Symonds Yat Rapids
Encyclopedia
Symonds Yat Rapids are a grade
2 man-made feature on the River Wye
, near Symonds Yat
on the Gloucestershire
and Herefordshire
border. They are most commonly used by canoeists and kayakers for whitewater
training and playboating
.
and eddies.
purchased the banks to the river in 2003 allowing year round access.
Typically the mid-autumn and mid-spring periods provide the best levels. After very heavy rain the features will wash out leaving nothing more than fast flowing water.
International Scale of River Difficulty
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...
2 man-made feature on the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, near Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat is a village in the Forest of Dean and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye and the borders of the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, it is within a few miles of the Welsh border...
on the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
border. They are most commonly used by canoeists and kayakers for whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
training and playboating
Playboating
Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
.
Construction
A series of man made rock walls were installed to modify the flow of the river on river right, and provide wavesWAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
and eddies.
Ownership and Access
The British Canoe UnionBritish Canoe Union
The British Canoe Union is a national governing body for canoeing in the United Kingdom, whose stated purpose is "Helping and Inspiring people to go canoeing”....
purchased the banks to the river in 2003 allowing year round access.
Typically the mid-autumn and mid-spring periods provide the best levels. After very heavy rain the features will wash out leaving nothing more than fast flowing water.
See also
- PlayboatingPlayboatingPlayboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river...
- River running
- River WyeRiver WyeThe River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
- Symonds YatSymonds YatSymonds Yat is a village in the Forest of Dean and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye and the borders of the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, it is within a few miles of the Welsh border...
- River SevernRiver SevernThe River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...