History of 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.