Lake Vyrnwy
Encyclopedia
Lake Vyrnwy Nature Reserve and Estate is an area of land in Montgomeryshire
, Powys
, Wales, surrounding the Victorian
reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy. Its stone-built dam
, built in the 1880s, was the first of its kind in the world. The Nature Reserve and the area around it are jointly managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
, and Severn Trent Water
. It was built for the purpose of supplying Liverpool
and Merseyside
with fresh water. It flooded the head of the Vyrnwy
Valley and submerged the small village of Llanwddyn. Today it is a popular retreat, for people in the West Midlands
and Merseyside for days out, and also for ornithologists, cyclists, and hikers. The Reserve is designated as a National Nature Reserve
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
, a Special Protection Area
, and a Special Area of Conservation
.
Dr George Deacon
(1843–1909) began the design of the Vyrnwy Dam in 1879 at the age of 36. In 1890, following Vyrnwy, he founded an engineering practice in London which subsequently became Sir Alexander Binnie Son & Deacon, then Mr Binnie and Partners. Its present-day successor is now Black & Veatch.
Dr Deacon was instructed to prepare the Parliamentary Plans for the scheme in 1879. The dam construction started in 1881 and was completed seven years later in 1888. It was the first large stone-built dam in the United Kingdom, and is built partly out of great blocks of Welsh
slate
. When built it cost £620,000, which today is around £22,000,000. The dam is 44 metres (144.4 ft) high from the bottom of the valley, and 39 metres (128 ft) thick at the base; it is 357 metres (1,171.3 ft) long and has a road bridge running along the top. It is decorated with over 25 arches and two small towers (each with four corner turrets) rising 4 metres (13.1 ft) above the road surface.
Vyrnwy was the first dam to carry water over its crest instead of in a channel at the side. At the bottom of the dam is a body of water known as the Stilling Basin, this is necessary to absorb the energy when the water flows over the crest and into the valley, and stops the water from eroding the foundations of the dam.
Underneath the West Tower is a building known as the Power House, which contains an electrical generator driven by water leaving the reservoir. Before mains electricity
arrived in the 1960s this was Llanwddyn's only source of power.
The West and East Towers release compensation water by huge valves, which are controlled by Severn Trent Water. This water is purely for the River Vyrnwy, which would otherwise dry out unless in flood. Depending on the Water Levels downstream the reservoir could release anything from 25 to 45 ml (0.00549923120747719 to 0.00989861617345895 impgal) of compensation water per day. Only a few hundred metres downstream is a weir, which the Environment Agency
use to measure the daily amount of compensation water. This weir also holds back enough water to create the stilling basin.
Earlier dams in Britain had been built by making great earth embankments to hold back the water. This new type of stone dam would change the face of the Welsh landscape over the coming years. The next stone dams to be built in Wales on an even bigger scale than Vyrnwy were those built in the Elan Valley
. 1
to Liverpool. Its architecture is Gothic and built during the same time as the dam. The tower as a whole is 63 metres (206.7 ft) tall, 15 metres (49.2 ft) of which is underwater. The other 48 metres (157.5 ft) is above water, and is topped with a pointed copper clad roof, which makes it look light green.
The sixty-eight miles of aqueduct bring water from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool, and are part of extensive works that also involve Britain's first high masonry dam at Vyrnwy.
The aqueduct originally consisted of two pipelines, made largely of cast iron
. To help maintenance work on the 9 ft (2.7 m) diameter cast-iron tunnel which took the aqueduct under the Mersey
, riveted steel piping was also used. This was an early use of the material which was to become the norm for trunk water mains piping.
Brick and concrete lined tunnels carried pipes at Hirnant, Cynynion and Llanforda, and a fourth later added at Aber so that the Hirnant tunnel could be made accessible for maintenance. The first section of a third pipeline was laid in 1926-38 using bituminous-coated steel. To increase capacity, a fourth pipeline was added in 1946.
Re-organisation of the pipe crossings beneath the Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal
were undertaken in 1978-81. The current provision relies on three pipes 42 inches (1.1 m) in diameter delivering up to 50 million impgals (227,304.5 m³) per day into reservoirs at Prescot
, east of Liverpool.
The aqueduct carrying water away from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool was constructed across the valley from the reservoir between 1881-92. It crosses the valley floor near Penybontfawr and then runs north of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
and Efail-rhyd on the north-east of the Tanat Valley. The aqueduct is largely hidden from view although there are a number of visible surface features including air valves, the Cileos valve house, the Parc-uchaf balancing reservoirs, and a deep cutting to the west of Llanrhaeadr-ym-mochnant. In terms of the history of roads in the Tanat Valley, it is interesting to note that complaints were made about damage to local roads during the construction of the Lake Vyrnwy reservoir.
The The Vyrnwy Large Diameter Trunk Main (LDTM) is currently undergoing a major refubishment project by united untilitys
es. The lake has a circumference
of 11 miles (17.7 km) with a road that goes all the way around it. Its length is 4.75 miles (7.6 km). On a clear day the lake, along with many others in North Wales
, can be seen from space.
311 streams, waterfalls and rivers flow into the lake and are named after the mountains or hillsides they flow from. Some are no more than a trickle, while others cascade down the mountains. From the west side of the dam, clockwise, their names are:
On the Northern Edge of the lake is a small hamlet called Rhiwargor where the rivers Afon Eiddew and Afon Naedroedd meet. Up the valley of Afon Eiddew is an impressive waterfall, one of the largest surrounding the lake. Known locally as Pistyll Rhyd-y-meincau, it is commonly known as Rhiwargor Waterfall.
In 1889, shortly after completion, the lake was stocked with 400,000 Loch Leven
trout
.
The lake continues to supply Liverpool with fresh water. It is the water source used in the manufacture of Bombay Sapphire
gin.
. The RSPB has several bird hide
s around the lake, where a number of rare species of birds are known to be breeding, including the Peregrin Falcon, the Pied Flycatcher the Redstart
the Siskin
and the Wood Warbler
. Every spring they host a Dawn Chorus
tour.
Around 90 species of bird have been recorded as breeding on the reserve, and six species of bat, including the pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat. Butterfly
species include Purple Hairstreaks, commas and peacocks. Dragonflies include Golden Ringed, Common Hawker and Four spotted chaser.
Heather
Moorland
that grows on the mountains around the lake is now being resorted. This restoration of heather moorland is becoming increasingly common in Britain. The heather is usually burnt, cut, and the seeds collected to be sowed where the heather has gone. Management of the moorland helps improve the habitat for Red Grouse
and the Short-eared Owl
. Sheep, cattle and ponies also graze on the heather.
Broadleaf trees are being planted to replace coniferous trees, and man-made features such as hedgerows and dry-stone walls are also being restored, and wild flowers areas are being restored to help insects, birds, and other wildlife.
, rock climbing, cycling and horse riding. There is also a half-marathon located here every year, the Vyrnwy Half Marathon.
where it converges with the River Severn
near the village of Melverley
on the Welsh border. The river runs for 39.7 miles (63.9 km); the last 8 miles (12.9 km) forms a natural boundary between England and Wales. The River Severn then takes its course though England to the Bristol Channel
.
has a weather observation outpost at Lake Vyrnwy. Updated hourly, it observes the local temperature, wind direction and wind speed, air pressure and visibility.
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales, surrounding the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy. Its stone-built dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, built in the 1880s, was the first of its kind in the world. The Nature Reserve and the area around it are jointly managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
, and Severn Trent Water
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...
. It was built for the purpose of supplying Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
with fresh water. It flooded the head of the Vyrnwy
River Vyrnwy
The River Vyrnwy is a river which flows through northern Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England.The river used to be sourced from the many rivers and streams running off the mountains surrounding the Vyrnwy valley. However, since the Lake Vyrnwy dam was built in the 1880s, the river has flowed...
Valley and submerged the small village of Llanwddyn. Today it is a popular retreat, for people in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
and Merseyside for days out, and also for ornithologists, cyclists, and hikers. The Reserve is designated as a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
, and a Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
.
The Dam
George Deacon (civil engineer)
George Frederick Deacon was an English Civil Engineer. He was a pupil and lifelong friend of William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin. He was Lord Kelvin's assistant on the SS Great Eastern cable-laying expedition. He was both borough engineer and water engineer to Liverpool from 1871 to 1880, and water...
(1843–1909) began the design of the Vyrnwy Dam in 1879 at the age of 36. In 1890, following Vyrnwy, he founded an engineering practice in London which subsequently became Sir Alexander Binnie Son & Deacon, then Mr Binnie and Partners. Its present-day successor is now Black & Veatch.
Dr Deacon was instructed to prepare the Parliamentary Plans for the scheme in 1879. The dam construction started in 1881 and was completed seven years later in 1888. It was the first large stone-built dam in the United Kingdom, and is built partly out of great blocks of Welsh
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. When built it cost £620,000, which today is around £22,000,000. The dam is 44 metres (144.4 ft) high from the bottom of the valley, and 39 metres (128 ft) thick at the base; it is 357 metres (1,171.3 ft) long and has a road bridge running along the top. It is decorated with over 25 arches and two small towers (each with four corner turrets) rising 4 metres (13.1 ft) above the road surface.
Vyrnwy was the first dam to carry water over its crest instead of in a channel at the side. At the bottom of the dam is a body of water known as the Stilling Basin, this is necessary to absorb the energy when the water flows over the crest and into the valley, and stops the water from eroding the foundations of the dam.
Underneath the West Tower is a building known as the Power House, which contains an electrical generator driven by water leaving the reservoir. Before mains electricity
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...
arrived in the 1960s this was Llanwddyn's only source of power.
The West and East Towers release compensation water by huge valves, which are controlled by Severn Trent Water. This water is purely for the River Vyrnwy, which would otherwise dry out unless in flood. Depending on the Water Levels downstream the reservoir could release anything from 25 to 45 ml (0.00549923120747719 to 0.00989861617345895 impgal) of compensation water per day. Only a few hundred metres downstream is a weir, which the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
use to measure the daily amount of compensation water. This weir also holds back enough water to create the stilling basin.
Earlier dams in Britain had been built by making great earth embankments to hold back the water. This new type of stone dam would change the face of the Welsh landscape over the coming years. The next stone dams to be built in Wales on an even bigger scale than Vyrnwy were those built in the Elan Valley
Elan Valley
The Elan Valley is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside....
. 1
The Straining Tower and Aqueduct aka The Vyrnwy Large Diameter Trunk Main (LDTM)
Approximately 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) from the dam is the reservoir's straining tower. Standing only 30 metres (98.4 ft) from the shore its purpose is to filter or strain out material in the water with a fine metal mesh, before the water flows along the aqueductAqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
to Liverpool. Its architecture is Gothic and built during the same time as the dam. The tower as a whole is 63 metres (206.7 ft) tall, 15 metres (49.2 ft) of which is underwater. The other 48 metres (157.5 ft) is above water, and is topped with a pointed copper clad roof, which makes it look light green.
The sixty-eight miles of aqueduct bring water from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool, and are part of extensive works that also involve Britain's first high masonry dam at Vyrnwy.
The aqueduct originally consisted of two pipelines, made largely of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
. To help maintenance work on the 9 ft (2.7 m) diameter cast-iron tunnel which took the aqueduct under the Mersey
Mersey
Mersey may refer to:* River Mersey, in northwest England* Mersea Island, off the coast of Essex in England * Mersey River in the Australian state* Electoral division of Mersey in the state of Tasmania, Australian...
, riveted steel piping was also used. This was an early use of the material which was to become the norm for trunk water mains piping.
Brick and concrete lined tunnels carried pipes at Hirnant, Cynynion and Llanforda, and a fourth later added at Aber so that the Hirnant tunnel could be made accessible for maintenance. The first section of a third pipeline was laid in 1926-38 using bituminous-coated steel. To increase capacity, a fourth pipeline was added in 1946.
Re-organisation of the pipe crossings beneath the Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
were undertaken in 1978-81. The current provision relies on three pipes 42 inches (1.1 m) in diameter delivering up to 50 million impgals (227,304.5 m³) per day into reservoirs at Prescot
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
, east of Liverpool.
The aqueduct carrying water away from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool was constructed across the valley from the reservoir between 1881-92. It crosses the valley floor near Penybontfawr and then runs north of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant is a village in Powys, mid Wales. Population 1,470 , Welsh-speaking 65% .The village is best known as the former parish of William Morgan, then a vicar who first translated the Bible into Welsh and later rose to become a Bishop at Llandaff Cathedral and St...
and Efail-rhyd on the north-east of the Tanat Valley. The aqueduct is largely hidden from view although there are a number of visible surface features including air valves, the Cileos valve house, the Parc-uchaf balancing reservoirs, and a deep cutting to the west of Llanrhaeadr-ym-mochnant. In terms of the history of roads in the Tanat Valley, it is interesting to note that complaints were made about damage to local roads during the construction of the Lake Vyrnwy reservoir.
The The Vyrnwy Large Diameter Trunk Main (LDTM) is currently undergoing a major refubishment project by united untilitys
The lake/reservoir
The reservoir is Severn Trent Water's largest. When full, it can take as much as up to 59.666 gigalitres (13,124,685,169 imp gal), and it covers an area of 4.53 square kilometres (1,119.4 acre) of land, the equivalent of around 600 football pitchAssociation football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
es. The lake has a circumference
Circumference
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. Circumference is a special perimeter.-Circumference of a circle:The circumference of a circle is the length around it....
of 11 miles (17.7 km) with a road that goes all the way around it. Its length is 4.75 miles (7.6 km). On a clear day the lake, along with many others in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, can be seen from space.
311 streams, waterfalls and rivers flow into the lake and are named after the mountains or hillsides they flow from. Some are no more than a trickle, while others cascade down the mountains. From the west side of the dam, clockwise, their names are:
- Afon Hirddu
- Eunant
- Afon Eiddew
- Afon Naedroedd
- Afon Cedig
- Afon Y Dolau Gwynionew
On the Northern Edge of the lake is a small hamlet called Rhiwargor where the rivers Afon Eiddew and Afon Naedroedd meet. Up the valley of Afon Eiddew is an impressive waterfall, one of the largest surrounding the lake. Known locally as Pistyll Rhyd-y-meincau, it is commonly known as Rhiwargor Waterfall.
In 1889, shortly after completion, the lake was stocked with 400,000 Loch Leven
Loch Leven
Loch Leven is a fresh water loch in Perth and Kinross council area, central Scotland.Roughly triangular, the loch is about 6 km at its longest. The burgh of Kinross lies at its western end. Loch Leven Castle lies on an island a short way offshore...
trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
.
The lake continues to supply Liverpool with fresh water. It is the water source used in the manufacture of Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin distributed by Bacardi that was launched in 1987. Its name originates from the gin's popularity in India in of the days of the British Raj and the sapphire in question is the Star of Bombay on display at the Smithsonian Institution...
gin.
Nature Reserve & Conservation
Lake Vyrnwy is a Nature ReserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
. The RSPB has several bird hide
Bird hide
A bird hide is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commonly found in parks and wetlands for the use of bird watchers, ornithologists and other observers who do not...
s around the lake, where a number of rare species of birds are known to be breeding, including the Peregrin Falcon, the Pied Flycatcher the Redstart
Redstart
Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
the Siskin
Siskin
-Birds:The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words sisschen, zeischen, which are diminuative forms of Middle High German and Middle Low German words, which are themselves apparently of Slavic origin...
and the Wood Warbler
Wood Warbler
The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains...
. Every spring they host a Dawn Chorus
Dawn chorus (birds)
The dawn chorus occurs when songbirds sing at the start of a new day. In temperate countries, this is most noticeable in spring, when the birds are either defending a breeding territory or trying to attract a mate. In a given location, it is common for different species to do their dawn singing at...
tour.
Around 90 species of bird have been recorded as breeding on the reserve, and six species of bat, including the pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat. Butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
species include Purple Hairstreaks, commas and peacocks. Dragonflies include Golden Ringed, Common Hawker and Four spotted chaser.
Heather
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
Moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
that grows on the mountains around the lake is now being resorted. This restoration of heather moorland is becoming increasingly common in Britain. The heather is usually burnt, cut, and the seeds collected to be sowed where the heather has gone. Management of the moorland helps improve the habitat for Red Grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
and the Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
. Sheep, cattle and ponies also graze on the heather.
Broadleaf trees are being planted to replace coniferous trees, and man-made features such as hedgerows and dry-stone walls are also being restored, and wild flowers areas are being restored to help insects, birds, and other wildlife.
Sculpture Trail
Llanwddyn has had since 1995 a sculpture trail in the valley below the dam. This Sculpture Park, started by local artist Andy Hancock contains dozens of wooden carved sculptures. All from individual sculptors, who have come from as far a field as Australia, and Eastern Europe. There are many other sculptures placed at picnic sites around the lake itself. For instance, there are large wooden picnic benches in the shape of leaves and trees on the west side of the lake at Llechwedd Ddu. Near the Old Village on the beach is a sculpture of dolphins, which when the lake rises in a flood, gives the impression that they are jumping out of the water. Several totems can be seen carved into standing trees. many others have been carved from fallen trunks and been erected again.Recreation
Activities in the area include sailing, hiking on Glyndwr's WayGlyndwr's Way
Glyndŵr's Way is a long distance footpath in mid Wales. It runs for in an extended loop through Powys between Knighton and Welshpool.- History :...
, rock climbing, cycling and horse riding. There is also a half-marathon located here every year, the Vyrnwy Half Marathon.
The River Vyrnwy
The River Vyrnwy (or Afon Efyrnwy in Welsh) runs from the Welsh mountains; its sources are from many and varied streams and tributary rivers from around the lake. However, since it was flooded, the river starts at the foot of the dam and flows east towards England, eventually finding its way to ShropshireShropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
where it converges with the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
near the village of Melverley
Melverley
Melverley is a village in Shropshire, England, situated on the River Severn and the River Vyrnwy, near the Powys hills and the border with Wales...
on the Welsh border. The river runs for 39.7 miles (63.9 km); the last 8 miles (12.9 km) forms a natural boundary between England and Wales. The River Severn then takes its course though England to the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
The Climate
The Met OfficeMet Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
has a weather observation outpost at Lake Vyrnwy. Updated hourly, it observes the local temperature, wind direction and wind speed, air pressure and visibility.