“The excellent variety of wildlife along the river (heron, kingfisher, otter) and arguably the finest selection of native British trees to be found in the wild. Peregrine falcons and the rare red kite are also both native to the Wye Valley.”

The Guardian

The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain and is important for its rich variety of wildlife habitats.

The River Wye (Welsh: Afon Gŵy) is the fifth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The upper part of the river passes through the settlements of Rhayader, Builth Wells and Hay-on-Wye, but the area designated as an AONB surrounds only the 72-mile stretch lower down the river, from just south of the city of Hereford to Chepstow.

The following links to external sites provide an introduction to the rich variety of outdoor activities and wildlife in the area.

Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) official site at www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk

Wye Valley & Vale of Usk tourist guide www.visitwyevalley.com

Gwent Wildlife Trust including wildlife reserves managed by the Trust in Monmouthshire www.gwentwildlife.org

Devil’s Pulpit walk from Tintern as posted in The Guardian

The Devil’s Pulpit & Brockweir walk details from Tintern www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_b/1272

The Wye Valley Walk: 136-mile walk from Chepstow to the source of the Wye www.wyevalleywalk.org

Bat Conservation Trust for Wye Valley information on bats, including lesser horseshoe bats, www.bats.org.uk

Visit Wales gateway to holidays, short breaks and weekends in Wales www.visitwales.co.uk