Crowds gather to watch silent lady float through Hereford

A sculpture of Our Lady of the Waters and the Wye, mounted on two canoes made into a canoe-catamaran, has arrived in Hereford this afternoon on its journey downstream from Hay-on-Wye to Monmouth.

The sclupture and its boat passing under the Wye Bridge

The wooden sculpture is about four feet in height, on a one foot high plinth.

The sculptor is Philip Chatfield, who has also carved stone statues for Tintern Abbey and St Mary’s Church in Monmouth. He, alongside Father Richard Williams, of St Mary's Church in Hay-on-Wye, came up with the idea.

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The canoe arrived on the banks of the Wye next to Hereford Cathedral at 4.45pm on Tuesday. Wild swimmers will also accompany the boat on its journey through Herefordshire.

It left Hay-on-Wye yesterday (August 15) and arrives in Monmouth on August 19.

River pilgrimage to raise awarenss of the plight of the Wye. The boat leaves Hay-on-Wye.

Upon leaving Hereford, the boat will pass Holme Lacy, Hoarwithy, Sellack and Ross-on-Wye, stopping off at Goodrich and Whitchurch before arriving in the Welsh border town.

The boat arrives on the banks of the Wye near to Hereford Cathedral

The main aim of the special journey is to raise awareness and to call for concerted action to cleanse the river.

Campaigners say biodiversity has crashed in the Wye due to pollution from chicken farm slurry, overflow of sewage, excessive use of fertilisers (3000 tons of phosphates a year going in the Wye, when it can only cope with 300), and from run off from arable land and soil erosion.

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Protesters from extinction were in Hereford in July to call for Avara Foods to act on its part in the polluting of the Wye.

River pilgrimage to raise awarenss of the plight of the Wye. The sculpture is lead to the river by Father Richard Williams of St Mary's Chuch in Hay-on-Wye

Father Richard Williams of St Mary's Church in Hay-on-Wye said: "This is a unique occasion nationally. There is so much division in the world, but this is a marvellous opportunity to celebrate something good and to help restore it to what God and nature would have it be."

Tom Tibbits, chair of the Friends of the Upper Wye said: “We’re delighted to see the churches in our local area take this initiative to highlight the appalling pollution of the Wye. 

It’s extraordinary to see Belmont monks and Hereford Cathedral play their part in this and shows the strength of feeling, throughout our community, about the decimation of our precious river”.