Afon Cefni
Encyclopedia
Afon Cefni is one of the major rivers on the island of Anglesey
, Wales
. It is 16.9 kilometres (11 mi) long. The river starts at the Llyn Cefni
in the centre of the island and then runs south through the county town of Llangefni
. Just north of the A55
the river turns and flows south-west. It passes through the flatlands of the Malltraeth Marsh
es, where the river course was altered into canal
in 1824. Finally it flows under a bridge carrying the North Wales Coast Railway Line
at Malltraeth Sands in the south-west of the island and into the Irish Sea
.
In February 2007 one of the most bizarre moments in the river's history took place. A local cheese
making company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,585 in costs after some 100 litres (22 imp gal) of cream
was discharged into the Afon Cefni via their surface water drainage system. In August 2007 toxic algae
was found in a stretch of the river flowing through The Dingle
near Llangefni.
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is 16.9 kilometres (11 mi) long. The river starts at the Llyn Cefni
Llyn Cefni
Llyn Cefni is a small reservoir in the centre of Anglesey, Wales which is managed by Welsh Water and Hamdden Ltd. It is located just one kilometre north of the island's county town of Llangefni and is the source of the Afon Cefni and other smaller watercourses...
in the centre of the island and then runs south through the county town of Llangefni
Llangefni
Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
. Just north of the A55
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
the river turns and flows south-west. It passes through the flatlands of the Malltraeth Marsh
Malltraeth Marsh
Malltraeth Marsh is a large marsh area in Anglesey, North Wales, located northeast of Malltraeth village, north of Llangaffo and south of Rhostrehwfa...
es, where the river course was altered into canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in 1824. Finally it flows under a bridge carrying the North Wales Coast Railway Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
at Malltraeth Sands in the south-west of the island and into the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
In February 2007 one of the most bizarre moments in the river's history took place. A local cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
making company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,585 in costs after some 100 litres (22 imp gal) of cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
was discharged into the Afon Cefni via their surface water drainage system. In August 2007 toxic algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
was found in a stretch of the river flowing through The Dingle
The Dingle, Anglesey
The Dingle is a nature reserve found just to the north of Llangefni, Anglesey, north Wales. Dingle is a common placename in the English language, which means "steep wooded valley", which describes it well. However, like many similar English names for natural attractions in Wales, e.g. Fairy Glen,...
near Llangefni.