Whitney Bridge
Whitney Bridge
4.5
About
Historic Whitney-on-Wye single track Toll Bridge dates back to 1779. One of just a few remaining in the UK. Two earlier bridges were washed away by the strong river currents and a stone and timber construction was built in 1797.Open 365 days a year with parking and riverside picnic area. Come and fish, canoe, picnic or camp with us. Perfect setting for camping part way through your canoe trip - on the banks of the River Wye at Whitney Toll Bridge HR3 6EW. Very quiet and private small campsite with fire pit, direct canoe launch/land and parking. Two toilets and two hot showers available (clean and fully stocked with soap and loo rolls etc) plus clean drinking water shower tap. Breakfast and BBQs can be arranged - fully licensed so you can enjoy a chilled beer too.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
107 reviews
Excellent
73
Very good
24
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
5
nomadq
somerset,England35 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Firstly, it’s so sad to hear the news that this local gem has just closed, I hope the closure is temporary. I have recently had two amazing meals there and was really looking forward to adding it to my special places to eat list.
The food is excellent with some fabulous flavour combinations and the setting simply stunning. Definitely worth a visit if it reopens!
The food is excellent with some fabulous flavour combinations and the setting simply stunning. Definitely worth a visit if it reopens!
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I.Pidge
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Couples
I'm sure with sometime to look at this bridge it been good overall but I see it's more than most tolls in the Uk..from 40p?
With a visit to Hay On Wye..car parking charges, loo charges with no change..just seems expensive place to be and after Pembrokeshire, not worth it?
I liked it from a previous visit but maybe Brecon next time?
With a visit to Hay On Wye..car parking charges, loo charges with no change..just seems expensive place to be and after Pembrokeshire, not worth it?
I liked it from a previous visit but maybe Brecon next time?
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
john
Kington, UK5 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Can not rate this restaurant highly enough. Everyone must try it! It's a great place, I would imagine it isn't quite as impressive with miserable weather as the location lends itself to a glorious summers evening but that can't be helped
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ccareyyard
Lightwater, UK4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We ate at the Whitney Toll Bridge restaurant last night after being recommended by friends and it didn’t fail to impress! Location was perfect with amazing views of the river, food was delicious and plenty of drinks to choose from. Will be recommending everyone to come here and hopefully be back very soon
Written 30 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy F
41 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
We had the most beautiful meal with the best staff at the eatery based at Whitney Bridge.
Had a swim in the Wye , tea and books on the bank, and then Sunday lunch.
The guy who run/manage/own it are a joy to behold. So friendly and amenable and the food was to die for
Had a swim in the Wye , tea and books on the bank, and then Sunday lunch.
The guy who run/manage/own it are a joy to behold. So friendly and amenable and the food was to die for
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave N
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
This bridge is a con. It’s awfully bumpy and amateur feeling going over it. Can’t see how much money has been invested in this. And the road after is badly surfaced in many places. A much better option is the adjacent A road. The large HAY ON WYE festival sign is misleading, as I’m sure it confuses many as to the best route to hay, which it isn’t. Nice little parasitic cash-cow.
Written 5 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas R
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Friends
I’ve been to this charming restaurant with equally charming owner several times now. It’s always been a treat in every way and become my favourite place for miles around. And for anyone partial to a Bloody Mary as am I the owner makes the best I’ve had anywhere in the world.
Written 22 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
14MEG14
Cardiff, UK25 contributions
May 2023
A real treasure this place, with good friendly staff. Excellent menu range and tasty, delicious food. In the summer months you can sit and eat outside and soak up the River Wye scenery.
Written 20 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith B
Manchester, UK10 contributions
Sept 2013 • Couples
After spending a lovely weekend during our first visit to Hay-on-Wye, my wife and I left town on Sunday evening to drive home to Manchester. Travelling on the B4350 to pick up the A438 to Hereford we picked up the toll bridge sign 11/4 miles out from the river and quickly realised that we had no change for the 80p charge.
Upon arrival at the bridge (approximately 7.15pm), we discovered that the barrier was unmanned and were faced with the quandary of reversing back and driving 3.5 miles back to the nearest shop in Hay, the Co-Operative on Newport Street. Unfortunately it had closed three hours earlier at 4pm!
I reluctantly knocked on the door of the cottage to ask for assistance and Mr Penny answered fairly promptly. Naturally he was'nt at all happy with me disturbing his Sunday evening at such a late hour and whilst empathising with his initial reaction I offered my sincere apologies for our oversight.
He then proceeded to tick me off about my inability to read the numerous road signs (I only caught the one at 11/4 miles out in the fading light) at which point the fragrant Ms Taylor started to add her two pennies' worth by vociferously complaining about being disturbed at the 'ungodly hour of 7.30pm' (for the record it was 7.15am but I'm not splitting hairs).
At this juncture Mr Penny was generously organizing change to enable me to put 80p into his meter and enable my wife and I to continue our journey home, I politely called to Ms Taylor (she was hidden from view, not seen but definitely making her presence felt!) and asked if she wished to discuss her obvious grievance with our inappropriate behaviour. I guess she declined as my lasting and only memory of her is standing at the window taking photographs of me, my wife and our vehicle(more later!).
After handing the change to me, Mr Penny handed me a further 'ticking off' telling me that 'there were plenty of places that could have provided me with change (yes folks we're talking about 80p!) despite the nearest place being 3.5 miles back and closed from 4pm!
Having tired of his attitude and general rudeness, I sarcastically thanked him and his partner for 'their kind assistance' at which point in no uncertain terms he told me to [--] off!
As a passive individual with no penchant for violence, I will not accept this conduct from anybody particularly in front of my wife! At this point the bulging eyed ice cream man looked as if he was spoiling for a fight and continued to shout expletives at me. My wife in the drivers seat had still not had chance to put the money in the meter and was very shook up by the situation.
Having listened to his sarcasm and abuse I thought it only appropriate to indulge Mr Penny and try a little ' face to face diplomacy' however he declined preferring to beat a swift retreat to the safety of his vestibule behind a secure locked door! This 'ever so brave' chap did however continue to scream more expletives from his sanctuary.
After finally paying the toll, we passed the cottage as Ms Taylor was showing off her undeniable photography skills, she never asked if we wanted copies. Unfortunately I let myself down by offering her a double two fingered salute and am certainly not proud of this juvenile response!
Now to the real moral of the tale! I'm big and daft enough to be able to stand up for myself in these kind of situations however 'what if a vehicle in similar circumstances' contained young children or elderly people? Would they be subjected to the same ignorant and disgusting treatment from people who should really know better!
I've had a 160 mile drive home and twenty four hours to reflect on such a ridiculous set of circumstances and still find it hard to believe it happened. My post is based on true facts and experience and is not an emotive knee jerk reaction.
Whitney Bridge is a part of such a magnificent area that makes me proud to be British! I have no doubt that many visitors have experienced a lovely time at the site, it is truly idyllic. I'm sharing my version of events to provide readers with a balanced view good or bad.
I do however expect Mr Penny and Ms Taylor to come out fighting (metaphorically speaking of course!) however be aware that neither my wife or I are capable of telling lies or embellishing the truth. As a non-facebook and twitter user I do not normally have the time or inclination to share my thoughts however I'm not prepared to let this one go!
This negative experience has not put us off visiting Hay-on-Wye in the future, perhaps we can resolve our differences with a dual! Cornettos at dawn!
Upon arrival at the bridge (approximately 7.15pm), we discovered that the barrier was unmanned and were faced with the quandary of reversing back and driving 3.5 miles back to the nearest shop in Hay, the Co-Operative on Newport Street. Unfortunately it had closed three hours earlier at 4pm!
I reluctantly knocked on the door of the cottage to ask for assistance and Mr Penny answered fairly promptly. Naturally he was'nt at all happy with me disturbing his Sunday evening at such a late hour and whilst empathising with his initial reaction I offered my sincere apologies for our oversight.
He then proceeded to tick me off about my inability to read the numerous road signs (I only caught the one at 11/4 miles out in the fading light) at which point the fragrant Ms Taylor started to add her two pennies' worth by vociferously complaining about being disturbed at the 'ungodly hour of 7.30pm' (for the record it was 7.15am but I'm not splitting hairs).
At this juncture Mr Penny was generously organizing change to enable me to put 80p into his meter and enable my wife and I to continue our journey home, I politely called to Ms Taylor (she was hidden from view, not seen but definitely making her presence felt!) and asked if she wished to discuss her obvious grievance with our inappropriate behaviour. I guess she declined as my lasting and only memory of her is standing at the window taking photographs of me, my wife and our vehicle(more later!).
After handing the change to me, Mr Penny handed me a further 'ticking off' telling me that 'there were plenty of places that could have provided me with change (yes folks we're talking about 80p!) despite the nearest place being 3.5 miles back and closed from 4pm!
Having tired of his attitude and general rudeness, I sarcastically thanked him and his partner for 'their kind assistance' at which point in no uncertain terms he told me to [--] off!
As a passive individual with no penchant for violence, I will not accept this conduct from anybody particularly in front of my wife! At this point the bulging eyed ice cream man looked as if he was spoiling for a fight and continued to shout expletives at me. My wife in the drivers seat had still not had chance to put the money in the meter and was very shook up by the situation.
Having listened to his sarcasm and abuse I thought it only appropriate to indulge Mr Penny and try a little ' face to face diplomacy' however he declined preferring to beat a swift retreat to the safety of his vestibule behind a secure locked door! This 'ever so brave' chap did however continue to scream more expletives from his sanctuary.
After finally paying the toll, we passed the cottage as Ms Taylor was showing off her undeniable photography skills, she never asked if we wanted copies. Unfortunately I let myself down by offering her a double two fingered salute and am certainly not proud of this juvenile response!
Now to the real moral of the tale! I'm big and daft enough to be able to stand up for myself in these kind of situations however 'what if a vehicle in similar circumstances' contained young children or elderly people? Would they be subjected to the same ignorant and disgusting treatment from people who should really know better!
I've had a 160 mile drive home and twenty four hours to reflect on such a ridiculous set of circumstances and still find it hard to believe it happened. My post is based on true facts and experience and is not an emotive knee jerk reaction.
Whitney Bridge is a part of such a magnificent area that makes me proud to be British! I have no doubt that many visitors have experienced a lovely time at the site, it is truly idyllic. I'm sharing my version of events to provide readers with a balanced view good or bad.
I do however expect Mr Penny and Ms Taylor to come out fighting (metaphorically speaking of course!) however be aware that neither my wife or I are capable of telling lies or embellishing the truth. As a non-facebook and twitter user I do not normally have the time or inclination to share my thoughts however I'm not prepared to let this one go!
This negative experience has not put us off visiting Hay-on-Wye in the future, perhaps we can resolve our differences with a dual! Cornettos at dawn!
Written 23 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your comprehensive feedback - the only thing you have omitted is a good dollop of the truth - all of which is captured in glorious technicolour on our CCTV system. My only response is to say that thumping very loudly, after dark, on a kitchen window is not reluctantly knocking and apologising. I was very scared and felt your language, behaviour and hand signs were incredibly intimidating. As you got out of the car your body language does not represent someone who was apologetic but someone whom wanted to pick a fight - you were so busy thumping for attention you didn't even see the change machine that was 10 m to your right. I concluded that your wife was driving because you had a boozy lunch (your behaviour suggested alcohol was involved) and I assume from your review you had tried to get change at the co-op as you are indeed correct that they shut on Sunday afternoons at 4pm. So all in all you knew you were in the wrong so you came out fighting. I guess it is a typical bully who will hide behind a review such as this to attempt to solve a guilty conscience. One final word is your choice of the word "fragrant" and "cornettos at dawn" when describing a situation is somewhat bizarre and speaks volumes about the type of person writing the review.
Written 2 October 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MickyFynn
Gloucestershire, UK25 contributions
Mar 2012 • Business
I was born in and have lived in Herefordshire for most of my life.
I have crossed the Whitney-on-Wye Toll Bridge near Hay-on-Wye on many occasion but never with such a welcome as I received a few days ago.
New people bought the bridge and toll cottage back in January of this year and you have every chance of meeting them if you cross the bridge especially, if like me, you only have a £20 note for the 80p crossing.
Well worth a visit, if only to say that you have crossed the Whitney-on-Wye Toll Bridge and met Maggie and Grahame, the new bridge Trolls!
I have crossed the Whitney-on-Wye Toll Bridge near Hay-on-Wye on many occasion but never with such a welcome as I received a few days ago.
New people bought the bridge and toll cottage back in January of this year and you have every chance of meeting them if you cross the bridge especially, if like me, you only have a £20 note for the 80p crossing.
Well worth a visit, if only to say that you have crossed the Whitney-on-Wye Toll Bridge and met Maggie and Grahame, the new bridge Trolls!
Written 31 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello - thank you for the great review - our first one! Next time you come please say hello again and stop off for an ice cream or bring a picnic and sit by the water - we have parking and a picnic area for anyone to enjoy free of charge. Also ask for our free history book and free postcards as a memento of your trip to our historic Bridge.
If you come by canoe please land here and relax with a chilled drink before continuing your journey down the beautiful River Wye...
Hope to see you soon.
Maggie
Written 4 April 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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