River Solva

The River Solva rises a few hundred metres south-east of Croesgoch in Pembrokeshire. It flows roughly ten miles through farmland and grazing meadows before reaching Solva Harbour on St Brides Bay. Near the middle of its course it passes Middle Mill, a small riverside settlement of a handful of houses. The final stretch runs through Lower Solva, a village of stone cottages and narrow lanes.

Flood warnings are issued often because the river regularly overflows its banks. Properties along the water’s edge in Lower Solva are the worst affected when the river bursts its banks. The floods can leave gardens and yards under water for days at a time.

Visitors walk beside the river where it is still confined between low banks. The path leads from Middle Mill down to the harbour, crossing old stone bridges built for the mills. At the harbour the river meets the tidal waters of St Brides Bay, where boats bob on the incoming tide.