River Monnow

Border riverEdit

For much of its length it marks the border between England and Wales before it joins the River Wye at Monmouth. The Wye is also half English from Monmouth until it meets the River Severn at Chepstow. The Monnow is bridged at Monmouth by the unique medieval Monnow Bridge. The Monnow Valley Walk follows the river.

Black Mountains sourceEdit

The river rises near Craswall on Cefn Hill just below the high Black Mountains, Wales. It flows southwards, gaining the waters of its tributaries the Escley Brook and Olchon Brook near Clodock and the waters of the River Honddu, from the Welsh side of the Black Mountains, near Pandy. The river then flows briefly eastwards, to Pontrilas, where it is joined by its largest tributary, the River Dore before again turning southwards. At Monmouth the river joins into the River Wye with the River Trothy. Its total length is around 42 miles (68 km).

Brown troutEdit

At one time the river was noted for its substantial brown trout population, with the length from Pontrilas to Skenfrith producing record catches. Numbers fell substantially during the 20th century and especially after the 1960s but in more recent years the trout fishing has improved dramatically and the Monnow catchment once again ranks as one of the best wild trout fisheries in England and Wales and it is now also noted for the grayling fishing. A recently opened fish pass at Monmouth allowing migratory fish to by-pass a previously impassable weir has once more given Atlantic salmon and sea trout access to the majority of the catchment and salmon were seen jumping at the now dismantled Kentchurch weir for the first time for many years in the Autumn of 2008. The Monnow Rivers Association takes a large amount of the credit for the improvement in the fishing through their work on habitat improvement throughout the catchment and encouraging anglers to return a high proportion of fish caught safely to the water.