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Builth & the Wye

Erwood and the Wye Valley Walk

A stretch of the Wye Valley Walk following the river north from a converted railway station with a good café and a suspension bridge downstream.

Distance
5.0 mi / 8 km
Time
2 hr 45
Ascent
200 m
Difficulty
Moderate
Shape
There and back

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

Pick up the waymarked Wye Valley Walk from the station and follow it upstream through riverside fields and hanging woodland, turning back at a point of your choosing. Signposting is good throughout.

Worth knowing

  • Start with the café rather than finishing with it; the opening hours are seasonal.
  • The riverside fields flood after heavy rain and stay soft for days afterwards.
  • The Wye here is fast and shallow over gravel, which is why the salmon come up it.

What you’ll see

The Wye over shallows, hanging oak woods, buzzards and the occasional goosander.

Background

Erwood station closed with the Mid Wales line in 1962. The platform, buildings and a carriage survive as craft workshops, which is a better end than most rural stations managed.