Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat is a village in the Forest of Dean and a popular tourist destination, straddling the River Wye and on the borders of the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, it is within a few miles of Monmouthshire and the Welsh border. The name is said to come from Robert Symonds, a 17th-century sheriff of Herefordshire and "yat" as an old word for a gate or pass.

History

Archaeologists have uncovered bones from Hyenas, Sabre-Toothed Cats and a Mammoth in and around the caves of the valley and human inhabitation can be traced back to 12,000 years ago with findings of their tools and clothes.

In Iron Age times the forts on the Great Doward and the Yat Rock provided secure, defensible settlements for the local residents.

During Roman times these forts became focal points in the region and the importance of the iron here and in the Forest of Dean made this a valuable prize for the conquerors. Offa's Dyke was built in the 8th century directly above the Yat to separate England and Wales.