D of E

In the 17th century an Act of Parliament removed riparian owners rights and confirmed it as a "free and open" navigation up to Hay and it became an important waterway in the early industrial era. Weirs of various degrees of permanence were built to allow large barges to pass and the river must have been fairly polluted. However with the development of canals and railways the commercial traffic disappeared and the river naturally cleansed itself. Over the last century fishermen have pushed to reduce pollution, followed more recently by a new constituency, canoeists. The following is a guide to finding camp sites and access for launching along the main canoe-touring stretch from Glasbury to Chepstow. Compiled from various sources and a river trip in August 2001.

It seemed pretty clean when I first canoed it as a child in about 1970, and was still so when I last did so in August 2006. In 2003 the smell from the sewage farm below Hereford was less than usual, but the river was high, so it may not have been a fair test. I will be reporting regularly on coliform counts and levels of particulates in future iGreen issues. I predict that with increasing numbers of canoeists caring about the river, it will steadily improve.

Safety

The Wye is fairly safe to canoe at normal water levels, but no river is ever completely free from danger.  Even a tiny stream passing under a badly placed tree can trap and drown an adult.  In April 2006 a young girl canoeist tragically drowned this way on this first stretch between Glasbury and the Hollybush Inn.   By all accounts she was properly equipped and supervised, just very unlucky.  

Don't let this put you off the river.  Canoe touring remains a safe sport - you take a greater risk driving to the river.