The Wye is the birthplace of British tourism – and this search for the best places on the River Wye takes you from source to sea
The remote mountains of Mid Wales, the second-hand bookshop capital of the world, an underrated cathedral city and a ruined medieval abbey that inspired Wordsworth. These are just a few of the best places to visit on the River Wye, one of the most beautiful rivers in Britain.
British tourism was born in the 18th century when people took two-day boat trips from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire to Chepstow, stopping along the way to make Picturesque paintings of the landscape. Tintern Abbey was (and still is) one of the most popular locations along the Wye, but the river has a very different character during the first part of its journey from the Cambrian Mountains.
In this article I’ll show you the best places to see along the River Wye, beginning at Plynlimon, where it rises in Mid Wales. The river is the fourth longest in the UK, 155 miles in length. It passes through some wonderful rugged scenery before crossing the border into England at Hay-on-Wye. I’ll then show you the better-known Lower Wye Valley, which includes the Wye Valley National Landscape (the new name for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) which extends from Hereford to Chepstow, just before its estuary.
As well as showing you places to visit along the Wye, I’ll also suggest hikes and other things to do along the river. I’ll also point you in the direction of places to eat and the best hotels along the way, and advise you on how to get around the area.
I hope you find it useful.
Places To Visit On The River Wye
Plynlimon – Pen Pumlumon Fawr
Plynlimon is one of the great mountains of Wales, an uncompromising, remote upland mass that has steadfastly remained one of the hidden gems of Wales. It takes a fair (but not overly strenuous) effort to reach its summit which, on a clear day, is one of the best viewpoints in Wales, offering a wonderful view of the Cambrian Mountains, with Cadair Idris to the north and the Cardigan Bay coastline to the west.
Plynlimon is also one of the most reliable rain magnets of Wales, and the bogs below its northern escarpment are the source of two of the longest rivers in Wales, the Severn Afon Hafren in Welsh) and the Wye (Afon Gwy). They take very different routes east and south before finally meeting a peninsula apart before flowing into the Bristol Channel near Chepstow.
The best route up Plynlimon is from Eisteddfa Gurig, a hamlet on the A44 road from Llangurig to Aberystwyth. The climb took me 2 hours 20 minutes, a steady uphill slog but not too taxing.
Plynlimon to Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy)
If you’re not doing the long-distance Wye Valley Walk (which takes most hikers up to two weeks), the most convenient way to travel down the course of the River Wye is by car – there’s not a lot of public transport in these more remote parts of the route. The section from Eisteddfa Gurig to Llangurig, and then onto Rhayader, is gorgeous, with green pastures on the valley floor, and rockier, steep slopes either side.
I have included the section between Llangurig and Rhayader in my A470 Road Trip article. The views are superb, but there aren’t any stopping places where you get much of a view. It’s a ten-mile drive along the A470 before you reach Rhayader.
Rhayader is a lovely small market town typical of Mid Wales, with an obligatory clock tower, a few hotels, and some great pubs and cafes where I’ve stopped many a time – I particularly recommend the Old Swan Tea Rooms, on the edge of the crossroads in the centre of the town.
Detour
While you’re in the area, it would be a terrible pity to miss out on one of the best scenic drives in Wales – the 20-mile Elan Valley circuit. The valley was dammed in four places to provide drinking water for the city of Birmingham, across the border in the English Midlands, and the reservoirs and dams are a magnificent sight. The bridge dam at Garreg-ddu is lovely, but the highlight is Craig Goch dam, with the dramatic backdrop of the bare Cambrian Mountains in the distance.
Rhayader is also worth a stop for the Gigrin Farm Red Kite Feeding Centre. The red kite is Wales’ national bird of prey, and was at one point close to extinction in the country. It has been well-protected over the last few decades, and they are now a common sight arcing through the air above the Welsh mountains. At Gigrin, you take up position in a bird hide as hundreds of them descend for a daily feed of prime meat. It’s an awesome experience.
Where To Stay In Rhayader – Bryn Derwen – highly-rated guest house a 5-minute walk from then town centre
Rhayader to Builth Wells
South of Rhayader, the A470 follows the Wye through the steep-sided forested valley, but you get to see very little of the river for most of the way.
The market town of Builth Wells (Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is best-known as the host town for the annual Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. It’s held in the Showground just across the Wye to the north of the town in Llanelwedd. It takes place over several days in the third week of July each year, and much of rural Wales comes together to show off their best livestock and party. If you’re in the area it’s well worth a visit, but park well away from the Showground to save time.
Builth Wells To Llyswen
This section of the river is one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Wye, with some stunning views of the river and a few hidden gems to seek out along the way.
As you leave Builth Wells, you get occasional glimpses of the river before you’re going to be sated with two wonderful views a few miles south, close to the village of Erwood.
It’s very easy to miss, but there’s a gorgeous, tiny 13th-century church, St Mauritius, in the hamlet of Alltmawr. It won’t necessarily be open, but it’s worth phoning ahead the day before if you hope to visit (and the offer of a small donation is always welcomed).
Shortly before you reach Erwood (Erwyd in Welsh) there are two great views of the Wye. You will reach the turn for the bridge (to your left, with a sign pointing to the Erwood Station Craft Centre). There’s a right turn a few metres after it – head up that road, which climbs up the hill to a superb viewpoint from the hillside over the river. Afterwards, if you follow the road a short distance further, take the next right which will take you to another viewpoint – this time with the ridges of the Black Mountains as the backdrop.
If you need a pitstop at this point, I recommend the aforementioned Erwood Station Craft Centre, a refurbished former d]=station with train carriages, now an art gallery, craft centre and café.
South of Erwood, it’s easy to miss Lady Milford’s Bridge, an elegant suspension bridge with a wooden path across the river, leading to the hamlet and church at Llanstephan. Beyond there, it’s a short drive through the countryside to Llyswen, where the A470 does a sharp right turn towards Brecon. Stop here for refreshment at the Griffin Inn, or proceed to Hay-on-Wye.
Where To Stay
I rate Llangoed Hall one of the best places to stay along the River Wye. It’s a fantastic sprawling 17th-century country manor, with wonderful grand rooms with four-poster beds. A great experience.
Llyswen to Hay-on-Wye
It’s only a few miles from Llyswen to Hay-on-Wye, home to the Hay Literary Festival and famous as the second-hand bookshop capital of the world. This is a noticeably gentler section of the Wye Valley, and it’s possible to get on the water and canoe or kayak at Glasbury, a few miles from Hay.
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye is the unofficial secondhand book shop capital of the world, and for our money the best of the many booktowns in Europe.
The border town became such a haven for book lovers because local entrepreneur didn’t want the town to fade into obscurity and anonymity. His way of avoiding this was to acquire hundreds of thousands of books from libraries in the US, and sell them at a profit.
At one time there were over 50 secondhand bookshops in the town. This has fallen to around 15, but it’s still very much going strong. The town is home to the annual Hay Festival of Literature, and there are other things to do in Hay-on-Wye besides. It has become a much better place to eat out and stay over the years, and is a great base for exploring this corner of the Bannau Brycheiniog.
Where To Stay In Hay-on-Wye – The Old Black Lion, an atmospheric late medieval inn with
Detour
Hay is at the foot of the Black Mountains (Mynyddoedd Duon), the easternmost range of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (more widely known by its English name, the Brecon Beacons). Hay Bluff, one of the most prominent peaks in the area, rears high above the town, and the ridge that runs south from the summit looks down on the timeless, remote Llanthony Valley.
Also known as the Vale of Ewyas, this Valley is the focus of my Churches in the Black Mountains itinerary. The minor, mostly single-track road takes you to some of the most beautiful churches in Wales, beginning with the wonky cottage-like St Mary’s Church in Capel-y-Ffin.
Four miles further south, the ruins of Llanthony Priory belong on any Wales bucket list, a serene medieval church ruin in the empty silence of this stunning valley. The church next to the ruins was fashioned from the infirmary building of the monastery that stood there for 400 years. And three miles further south, on the eastern side of the valley, don’t miss the crooked church of St Martin’s in Cwmyoy. Every part of the church seems to be leaning in a different direction – it’s a wonder that it’s still standing.
The final stop on this itinerary is St Issui’s church in Partrishow, hidden up and away behind a labyrinth of high-hedged lanes. Pilgrims have made their way to this remote spot for over a thousand years. The church – and holy well down the hill – seem frozen in time, and some of the church’s furnishings, including its intricate rood screen, are astonishingly rare survivals.
Hay to Hereford
The A438 takes you from Hay to Hereford, as does the T14 bus. The landscape changes as you travel through Herefordshire, the river lazily meandering through green fields and past the apple orchards for which the county is so famous. However, the A438 isn’t the most scenic of routes, as you don’t get to see a lot of Herefordshire’s beautiful black and white village architecture travelling this way.
I suggest a detour which would take you an extra hour or two – it all depends on how long you would wish to spend at each of the villages.
Detour
A black and white cottage in Eardisland
Follow the A438 at Willersley, then take the A4111 left to Eardisley. It’s one of the loveliest Herefordshire black and white villages, with two pubs, a tearoom and a 12th-century church with an outstanding carved stone font, believed to be around 900 years old.
From there, you could head north along the A4111 to Kington, then head 4 miles east along the A44 to picturesque Pembridge, and eventually Eardisland – both are gorgeous black and white villages. There are many extraordinary churches in Herefordshire, and St Mary’s Church in Pembridge is remarkable for its unusual detached belfry, which resembles those of Stave churches in Scandinavia.
There are plenty more postcard-perfect black and white cottages in the village of Dilwyn, on the A4112 a few miles south of Pembridge. And for the finale, turn left off the A4112 to Weobley, one of the more popular (but still very quiet compared to the Cotswolds) Herefordshire villages. Many scenes from Chloe Zhao’s new film Hamnet were shot at nearby Cwmmau Farmhouse, which is usually let out for holidays by the National Trust. But you might have to book a year or two in advance!
After visiting these villages and seeing plenty of the countryside, you may well come to share my opinion that Herefordshire is one of the most beautiful counties in England, and among the best unexplored regions in Europe.
Hereford
Hereford is the only city through which the River Wye passes, though it feels more like a large country town. It just happens to be endowed with a superb Norman and Gothic Cathedral, one of the more underrated in England.
It was the burial place of the Saxon King St Ethelbert, and in the 13th century, St Thomas Cantilupe, both of whom attracted a stream of pilgrims in medieval times. This brought wealth, reflected not only in the Cathedral but also its Chained Library, a collection of books and manuscripts, one of which dates back to the 8th century AD. The books are all connected to the shelves by rod, chain, lock and key – it’s the only fully intact library of its kind in the world.
The Cathedral is also home to the Mappa Mundi, a map of the world from around 1300 of the world as it was known at the time. Jerusalem is shown to be at its centre, both physically and in spiritual terms. It’s one of the greatest medieval documents to have survived anywhere in the world, and a must-see. The Chained Library and Mappa Mundi can be seen on the same ticket, costing £7.50 for adults.
Hereford also has a couple of great Museums. The Black and White House Museum (at the end of the High Street) is a museum of 17th-century life in a beautifully preserved house from the period. And the Cider Museum tells you all about how the tipple is made locally. Along with Somerset, an hour’s drive to the south, Herefordshire is the best-known cider-producing county in England.
Hereford is also one of the best places to visit in the Welsh Borders, with excellent train links north to Shrewsbury, Chester, North Wales, Liverpool and Manchester, and east to the Malvern Hills and Birmingham. If you’re travelling in Wales by train, there’s a strong chance you’ll pass through Hereford at some point, especially if you’re heading from south to north Wales or vice versa.
Where To Stay Near Hereford: The Green Man Inn, Fownhope – step back in time in this medieval half-timbered inn in a pretty village near Hereford
See Also: 10 Best Things To Do In Hereford
Hereford to Ross-on-Wye
Just south of Hereford, you enter the Wye Valley National Landscape (though its former designation, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is more descriptive). Here the Wye flows through a gentle landscape of meadows, woodland and apple orchards, passing two remarkable churches along the way.
The first is All Saints Church at Brockhampton, an extremely rare example of an Arts and Crafts church. The church is a complete one-off, with isosceles-triangle Gothic style concrete arches and a thatched roof. It was built as a memorial to the parents of Alice Foster, and was one of the last buildings designed by architect William Lethaby.
A few miles downstream, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re next to the River Po or Arno rather than the Wye. St Catherine’s Church in Hoarwithy is built in the Italianate Romanesque style, its colonnades transporting you for a few fleeting moments to Tuscany.
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye claims – with some justification – to being the birthplace of British tourism, as it was from there that the first river Wye cruises departed around 1745. It’s a picturesque small town, the spire of St Mary’s Church a familiar River Wye landmark, and there are enough things to see there to have intrigued the late 18th-century Wye tourist.
The Wye boat trips were began by the parish priest, John Egerton, began taking friends downriver in his boat. By 1782 William Gilpin had written the first British tourist guidebook, Observations on the River Wye, ostensibly a list of the best places (and exact positions) to paint along the river.
There are several fine half-timbered buildings in the town centre, a 17th-century red sandstone Market Hall and a plague cross from the same period.
Where To Stay: The Kings Head Hotel – dating back to the 14th century, historic hotel with excellent restaurant
Ross-on-Wye to Monmouth
The stretch of the Wye between Ross and Monmouth is the more scenic English section of the river, as it passes several Wye landmarks along the way. The most popular of these is Symonds Yat, which also makes a great overnight stop.
Just south of Ross, Goodrich Castle is one of the finest Welsh Marcher Castles. The bulky sandstone ruin stands on a hillside above the river Wye, a strategically important location between Ross and Monmouth.
It was founded a few years after the Norman Conquest by Godric of Mappestone, and then expanded and strengthened in the 12th and 13th centuries.The Castle survived the Middle Ages almost intact, and saw action three times during the English Civil War. It was only under heavy mortar fire that it was eventually breached, and thereafter slighted, rendering it useless as a fortification.
However, by the 18th century its ruined state won it some renown as a romantic, Picturesque sight much appreciated by visitors undertaking the Wye Tour.
Two miles downstream, the Wye passes beneath the 19th-century stone arched Kerne Bridge, before continuing the short distance to one of the most famous places to visit on the River Wye, Symonds Yat.
Symonds Yat
If you only have one day to visit the River Wye, I’d be inclined to put Symonds Yat at the top of the list along with Tintern Abbey and the Eagles Nest viewpoint near Chepstow.
The river passes through two long meanders at Symonds Yat, and you can see both bends from the two viewpoints on the summit of Yat Rock. Symonds Yat is divided into two parts – East and West – which face each other across the River Wye. The two sides are connected by two hand-operated ferries connected to a rope – it takes a considerable effort to pull a boat across one way, never mind all through the day!
You can rent canoes, kayaks or stand-up paddle boards from Symonds Yat East. The Saracens Head is a beautiful atmospheric half-timbered inn on this side of the river.
Monmouth
The River Wye returns to Wales at Monmouth (Trefynwy in Welsh) for its final run south to the Bristol Channel. The Wye is joined by its tributary, the Monnow, which flows beneath the only surviving 13th-century fortified bridge in Europe, the Monnow Bridge. The Bridge, with a fine intact gatehouse, is at the west end of the town.
Monmouth town centre is well worth a visit. Take a walk up the long high street, passing a host of independent shops and a small border Castle along the way. This was the birthplace of English King Henry V, a formidable military commander who led the English army to victory over the French in one of the major battles of the Hundred Years War at Agincourt.
There is a statue of him on the façade of the Shire Hall, which houses the town’s Museum. The statue outside the front of the Shire Hall is of Charles Rolls, co-founder of the Rolls-Royce car manufacturer, whose ancestors were from Monmouth.
Where To Stay: The Punch House – beautiful historic inn on Agincourt Square, close to the Shire Hall
The Kymin
The Kymin is a hill overlooking Monmouth and the northern part of the county of Monmouthshire. The magnificent viewpoint can be reached by a 4-mile, 10-minute drive from the centre of town. On the approach from the car park to the summit you pass a colourful Naval Temple, built to celebrate the victories of Admiral Lord Nelson, who once visited the site.
Further along the path, and next to the viewpoint, the Round House is a small Georgian tower now used as holiday accommodation by the National Trust.
Monmouth to Tintern
The Wye spends a few short miles in Wales before becoming the intermittent border between England and Wales for the last miles of its journey to the sea. After passing through the former industrial village of Redbrook (the Bell Inn is a lovely pub), the A466 road (and the 69 bus to Tintern and Chepstow) runs three miles south to Bigsweir Bridge before crossing into Wales.
Llandogo
Back in Wales, it doesn’t take you long to reach the quiet village of Llandogo, which doesn’t attract anywhere near the number of visitors that nearby Tintern does. The ‘dogo’ in its name is a corruption of Euddogwy or Oudoceus, the little-known Welsh saint after whom the village church is named. We don’t know much about him, other than he was associated with Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
Bargain Wood above Llandogo has some of the best walks in the Wye Valley, and is especially beautiful in springtime (when bluebells are in flower for a few weeks, usually between late April and late May), and autumn. If you’re walking up the hill from the village, look out for the Cleddon Shoots waterfall on your left near the top. The path along the ridge also leads to the Whitestones viewpoint (pictured above).
Bristolians may recognize the name of the village from one of Bristol’s oldest and best-known pubs. The Llandoger Trow is named after a flat-bottomed boat that used to make the journey from Bristol, up the Wye as far as Llandogo to trade.
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey is the jewel in the Wye Valley’s crown, one of the most beautiful ruined churches and abbeys in Britain. Most of the church, built in the Decorated Gothic style, was completed in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
By the 18th century there was a growing appreciation of the Picturesque, and the first British tourists began venturing to Tintern and the Wye Valley in search of wilder, more beautiful natural landscapes. The area around Tintern fits the bill, and the added attraction of the romantic ruin of the Abbey made it the most popular stop on the two-day tour from Ross-on-Wye.
Tintern also attracted many artists and writers, from William Wordsworth (who composed his ‘Lines Written A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey’ after visiting) to Thomas Gainsborough and JMW Turner.
The Wye Valley is one of the best places to visit in Wales in autumn, and this is when Tintern is at its most beautiful. The best time to see it is on a clear, cold autumn morning, when mists rise from the river and swirl around the great Gothic ruin.
The Abbey is open daily except 24th to 26th December. Between March and October it’s open 9.30 am to 5.00 pm (6.00pm in July and August). From November to February it’s open 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Where To Stay – The Royal George – historic 4-star inn across the road from the Abbey – so you don’t have to go far for those amazing views
See Also – 58 Famous Landmarks in Wales
Devil’s Pulpit
The Devil’s Pulpit is a viewpoint in the forest high above Tintern on the English (east) side of the river.
Cross the footbridge from Tintern and follow the footpath signs from the other side – it’s a 30-40 minute walk in total. The trees in front of the viewpoint are normally cut back, enabling you to see the Abbey, the village of Tintern Parva and the woodland and hills beyond.
Eagles Nest
The A466 road climbs away from the Wye for the next two miles or so, eventually reaching the village of St Arvans. Turn right just before the village onto the road that leads up to the Upper Wyndcliff viewpoint, also known as the Eagles Nest.
There are two viewpoints a few metres apart, high above the road and the river bend below. The view is stunning, a grand finale to the journey down the Wye, with its estuary, the Old Severn Bridge and Severn estuary – the entrance to the Bristol Channel – four miles to the south.
Piercefield Park and House
The viewpoints are part of the historic Piercefield estate, most of which is to the south of the A466, on the northern outskirts of Chepstow. It was founded by Valentine Morris, who made his fortune through the slave trade in Antigua and his son, also named Valentine. The ruined house was possibly designed by London architect Sir John Soane.
The estate one of the first to be landscaped in the Picturesque style that was in favour at the time of the first Wye tourists, some of whom visited Piercefield. Among these was the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who marvelled at the view from the Eagles Nest. The parkland also includes a grotto, a ‘giant’s cave’ and a Druidic-style temple.
The aerial image above shows the estate, with the viewpoints on the ridge near the top of the frame.
Chepstow
The river continues its final few miles, passing Wintour’s Leap, a viewpoint near the crown of a bend in the river, accessible via the Gloucestershire village of Woodcroft. The Wye then flows to Chepstow (Cas-Gwent), the border town where the Normans made their first incursion into Wales – and built their first stone Castle – within months of their victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Chepstow Castle is one of the most remarkable Castles in South Wales. It was founded by William fitzOsbern, a loyal servant of William the Conqueror. But much of what we see to0day was the work of William Marshal over a century later. He built the first twin-towered gatehouse in Britain, raised the height of the original Castle walls, and built the Marshal’s Tower, an all-seeing vantage point at the top of the castle.
The Normans left more traces behind at St Mary’s Priory Church, near the top of the hill on the edge of the town centre. It’s one of the finest Romanesque (also known as Norman) churches in Wales, with a magnificent doorway and interior. And don’t miss the later (most likely 16th-century) Chepstow Town Gate in the centre of the town.
Where To Stay In Chepstow: Three Tuns Inn – 400-year-old inn overlooking Chepstow Castle
The Wye Estuary and Old Severn Bridge
After all that sublime scenery, the Wye’s final bow as it enters the Bristol Channel is a bit ignominious. It passes beneath the first part of the Old Severn Bridge, a brown muddy flow beneath a road that doesn’t even acknowledge its name. From similar beginnings in the bogs below Plynlimon, the Wye and Severn follow very different courses – the Severn mostly flows through England – and meet again as they reach the sea.
So the Wye’s estuary is a downbeat anticlimax. Long distance walkers among you may well head onto the narrow Beachley peninsula which separates the Wye and Severn, as Sedbury Cliffs, at its northern end, marks the end (or beginning of the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail, which continues all the way to Prestatyn on the North Wales coast.
Around Chepstow
If you plan to stop in the area for a while, Caldicot Castle is well worth an hour or so of your time.
If you’re interested in ancient history, it’s only a few miles’ drive from Chepstow to the walled Roman town of Caerwent. If you visit you’d likely be the only people there, but this is one of the great Roman monuments of Europe, with one of the finest set of walls in all of the provinces of the Empire.
Best Places To Visit On The River Wye – Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed this guide to the River Wye. I’ve always thought that the Upper Wye deserves as much attention as the more famous Lower Wye, and I hope that this guide inspires you to venture further than the original Wye Tourists, especially upstream beyond Hay.
I recently came across this video on the Wye Valley presented by Clare Balding. It covers the River from the Severn estuary to Hay-on-Wye, and is an enjoyable watch, around 40 minutes long.
If you’re interested in visiting this part of the world, I suggest browsing some of the articles below. England first:
21 Best Places To Visit Near Bath and Bristol
12 Most Beautiful Streets In Bath
10 Best Things To Do In Wells Somerset
11 Best Landmarks in Birmingham
12 Best Things To Do In Exeter
And here are some suggestions in South and Mid Wales:
22 Most Beautiful Rivers In Wales
35 Best Castles In South Wales
20 Best Things To Do In The South Wales Valleys
Caerphilly Castle – the second largest castle in Britain after Windsor
33 Great Day Trips From Cardiff
15 Best Brecon Beacons Mountains To Climb
20 Best Scenic Drives In Wales
28 Wonderful Places To Visit In The Cambrian Mountains
20 Best Things To Do In Aberystwyth
And here’s another source-to-sea European river route:
30 Best Places To Visit On The River Elbe – from the Czech Republic through Dresden and Hamburg to the North Sea