Symonds Yat

World famous for its natural river scenery and magnificent viewpoint is Symonds Yat Rock, a heavily wooded limestone outcrop some 500 feet above sea level. Here the River Wye twists and winds its way into a large horse-shoe bend, five miles long, in a deeply wooded gorge. The gorge itself boasts many limestone caves where important archeological discoveries have been made including a family of hyenas at 'King Arthurs Cave' whose diet included wooly rhinocerous! The nearby Little Doward has the remains of a Roman Fort but the settlement is thought to date back much further.

A great beauty spot and popular all year round, Symonds Yat is especially attractive in the spring and autumn when the tints of the foliage are at their best. In the summer months there is the added bonus of spotting Peregrine Falcons flying to and from their nesting places on the hillside around Yat Rock. At the foot of Symonds Yat East are two unusual man-powered Rope Ferries where the ferryman will pull you across the River Wye using an overhead rope, for a small fee!At Symonds Yat West there are a range of visitor attractions including a Visitor Centre, Maze and Boat trips on the river. The Old Court Hotel in Symonds Yat West is the ancestral home of the Gwillim family and was home to John Graves Simcoe who was the first govenor and founding father of Canada.