The River Wylye (pronounced 'Why-lee') is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.

Course

It rises in Wiltshire just south of Maiden Bradley and after flowing through the Deverill valley, forms the southern edge of Warminster. It then heads generally east south east, forming the Wylye Valley, into which the A36 road and the Wessex Main Line are also squeezed. The river passes through the parishes of Norton Bavant, Heytesbury, Knook, Upton Lovell, Boyton, Codford, Wylye and Wilton, near the southern edge of Salisbury Plain, and is fed by ephemeral, winterbourne streams so water flow can vary.

The river forms part of the River Avon catchment. At Wilton it joins the River Nadder and eventually drains to the sea at Christchurch as part of the River Avon.

SSSI

In parts the river flows through various SSSI:

• Steeple Langford Down
• Wylye and Church Dean Downs

Wylye Valley

The Wylye valley is a picturesque valley dotted with small chocolate box villages composed of thatched cottages and stone-built pubs.

Miscellaneous

• A vineyard is located near the river's source.
• Both Wilton and Wiltshire (Wilton - shire) are named after the river. There is also a village of Wylye.
• It forms one of the five rivers referred to in the novel Sarum

Villages

The villages located on the River Wylye include (source to confluence):

• Kingston Deverill
• Monkton Deverill
• Brixton Deverill
• Longbridge Deverill
• Crockerton
• Norton Bavant
• Heytesbury
• Sutton Veny.
• Upton Lovell
• Boyton
• Ashton Gifford (a Tything)
• Codford
• Stockton
• Bapton
• Wylye
• Hanging Langford
• Sherrington
• Great Wishford
• Wilton

References