This is the first book to be written specifically about the River Ystwyth. While it is not a prestigious or notable river in terms of its size or commercial importance, it flows through one of the most picturesque areas of Britain. This written portrait provides a geological and historical background, but is primarily devoted to the wonderfully evocative landscape through which it flows and the wildlife to be encountered along its route. The river is described through the four seasons, revealing the changes that these bring to the plant and animal life. It is a river which can be easily followed, from source to estuary, on foot. To assist the reader, a series of short walks are described which, if all of them are completed, take in its full length.