Following the success of the 'Overlooking the Wye' scheme in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the grant of £1.9M from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project kicked off with the restoration of the waterwheel at Abbey Mill, Tintern.

Penybryn Engineering were on hand to lift the Water Wheel that originally powered the sawmill out of the wheel pit and on to a low loader to take it away for the restoration work to be undertaken.

It will be restored and put back into running order for next spring. The restoration of the water wheel at the Abbey Mill within the Wye Valley will be one of the first of an exciting array of projects due to take place over the next three years

Present were 'Overlooking the Wye' Scheme Manager, Sue Middleton, along with Project Officer, Kate Biggs, Andrew Blake from the Wye Valley AONB, Chris Rastell from Abbey Mill, Nigel and Sian Brake from Penybryn engineering, representatives of Tintern Community Council and Monmouthshire County Council.

The scheme will be working in partnership with Herefordshire County Council , Monmouthshire County Council, The Forest of Dean District Council, The Forestry Commission, Cadw and English Heritage to interpret and conserve historic sites for the benefit of the community and tourism over the next three years.

So look out for exciting events happening up and down the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean and surrounding Villages.

Angiddy Mill in Tintern is situated on the Angiddy River. The river once powered a busy and important industrial environment with mill ponds and industrial workings all the way down the Valley.

Furnaces and Forges giving rise to a noisy and smoky environment in a landscape that would hardly be recognisable compared with the one we see today. The Mill has a complex history that the owner Chris Rastell is happy to talk about.

Visitors to Tintern can visit the Mill as it is part of the Abby Mill Craft Centre and Tea Rooms.

The funding will also help with the conservation of 40 other sites within the three counties and two countries that straddle the Wye Valley. This will include the nationally important historic ironworks of the Angiddy Valley, including the remains of the Angiddy Furnace and the mill, hillforts at Symonds Yat and the Doward and many smaller sites.

Did you know that the Wye Valley was probably the first Tourist destination in the British Isles?

In the 19th Century visitors to the Wye Valley came in search of the perfect view. Travelling either by boat down the River Wye from Ross to Chepstow or walking along the cliffs from Piercefield. Tourists were encouraged to consider the 'Picturesque' this was the perfect composition of a view that could be found using a viewfinder.

The 'view' points along the river from Chepstow have been hidden for over 200 hundred years, but thanks to the success of the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund the next three years will see the footpaths and viewpoints resurrected.