Help us to preserve one of our loveliest rivers

Welcome to our web page! We are a small group of people whose concern is with the River Wye and its tributaries, from its source at Plynlimon in the Welsh hills to its mouth in the Severn Estuary at Chepstow. Read more about us here.

The replica Wye Trow “The Hereford Bull” 

 

"The Hereford Bull" was officially named recently by The Countess of Darnley, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and blessed by the Reverend Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford, at a service in High Town, Hereford, during which the vessel was baptized in traditional naval manner with a flagon of Herefordshire cider. 

"The Hereford Bull” will be representing Herefordshire and carrying HM Lord-Lieutenant in the Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant on 3rd June 2012 

  

     

   

    

 

 

 

THE BIG UPPER WYE CLEAR UP COMPLETED!

The twelve-week initiative to clear litter from the upper river Wye has been successfully completed. 

From the start of February, groups of volunteers organised by the Wye & Usk Foundation (WUF) with support from Keep Wales Tidy (KWT) and the River Wye Preservation Trust (RWPT), have been removing litter from the river’s source at Plynlimon downstream to Builth Wells and beyond, including the tributary streams. In addition to the practical benefits of removing the litter, The Big Upper Wye Litter Clear Up also draws attention to the amount of rubbish and other pollutants being allowed to enter the highly protected river Wye. 

116 volunteers were involved in the project, and 596 sacks of litter and larger items were removed from 103 miles of river and stream.

Big items: a car radiator, a lawnmower and a deep freeze. 
Worryingly: several drums containing agricultural and mechanical chemicals that damage the aquatic environment. 

Over 60% of the litter is believed to be of agricultural origin. 
Last year in a similar exercise on the rivers Lugg and Arrow 220 volunteers cleared 767 sacks of rubbish from another 100 miles of river and stream, 61% of which was agricultural.

See the full press release here.

Congratulations to Tony Norman, who initiated and ran the campaign!

For more information, here is a blog and map:  http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/bigupperwyeclearup.php

 

A few pictures from the expeditions:

Setting off:     

 

 

Below: drums of chemicals   

     

     

in all, what a danger to aquatic life!

 

More pictures below:

                      

           

            

           

              

A twelve week initiative to clear litter from the upper river Wye has been launched by Keep Wales Tidy and the Wye & Usk Foundation, with support from the River Wye Preservation Trust. See here for more details.

         

 

 

  A very enjoyable RWPT AGM was held on Friday 25th November 2011 at the Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop. After the formal business, Dr Stephen Marsh Smith OBE, executive director of the Wye & Usk Foundation, gave a presentation on the history of salmon fishing in the area, and proposed changes to the current river management systems. 

 

  

We regret to announce the death of John Williams, long term member and co-founder of the Trust, on Monday 5^th September 2011, aged 82 years. The funeral, which was very well attended, was held on Friday 16^th September at the Church of St John the Baptist, Kings Caple. 

 

The 2011 Summer Walk  

  

A successful summer walk was held on the River Monnow at Monnow Lodge, Walterstone, on Sunday 14 August at 2.15 p.m., by kind permission of Mrs V Bailey and Mr R Davies and the Monnow Rivers Association. Click here for pictures and details.

 

  Minister supports local plans for River Wye. See more here

 

  The Government has withdrawn its recent consultation document on the future of England’s public forest estate, which had caused a storm of controversy. Read more here.

 

The Nation's favourite river

             

Last November, the River Wye was voted the nation's favourite river. See more

Our Rivers,  BBC: 'Timeless' river Wye is voted the public's favourite, Cotswold Life, 

County Times,  fishnews,  RSPB,  WWF

There is also a good YouTube video here, and an article from The Country Life ( in the Town & Country Section, November 2010) here.   

    

 

Last winter's pictures of the frozen Wye:

      

... and round about:

    

 

2010 AGM

The Trust's AGM 2010 was held on Thursday 25 November, and we enjoyed a fascinating talk by David Lovelace on The role of rivers in the development of farming and woodland management in Herefordshire.  

 

  In Spring 2010, we completed the Native Woodland Restoration in Herefordshire project. Click here for the Project Summary Report. David has recently published an article on the project in the Herefordshire Nature Trust Magazine. You can read it here.

A very successful and enjoyable annual Trust walk was held at Caradoc, Nr Ross-on-Wye on Thursday 15th July 2010 by kind permission of Major Patrick Darling. More details here.

One of our major concerns is erosion and pollution of the river Wye, and the state of its banks. These must be reported by phone directly to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60, (24 hour service) giving location and grid reference if possible. 

 

These attractive maps of the Upper and Lower Wye would are still available: 

 

They can be obtained (unframed) from The River Wye Preservation Trust, 35 Link Road, Hereford, HR1 1BG, at £20 in colour as seen, or £10 in black and white. Email info@rwpt.net for more information

 

  One of our recent concerns has been the Severn Barrage. We were worried not only by its possible ecological consequences, but also by whether it would even be capable of delivering what was promised for it, and we were pleased when the Government announced that they had dropped plans for it. 

 

Last Autumn we published our book, Landscape Origins of the Wye Valley. For more details, including how to order, click here:

But hurry! There are no hard backs left, and only a very few hundred soft backs! See pictures of the launch.