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SOFTLY FLOWS THE DEE:
A photographic celebration of one of Britain's legendary rivers

This lavish, hardback book will be a gloriously panoramic photographic tour of the fabled River Dee - Afon Dyfrdwy in Welsh - from its source to the sea.

IN a series of superb photographs, the pages follow the route of this most famous of Welsh rivers as it flows from a bubbling spring at its source in the hills and mosses of Y Dduallt, the mountain to the south of Arennig, that roll down to the banks of the lovely Bala Lake - Llyn Tegid - in North Wales, and then for about 70 miles to the wide estuary that divides the Principality of Wales from the English coastline.

Along its banks are communities, villages, towns and cities that have sprung up since Roman times when the river was a source of power and communications, as it remains today.

The Dee tumbles and meanders, sometimes in a torrent, through and alongside such places as Bala, Corwen, Llangollen, Heronbridge, Chester, Queensferry, Connah's Quay, parts of Flint and the Point of Ayr, ancient ports on Wirral and past Hilbre Island before meeting up with the estuary of the Mersey to mingle in the Irish Sea.

Legends say that the waters of the Dee rush through the lake at Bala, swiftly passing on and emerging undiluted in their surge to join the sea.

Other folktales suggest that, like Loch Ness in Scotland, there is in the depths of Llyn Tegid a creature from antiquity that swims in the current of the Dee, giving it magical qualities; and who would dare forswear such stories.

This gloriously illustrated book begins its own journey from where the Dee-Dyfrdwy rises in the hills above Llanuwchllyn in what is known as the Dolgellau Gold Belt of old Merioneth, now Gwynedd.

Further towards the estuary the Dee has always been an unpredictable river, with constantly shifting sands that affected the suitability of different anchorages from time to time. The river was however navigable as far as Chester for passenger and freight traffic up to the 17th century, when silt around this fabled Roman city began to be a major problem. This, conversely, improved the fortunes of Neston and particularly Parkgate in Wirral.

This scenic and inspirational book follows the river - in all seasons - for the nearly 20-mile stretch downstream of Bala through Corwen and Carrog and into the Victorian former spa town of Llangollen, and from where it also feeds the popular Horse Shoe Falls at Liantysilio. Onwards we go more then 120 feet under Thomas Telford's magnificent aqueduct at Pontcysyllte, which carries the Shropshire Union Canal from one side of the valley on its way to Chester.

Apart from the dazzling images it will be choc-a-bloc with fascinating facts about the people and communities that live along the Dee's banks or in close proximity, as well as the businesses, enterprises and industries that rely on it for water and power.

The river crosses or forms the Welsh English border several times on this journey and once more leaves England at Chester through to Queensferry and Shotton in Flint where it begins to prepare for its great meeting with the often-turbulent Irish Sea.

It is a unique and intriguing focus on one of the legendary rivers of Britain - and one of the most powerful icons in Welsh history. On its grassy banks in September 1400 Owain Glyndwyr - the Prince of Wales - raised his standard to start his ten year fight for Welsh independence and rights over the domination of the English crown.

Legend suggests that after the defeat of his forces he fled into the bleak hills and rocky crags that flank the Dee to carry on the fight, and remains there. As he gazes down on a modern day Dee he is, no doubt, ecstatic that Wales now has its own Assembly in Cardiff.

The book will be published early in 2009,