RIGHTS to fish the River Severn near Newport dating back to the sixth century are coming up for sale at auction this week.

The Free Fishery of the Severn, which dates back to the ancient Welsh kings of Glamorgan and Gwent, is being sold by Paul Fosh Auctions and stretches from the river bank at Newport three miles across the Severn to Portishead, near Bristol.

The fishery is being sold on behalf of a South Wales owner. A guide price for the lot has yet to be revealed.

Paul Fosh, of the Newport-based auction business, said: “The term unique is often overused but in this case it can be used without any question. I am confident in saying that there is no other stretch of river like this anywhere else in the world.

“We expect to get an exceptional amount of interest from a number of different parties in this fishery. A guide price for the lot is likely to be known closer to the sale date.”

“The Free Fishery of the Severn is an ancient Royal Welsh hereditament dating back to the ancient Kings of Glamorgan and Gwent in Wales from the sixth century.

“We understand that the ownership of the Free Fishery grants the owner exclusive rights to fish the River Severn in a specific area which is identified by the map of The Free Fishery of the Severn. This extremely valuable fishery may be sold as one single lot or may be sold in up to four parcels.”

Paul said the Free Fishery of the Severn has been openly admitted by the Crown and is expressly excluded from the Queen’s Land Registry Title. Ownership permits exclusive rights to fish within the designated area

“We have been informed that the District Valuer from the Inland Revenue Valuation Office valued the Fishery at £50 per acre back in about the year 2000.”

Paul said: “Ownership of the fishery is similar to someone owning rights to fish say a stretch of the River Wye or the River Usk or any other river for that matter. The new owner can then sell permits or licences for others to fish. We anticipate interest perhaps coming from people looking to organise fishing trips.”

The Free Fishery of the Severn comes up for sale at Paul Fosh Auctions this week, on Thursday, March 16, at The Park Inn Hotel, Circle Way East, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, CF23 9XF, starting at 5pm.