The Wye Valley Walk stretches the length of the River Wye providing amazing scenery across England and Wales. It is a 136 mile walk, although you can walk as much or as little of it as you like. If you’ve not heard of it, then by the end of this post we hope to have you lacing up your boots ready to go.
Where Is The Wye Valley Walk?
The Wye Valley Walk runs from Plynlinon in Powys to Chepstow in Monmouthshire, passing through many notable towns and cities such as Herefordshire, Hay-on-Wye and Ross-on-Wye. It crosses the Wales-England border many times on it’s route and provides a variety of different terrains from deep valleys to woodland.
Despite its length and variety of scenery it is a very accessible and easy walk that is suitable to most people. There is no obligation to do the whole walk, you can take sections that you fancy, whether that is 3 hours or 3 weeks!
Top Spots To Visit
Being in the Wye Valley, the walk is full of places that you just have to visit. Here are some of our top places that we recommend stopping at along the way.
Tintern Abbey
Tintern Abbey is a wonderful sight to behold. Dating back to 1131, this ancient site is the ruins of an old Abbey founded by a lord. It is quite a site to see, sitting on the banks of the River Wye.
Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat is another great spot. The valley is home to Yat Rock which offers some spectacular views. There are also plenty of lovely country pubs that are situated on the river side.
Ross-on-Wye
The small market town of Ross-on-Wye is a lovely spot to stop off at during your trip. There are plenty of small tea shops or country pubs to seek refuge and rest those weary legs.
Where To Stay On The Wye Valley Walk
Naturally, there are plenty of accomodation options along the walk. We highly recommend camping or glamping along your route. It’s a great way to connect with nature and to stay in some truly remarkable locations. White House on Wye Glamping is an example of one of the excellent glamping sites on offer.
For those who prefer something with a more solid roof then there are many BnBs and hotels that can be found too.
How To Plan Your Trip
In order to plan your trip, you’ll need to decide on the amount of time that you have and how far you’d like to hike. If you’re just after doing part of the route then take a look at the sections that the walk is split into. A useful resource for this is the official Wye Valley Walk website which has a route planning tool for different recommended sections of the walk.
The walk is marked with waymarks along the footpath so it is relatively straightforward to follow. The signpost has a unique leaping salmon that you’ll soon come to recognise. Despite this it is still recommendable to bring a map along.
So, When Are You Going?
There you have it, everything you need to get your trip to the Wye Valley planned. This walk is not to be missed. Start with planning a weekend and we’re sure that you’ll be back for more in no time at all!
This is a guest post from Rich, the owner of a small glamping site in Herefordshire called White House Glamping.
