valley Walk has numerous websites dedicated to it offering detailed information from the history of the Wye Valley, to the route, towns and places to visit along the path, accommodation, maps and guidebooks. These sites will help you plan your trip:
The Southern section of the Wye Valley Walk can be completed in approximately six days, however you may like to walk at a more leisurely pace and take in the historic border towns and villages, castles and attractions that this area has to offer, it is entirely up to you.
Maps
The Wye Valley Walk is marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer series of maps and the relevant maps are OL14 (Wye Valley & Forest of Dean), OL189 (Hereford & Ross-on-Wye), OL202 (Leominster & Bromyard), OL201 (Knighton & Presteigne) and OL13 (Brecon Beacons National Park – Eastern Area).
Books
The Wye Valley Partnership has published an official guide to the Wye Valley Walk to help you make the most of your walk. Available from local bookshops or online.
www.cicerone.co.uk/the-wye-valley-walk
Highlights
This is a route packed with things to see and your planning needs to include some sightseeing time because you will be spoilt for choice. At Chepstow, there is a medieval castle and your first day will also include Tintern, with its picturesque ruins of a medieval abbey, plus beautiful views along the lower Wye Valley.
Monmouth, just across the border in Wales, is the birthplace of King Henry V, whose statue stands above Agincourt Square, named after his great victory in France. There is also a military museum, some castle remains, the only surviving medieval covered bridge in the country plus a museum dedicated to the great English admiral, Lord Nelson. For fans of rock music, a small museum about the nearby Rockfield Studios is a gem.
At spectacular Symonds Yat, you might see rare peregrine falcons, before you arrive at Ross-on-Wye, the view of which from the river near Wilton Bridge is one of the loveliest in England.
Herefordshire is a wonderful county for walking, rich in agriculture and boasting some of the best cider producers in the world. The city of Hereford is famous for its beautiful cathedral, with a medieval chained library and the Mappa Mundi, a unique medieval map of the world.
From Hereford, it is on to Hay-on-Wye, world-famous as a book town and home to a major literary festival every spring, and then deep into Wales, to Builth Wells, where earthworks are all that now remain of what was once a major medieval castle, and Rhyader, the first town on the Upper Wye and just 20 miles from the source at Plynlimon, which is your end (or beginning if you walk the other way) on this wonderful route.
Extra Days or Short Breaks
The southern section takes approximately six days but you can have extra days or do the walk in stages – please talk to us about your plans, we have walked the route ourselves and can help you with practical advice in terms of accommodation and route-planning.
Our Service
We can move your baggage to your next accommodation point each morning so it is available for you when you arrive after your day’s walking. We offer a hassle-free service and supply luggage tags so that your bags can be easily identified. We are also happy to liaise with your accommodation provider so that you can just get on with your walking.
After you have booked your accommodation, email us a list of where you are staying and we will confirm your itinerary – we would also be happy to answer any questions you might have about either the route or our service.