River Wylye

The River Wylye rises near Kilmington in south-west Wiltshire as the River Deverill before vanishing underground and reappearing at Coombe Barn west of Kingston Deverill. It then flows north through the Deverill Valley towards Warminster, where a half-mile stretch and three lakes form a local nature reserve popular with fly fishermen. After Warminster the river turns south-east, carving the Wylye Valley along the southern edge of Salisbury Plain. The Wylye’s name may come from a Brittonic word meaning ‘tricky one’, referring to its winding course or sudden floods. It gives its name to Wilton and hence to Wiltshire. The river is fed by winterbournes that dry up in summer, so its flow changes with the seasons. Two Sites of Special Scientific Interest lie beside it: Steeple Langford Down and Wylye and Church Dean Downs. Near its source at Crockerton the Wylye Valley Vineyard stands close to the water. Clear chalk-stream water flows over gravel beds, supporting a variety of fish and invertebrates. The Environment Agency rated its biological status high in 2019. At Wilton the Wylye joins the Nadder, which later meets the Avon at Salisbury before reaching the English Channel at Christchurch.