Upper Wye Valley
Erwood and the Wye Valley Walk
Follows the Wye Valley Walk north from an old station, on the river the whole way.
- 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.