River Alyn
Encyclopedia
| name = Alyn
| native_name = Afon Alun
| other_name = River Alun
| other_name1 =
| image = River_Alyn_near_Hope_-_geograph.org.uk_-_833359.jpg
| image_size = 240px
| image_caption =The River Alyn near the town of Hope
.
| country = United Kingdom
| country_flag = 1
| country1 =
| state = Wales
| state_flag = 1 | state_type = Part
| region = Denbighshire
| region1 = Wrexham
| district =
| district1 =
| city = Mold
| city1 =
| length =
| watershed =
| discharge_location = Pont-y-Capel
| discharge_average = 2.41
| discharge_max = 58.93
| discharge_max_note = 0030hrs on 7 November 2000
| discharge_min =
| discharge1_location = Rhydymwyn
| discharge1_average = 0.62
| source_name =
| source_location =Llandegla
Moors
| source_district =Flintshire
| source_region =
| source_state =
| source_country =
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| source_length =
| mouth_name =
| mouth_location = confluence with River Dee
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| tributary_left1 =
| tributary_right = Terrig
| tributary_right1 = Cegidog
| free_name =
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| map_size = 250px
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The River Alyn is a tributary
of the River Dee
. The River Alyn rises at the southern end of the Clwydian hills
and the Alyn Valley forms part of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The main town on the river Alyn is Mold
, the county town of Flintshire
.
The River Alyn crosses the carboniferous
limestone
from Halkyn Mountain and North through the Loggerheads
area before heading southeast making through Mold
before making its confluence with the River Dee
at to the northeast of Wrexham
.
Between Loggerheads and Rhydymwyn
it runs through the Alyn Gorge
, which is the site of the caves Ogof Hesp Alyn
, Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau and Ogof Nadolig
. The river mainly runs across a limestone surface, creating potholes and underwater caves, into which the river flows through some of the summer, when river levels have decreased significantly. For parts of this stretch the river bed is dry for most of the year.
Flows in the River Alyn are significantly affected by mining, particularly the Milwr mine drainage tunnel
which diverts a sizeable amount of the River Alyn out of its catchment and into the estuary of the River Dee
at Bagillt
.
| native_name = Afon Alun
| other_name = River Alun
| other_name1 =
| image = River_Alyn_near_Hope_-_geograph.org.uk_-_833359.jpg
| image_size = 240px
| image_caption =The River Alyn near the town of Hope
Hope, Flintshire
Hope is a small village in Flintshire, north-east Wales. The village is located approximately 3 miles / 4.5 km from the Wales-England border, on the course of the River Alyn....
.
| country = United Kingdom
| country_flag = 1
| country1 =
| state = Wales
| state_flag = 1 | state_type = Part
| region = Denbighshire
| region1 = Wrexham
| district =
| district1 =
| city = Mold
| city1 =
| length =
| watershed =
| discharge_location = Pont-y-Capel
| discharge_average = 2.41
| discharge_max = 58.93
| discharge_max_note = 0030hrs on 7 November 2000
| discharge_min =
| discharge1_location = Rhydymwyn
| discharge1_average = 0.62
| source_name =
| source_location =Llandegla
Llandegla
Llandegla or Llandegla-yn-Iâl is a village and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. In the 2001 census, the community had a population of 494.- Name :...
Moors
| source_district =Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
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| mouth_name =
| mouth_location = confluence with River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
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| tributary_left =
| tributary_left1 =
| tributary_right = Terrig
River Terrig
The River Terrig is a small river in north-east Wales.The river rises at Llyn Cyfynwy near Graianrhyd village in the community of Llanarmon-yn-Ial, Denbighshire, about three miles from the source of the River Alyn. It then flows northwards and eastwards, forming the boundary between the old...
| tributary_right1 = Cegidog
River Cegidog
The River Cegidog is a river in north-east Wales. It flows mainly through Flintshire but towards the end of its course it forms the border between Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough....
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| map_size = 250px
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The River Alyn is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
. The River Alyn rises at the southern end of the Clwydian hills
Clwydian Range
The Clwydian Range is a series of hills and mountains in north east Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, with the highest point being the popular Moel Famau...
and the Alyn Valley forms part of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. The main town on the river Alyn is Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
, the county town of Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
.
The River Alyn crosses the carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
from Halkyn Mountain and North through the Loggerheads
Loggerheads, Wales
Loggerheads is a village in Denbighshire, Wales on the River Alyn , a tributary of the River Dee.It has a country park which follows the course of the River Alyn through karstic limestone countryside including the sites of old lead mines and mills...
area before heading southeast making through Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
before making its confluence with the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
at to the northeast of Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
.
Between Loggerheads and Rhydymwyn
Rhydymwyn
Rhydymwyn is a village in Flintshire, North Wales, located in the upper Alyn valley...
it runs through the Alyn Gorge
Alyn Gorge
The Alyn Gorge is a spectacular forested gorge section of the River Alyn north between Loggerheads and Rhydymwyn in Wales. The west side of the valley rises gently to Moel Famau, while the east bank is along parts a cliff with evidence of tram lines and old quarry workings.The path along the edge...
, which is the site of the caves Ogof Hesp Alyn
Ogof Hesp Alyn
Ogof Hesp Alyn was discovered by in 1973 in the Alyn Gorge near Cilcain, Flintshire, Wales. Reaching the end of the cave is a serious commitment requiring one pitch series and the draining of two sumps....
, Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau and Ogof Nadolig
Ogof Nadolig
Ogof Nadolig is a cave in the Alyn Gorge near Cilcain, Flintshire, North Wales. It is mostly crawling, long, and ends with a shaft up to the surface and a locked manhole cover....
. The river mainly runs across a limestone surface, creating potholes and underwater caves, into which the river flows through some of the summer, when river levels have decreased significantly. For parts of this stretch the river bed is dry for most of the year.
Flows in the River Alyn are significantly affected by mining, particularly the Milwr mine drainage tunnel
Milwr tunnel
The Milwr Tunnel is a mine drainage adit running some 10 miles from the hamlet of Cadole near Loggerheads, Denbighshire to Bagillt on the Dee Estuary in North Wales...
which diverts a sizeable amount of the River Alyn out of its catchment and into the estuary of the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
at Bagillt
Bagillt
Bagillt is a small town near Holywell in Flintshire, North Wales. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 3,918.-History:http://stmarysbagillt.co.uk/...
.