River tales include monster salmon, says historian

Stories include learning to swim, floating in rowing boats and catching salmon and eels

Epic battles with "monster salmon" and ingenious ways to catch eels are some of the stories of the River Wye that have been recorded and preserved, says the woman behind the project.

Historian Marsha O'Mahony has captured memories of river dwellers and workers and handed them to Herefordshire's museums to be kept for future generations.

She said recollections that included learning to swim and lazy days spent floating downstream in rowing boats had shown the Wye in all its beauty and preserved stories in danger of being lost.

"The Wye's relationship to the people of Herefordshire, from poachers to princes, is recorded for evermore," she said.

Barbara Litherland, a volunteer who took part, said the project had been "truly remarkable", adding: "I feel that I have become a small part of something which is so very important."

Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, cabinet member for environment, said the River Wye was a powerful thread that ran through the county's identity.

She said the project had preserved "an intimate history of the river for future generations" and had captured stories that might otherwise have faded away.