History of the River Wye

The River Wye

By the late 18th century, the Wye had become the second pleasure boating waterway after the Thames. Although the Wye Valley Railway was the catalyst for the demise of commercial navigation, the popularity of leisure time on the river kept the river alive, although less regular use meant that ongoing navigation past Tintern was not possible by the end of the 19th century.

But the Wye never entered the motor-boating age, and today is most popular with canoeists, sight-seers and wildlife enthusiasts. A long dispute about rights of navigation was finally settled in 2002, when the Environment Agency was confirmed as the navigation authority. The Agency has promised to promote unpowered boating on the river.

Hanes yr Afon Gwy
Erbyn diwedd y ddeunawfed ganrif, roedd yr Afon Gwy yn ail i’r Tafwys yn unig fel y ddyfrffordd bwysicaf ar gyfer cychod pleser. Er i ddyfodiad Rheilffordd Dyffryn Gwy arwain at dranc mordwyo masnachol, roedd poblogrwydd gweithgareddau hamdden ar yr afon yn sicrhau ei bod hi’n brysur o hyd. Fodd bynnag, wrth i’r afon gael ei defnyddio’n llai rheolaidd, nid oedd modd mordwyo heibio i Dyndyrn erbyn diwedd y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg.

Nid oedd yr Afon Gwy erioed yn gyrchfan i gychod modur, a heddiw mae’n denu canŵ-wyr, pobl sy’n mwynhau’r golygfeydd a phobl sy’n mwynhau bywyd gwyllt yn bennaf. Cafodd anghydfod hir ynghylch hawliau mordwyo ei ddatrys yn 2002 pan gadarnhawyd mai Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yw’r awdurdod mordwyo. Mae’r Asiantaeth wedi addo hyrwyddo’r defnydd o gychod heb foduron ar yr afon.