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Help us to preserve one of our loveliest rivers

an essential part of our national heritage

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.

AGM 2016

Congratulations to Major Patrick Darling, who was unanimously elected Chairman of the Trust at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17th November. Congratulations too, to Mr Malcolm Speight, who was elected Treasurer. A formal presentation was made to Mr Simon Dereham in thanks for his sterling service to the Trust as Chairman over 27 years, and thanks were also expressed to Mr Graham Hunter Blair for service almost as long, as Treasurer

After the formal business of the AGM we enjoyed a fascinating presentation by Richard R Rees on “The London Dams that never came to Wales”. This proposal, in 1894, would have seen over 400 million gallons per day taken from the Wye and Usk and their headwaters and transferred to London by way of the Thames! The estimated cost at that time was £38 million with proposals to divert 43 streams into Llangorse Lake, raising the water level of the lake by 98 feet. Many Welsh valleys would have been drowned by water which, it was proposed, would make its way to London entirely by gravity - and there would also have been 'compensating' reservoirs to make up for the depleted river waters at home.

Following the presentation the members enjoyed socialising over light refreshments.

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Another successful Trust River Walk was held at The Leen, Pembridge on Tuesday, 6th September 2016, by kind permission of Tony Norman and family.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Gathering and introduction

Admiring the clean Leen

The greenest source of energy!

You can see from the stonework how deeply the river used to flood.

The rotating milking parlour and some of the 650 Producers

First sight of the Anaerobic Digester

No gutters on the barns to enable to rainwater to return to the ground unmixed with various polluting liquids about the place. Is this a new idea?

Well, here is a less recent barn just outside Bosbury, apparently constructed on similar principles...

Edina, the AD engine

The 'Mouth', the product, and the explanation

Off to supper, passing the chicken-produced AD input, and reminded that all this is part of attempts to reduce the black and yellow areas of this graph

Many thanks to Tony, and to Kate (of the WUF), and a very pleasant picnic to round off the evening.

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You don't have to see dead fish to see pollution!

See this poster from the Wye and Usk Foundation to check what to look for and how to report it.

2015 AGM

A very successful AGM was held at The Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop, on Thursday 26th November

After the formal AGM business, Tony Norman gave a fascinating, if rather sobering, illustrated presentation on the project he has been leading for more than three years. This has involved many teams of dedicated volunteers who have cleared more than 111 tonnes of accumulated rubbish from over a thousand miles of river bank. This project, which was part of the activities of the Wye and Usk Foundation, has received financial contributions from the Trust over recent years. All the same, and despite our best efforts, there are already millions of tonnes of plastic floating in every ocean on the planet, and decomposing into the food of every creature that we ultimately eat. Here are a few pictures:

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Requiem Mass for Major General John Hopkinson, CB.

For the Eulogy delivered at John Hopkinson’s funeral, follow this link.

2015 River Walk

Another very successful annual River Walk was held on Tuesday 7th July at Kentchurch Estate. After a tour of the house there was a choice of walks: up into the Deer Park with David Lovelace, or a walk along the River Monnow with Peter Gough of the Environment Agency. Both parties enjoyed their excursions very much, and we all met up again in the grounds of Kentchurch Court to share our delicious picnics. A very successful and enjoyable evening all round! Here are a few pictures of the tour along the Monnow.

RWPT walk 2015 the assmebled company RWPT walk 2015 Peter Gough of the Environment Agency RWPT walk 2015 Walking across the river meadows

The assembled company Peter Gough of the Environment Agency Walking across the river meadows

RWPT walk 2015 A healthy stretch of river RWPT walk 2015 Progressing to the next bit RWPT walk 2015 Another shimmering pool

A healthy stretch of river Progressing to the next bit Another shimmering pool

RWPT walk 2015 Looking across to the other side RWPT walk 2015 Encouraging invertebrates RWPT walk 2015 The old course of the river?

Looking across to the other side Encouraging invertebrates The old course of the river?

RWPT walk 2015 Surveying the scene RWPT walk 2015 Where the mediaeval weir used to be RWPT walk 2015 Protecting the banks from livestock

Surveying the scene Where the mediaeval weir used to be Protecting the banks from livestock

Better management of the river flow, the removal of the weir, and the virtual elimination of pests such as mink and Himalayan Balsam have enabled the flourishing return of native flora and fauna, including water voles and invertebrates, and even the recolonisation of the river by many species of fish, including sea trout and salmon

RWPT walk 2015 A view of Garway Hill

A view of Garway Hill The view from the bridge

Eleven years of Litter Pick has been completed!

On Monday 27th April 2015, the final litter pick took place at Beachley Point, Chepstow. Volunteers from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and Wye and Usk Foundation removed a final 34 bags from the area where the Wye enters the Severn Estuary. Afterwards, representatives from the RWPT, Angling Trust/Fish Legal (AT/FL), Keep Wales Tidy and Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty joined the party for a ceremony to "hand over" the river. From now on, the Marine Conservation Society and Angling Trust/Fish Legal will continue the litter pick in the estuary and beyond.

This completes an 11-year project in which more than a thousand volunteers have removed 111 tonnes of rubbish from over a thousand miles of river bank. In addition to the unsightly litter removed from the river, it's hoped that the project will encourage people not to discard litter and to clear up any that they find. The project has also been useful to highlight the unseen pollutants entering our rivers.

Many, many thanks to Tony Norman, the WUF Trustee who has put so much of his free time into organising the clearances for the past 5 years and to the huge number of organisations and individuals who have helped and supported the project since 2004.

There is a scan of a recent Hereford Times article here.

A quick flash-back...

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The Herefordshire Trow Click here for the latest news bulletin. For more information, follow the Hereford Bull website.

RWPT AGM 2014

A very successful AGM of the Trust was held on Thursday 20^th November 2014 at the Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop. Following the business meeting there was a presentation to Simon Dereham in grateful recognition of his 25 years' service as Chairman. Lastly, we enjoyed a presentation on Going Native and Water Voles on the Wye by Robert Denny of the Monnow Rivers Association, and there was much friendly discussion during the excellent refreshments afterwards. Here are a few pictures of the event:

County Fair

The sun smiled on a very successful County Fair on 3rd August at Caradoc Court, Sellack near Ross on Wye. Members of your committee were there, manning the RWPT stall. A very pleasant day.

The 2014 River Walk

A very pleasant and successful River Walk was held at Aramstone on the evening of Tuesday 15^th July. Speakers Heather Hurley and David Lovelace provided interesting information, and participants also enjoyed a fascinating tour of the racing stables given by Venetia Williams herself. Here are a few photos. More and better can be found here, courtesy of David Lovelace.

Hereford Trow latest:

Click here to see the bulletin of the Friends Of The Hereford Bull for May 2014, with an account of the launch. There are pictures and links to more pictures and a video, as well as news of a TV programme and even an invitation!

Litter Pick latest:

The most up-to-date information is to be had at:

http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litter-2014.php

Why bother?
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/Why_clean_up_litter.pdf

From Tony Norman:

All
There is still some red on the map but:

We have managed 100 miles of cleaned up river by the end of our 2014 campaign!! and this in spite of missing a month at the start with flooding.
In fact, we may have done more, because I still get reports of little groups or individuals having cleared more riverbank.

We do not always get all the details, but of the stats that we have been able to record:

200+ miles of riverbank have been cleared by:
·181 volunteers, spending
·over 850 hours picking up
· 620 sacks/large items of rubbish

Over 60% of it came off farms (Silage wrap, string, feed buckets, feed and fertiliser bags etc)

http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litter-2014.php

A very special thank you to all those that have often driven many miles in all weathers to help out.

Thank you also for the support given, in many different ways, to this project by so many people.

This is the 10th year of the project and the 4th that we have aimed at clearing a hundred miles each year.
It has seen over 800 volunteers clear well over 3000 sacks of rubbish from our rivers.

2015 will see us do the final 100 miles of the Wye:
A few lengths we have missed this year, the Trothy, the Garren and the main Wye from Mordiford down to Chepstow.

Once more we shall need a lot of help - especially in canoes!

All the best

Tony
Wye and Usk Foundation

On Tuesday 29th April the Hereford Trow was successfully launched near the Victoria Bridge in Hereford, by the Friends of The Hereford Bull. Below are some pictures taken at the launch:



Well over 100 volunteers (at different times) have been all the way down the right bank of the Wye from Glasbury to Holme Lacy bridge.
They have cleaned the river from canoes for well over half that length and completed most of the length on the left bank.

There are still a couple of syndicates to report back in but now the undergrowth is beginning to get rampant-
-with nettles getting well over ankle height it is difficult to see the rubbish and uncomfortable picking it up!

So we have left the Wye for the time being (unless there are any more canoeists who could help us) and concentrate our efforts on the Monnow, where things run a little later.

Some groups have volunteered to do their own lengths and have still to report in.
These are the dates that will take us up to the end of the 2014 Wye litter campaign.

Tues, April 15th-Bridge Inn Michaelchurch Escley.
Sat April 19th-Crown Inn, Longtown
Tues. April 22nd-Crown Inn, Longtown
Wed April 23rd- WUF office, Talgarth- (2pm)
Sat April 26th- Tregate Bridge on the Monnow to support Angling Club (10.30 am)
Tues April 29th- Neville Arms- Abbeydore
Wed April 30th- Park Hotel, Pandy to support a large group of volunteers.

Unless shown otherwise all meetings will be at 10am. Wear suitable clothing (wellies) and bring food and drink

Please let me know if you are planning to come along.

If you can't come, pick up the litter wherever you are and tell us about it.

Tony
(Wye and Usk Foundation)

       ISAC (Irfon Special Area of Conservation) Project Report is now out, published by the Wye and Usk Foundation. For a pdf copy of the report, click here.

The Wye Valley River Festival - Latest

Saturday 3 May to Sunday 18 May 2014
"Flowing through communities from Hereford to Chepstow"

The timetable can be found here, and more detail can be found here. There is also a list of funders and some information on volunteering, which would be very much welcomed! If you would like to be involved, there is an open meeting, details of which can be found here.

The funeral of Lord Moran, one of the founding members of our Trust, was held at St Cewydd's Church, Aberdw at 3pm on Saturday 22 March. Further details can be had from the funeral directors, N R Hope & Sons, Llwynglas, Newbridge-on-Wye, Powys LD1 6LH, Tel. 01597 860548, or email jwilson@sourcesquared.com

Here is a copy of Lord Moran's obituary in The Times and here is the one from The Telegraph

Litter Pick latest:

Tony Norman says: We have covered the first 10 miles of the Wye down from Hay and picked nearly 100 bags or large items of litter already. Just another 90 miles to go!

There is so much more to do that:
We need to find more owners, syndicates, clubs, groups of people to clear their own stretches.
We have had a pretty good response so far, but we need more.

Next meet: Meet at the Red Lion Bredwardine 10 am
March 28th (with the EA)

Then:

Sat March 29th support canoes from Hay to the the Boat Inn Whitney
(I am grateful to have the full support of 'Paddles and Peddles' Hay on Wye -for this)

Tues April 1st at the Red Lion

Sat April 5th support canoes from Boat Inn Whitney to Cannon Bridge

Tues April 8th at Bridge Sollars

Wed April 9th support Angling Trust on the Monnow

Sat April 12th support canoes from Cannon Bridge to Luckshall

All at 10 am

Please let Tony know (bring food/drink/suitable clothing/wellies)

Tony would like to find more owners, syndicates, clubs, groups that could clear their own stretch--anywhere on the Wye.

This message now goes out to over 150 people that have expressed an interest in the project-please let me know if you no longer want to receive these 'updates'

Follow progress and see the project.
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litterclearups.php

Volunteers that want to work on the Monnow contact Rob Denny         robert.denny@virgin.net

Another link on flooding:
Click here for article. Also, there was an interview with George Monbiot on the BBC's Today programme, Friday 7 March, 2014. The programme is 3 hours long, and the interview comes at about 16½ minutes before the end, i.e. at 2:43:30 .

This satellite image, taken on 16 February, shows where our soil goes once it's been washed off our fields. Photograph: Dundee Satellite Receiving Station

Causes of flooding: please read this important article on the causes of our recent and ongoing flooding problems. Click here

Lugg at Mordiford Jan 2014        Hampton Bishop Jan 2014

LATEST NEWS (from Tony Norman)

Preparations have been going on and we have full cooperation of Powys, Monmouthshire and Herefordshire County Councils. Staff from Keep Wales Tidy have agreed to support us where they can and the River Wye Preservation Trust have very generously supported us, again.

The staff at the WUF office thankfully field much of the organisation, web/blog management and publicity. The Monnow Rivers Association have given us full backing and will be organising much of the work on the Monnow.

I have already had 4 groups that have agreed to turn out from their offices to lend a hand. I have enthusiasm from 1 town so far to clear their own area. Some fishery owners/clubs have agreed to clear their own lengths and a canoe company has agreed to lend a hand. Other organisations and many individuals have offered to help as well. So we should be able to make a start!

I still need beat owners/tenants/clubs/syndicates/groups/individuals to offer to clear their own stretches - anywhere on the Wye.

For the 'bank walkers' we will publish dates as we go along..

For those that would be interested to go out on the Monnow catchment please contact Rob Denny at

For more up-to-date information, follow Tony on

http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litterclearups.php

Litter Pick:

2014 Wye Litter the next 100 miles

Tony Norman writes:

This will be the 4th year of this part of the project. Between early February (after the winter floods!!) and the end of April (when birds are nesting) we shall tackle the next 100 miles of river and stream.
We shall attempt to remove all the rubbish to add to the 100 tons or so that we have taken out of the rivers so far.

- This year we shall do Llangorse lake and the Lynfi system (missed last year)
- The main stem of the Wye from Hay down to Mordiford and
- The Monnow system

So I am looking for volunteers again to help me do it. I can organise the days out, provide the litter picking kit, the bags to put it in, and dispose of it.

The best help I can have is for a group (such as a fishing syndicate or an owner) to just clear their own stretch and report the stats to me.

The next best is to come along on an organised day out (usually twice a week) to help out, and preferably bring someone with you.

The next best is to persuade someone else to come along.

If nothing else, pick up the rubbish wherever you are.

Dates, times and venues (and a blog and map) will be on the WUF website:
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litterclearups.php
(still to be updated)

First dates    Tues Feb 4th
                        Sat. Feb 8th
Time 10 am   Venue Boat Inn Whitney on Wye (wear wellies, bring packed lunch)

Please email Tony if you feel you can help.

Statutory SSSI notification documents:

Here is a link to the Natural England website where you can find information on SSSI and SAC Notification documents: click here.

Here is a link to the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) website where you can find information on SSSIs relevant to the River Wye and its tributaries in Wales, whether by county, by designation type, or by name. Click here. For example, here is a list of resources on the Lower Wye, while here are resources around Plynlimon, the source of the Wye.

RWPT AGM 2013

The Trust's 2013 AGM was held on Thursday evening 21st November, at the Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop, chaired by our Vice President, Sir Colin Shepherd. After the formal business we enjoyed an illustrated talk by Heather Hurley on "River Trade and Transport on the Wye from Symonds Yat to Glasbury", featuring the barges used, the cargoes carried and the wharf sites. Heather is the author of Herefordshire’s River Trade: Craft and Cargo on the Wye & Lugg, (Logaston Press, 2013), and editor of the Trust's own Landscape Origins of the Wye Valley , (Logaston Press, 2008).

Light refreshments and pleasant socialising followed the presentation, to complete a very pleasant evening.





Water Voles on the Wye

The Monnow Rivers Association together with the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) has cause to celebrate the fact that it has received a funding boost to implement its Water Voles on the Wye project. See here for an article from the Ross Gazette, 14 August, 2013.

River Walk 2013 Symonds Yat

A very enjoyable walk was held at Symonds Yat, led by Nic Howes, a geographer who walks through landscapes and interprets what is encountered. We covered both sides of the river, looking at the remains of the station and platform of the old Wye Valley Railway at Symonds Yat East before crossing on the hand ferry to Symonds Yat West. We saw the excavations of the New Weir Forge that have recently been carried out as part of the Overlooking the Wye Project, completed at the beginning of this year. We finished with a very enjoyable picnic, cruising up the river, with an excellent commentary provided by Kingfisher Cruises.

Here are a few pictures. More will follow!

News for canoeists: see here for opinion on new charges

The Big Wye Litter Pick 2013

Latest from Tony Norman, 17/05/2013:

Well, we didn't quite finish it but I think you will agree that the figures speak for themselves.

http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/projects/litter-2013.php

A tremendous effort by all concerned.

That makes well over 600 volunteers clearing over 700 miles of river bank so far in the project (2004-13)

Another 2 years should do it!

Thank you
Tony

We're already drumming up custom for next year's LitterPick. See this leaflet for more information!

For more information see: Keep Wales Tidy and WUF, and to follow progress, please see WUF litter clear-ups.

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Recent RWPT AGM:

Here is a summary of Dr Louise Manning's excellent talk given at the AGM. It makes interesting reading whether or not you were able to make the meeting! Very many thanks to Dr Manning both for giving the presentation and for providing the summary.

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The Proposed Severn Barrage is being discussed again. Here is the recent submission against it by the Wye and Usk Foundation

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The Wye Invader rides again!

Or it sails actually. It was caught on camera a few days ago floating down the Wye towards the Severn, where it is destined eventually for a dry dock. It was last seen moored at Symonds Yat. More information can be found here and here.



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The proposed Water Bill

The Sunday Times has published a couple of articles of interest to those concerned with the health of rivers. Click here and here to see them.

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RWPT AGM 2012

The 2012 AGM of the Trust took place at the Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop, at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday 29th November.

After the formal business of the AGM had been concluded there was an excellent presentation by Dr Louise Manning on Water from the Wye - Uses and Abuses. Dr Louise Manning, the wife of a Herefordshire farmer, is currently Lecturer in the Management of Food Production at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

She specialises in all aspects of sustainable food production and is well informed on current water management issues that affect agriculture and horticulture including the changes that will be required under the Water Framework Directive. She has clear views on the proposed centralisation of Navigation Authorities and the likely changes that will result from the formation, in Wales, of the new body that will combine the current responsibilities exercised by the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and CCW.

Water extraction, irrigation, diffuse and direct pollution and Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiatives are all issues on which she has strong views.

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We have some pictures of our stall at the Jubilee event in Hereford earlier this year, and also of our stall at the County show:





Advance notice on the Big Wye Litter Pick 2013

It is proposed that this will take place Feb 1st to April 31st, as last year, with the support again of Keep Wales Tidy and WUF, as well as the RWPT. The pick would involve the Ithon, Irfon, Edw etc. and the main stem of the Wye down to Hay, thus completing the Welsh end of the river. This will be the 3rd hundred mile pickup and is now involving many, many volunteers across a whole range of river users and interests. Here is the press release after last year's successful pick, and, in case you're not convinced, here are the reasons why.

A little bit of Sci-fi fun:

Filmed in the 1980s near Hole-in-the-Wall on the banks of the Wye near Ross. Just in the first 5 minutes, mind: after that our heroes seem to stroll seamlessly from the banks of our very own Wye into a village near Interlaken in Switzerland. Never mind that the whole thing is dubbed into German - no one really needs the script! Click here to see the terrifying Tripods...

The replica Wye Trow “The Hereford Bull” on the Thames

Someone was watching! Here is a wonderful close-up picture we were sent by a member of the public:

The Hereford Times published a very nice clip on their web page. It lasts just under 5 minutes. To see it, click here.

And here are a few more images:



For the official naming of the Trow see here

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, C otswold 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.