River Clwyd
Encyclopedia
The River Clwyd is a river
in North Wales
which rises in the Clocaenog Forest
5 mi (8 km) northwest of Corwen
.
It flows due south until at Melin-y-Wig it veers northeastwards, tracking the A494
to Ruthin
. Here it leaves the relatively narrow valley
and enters a broad agricultural vale
, the Vale of Clwyd
(Welsh: Dyffryn Clwyd). Just south of Denbigh
it is joined by the River Clywedog
. This substantial tributary
also has its source in the Clocaenog Forest but drains out to the east and north of the forest and passes through Cyffylliog, Bontuchel
and Rhewl
before its confluence
with the main river.
Then the Clwyd meander
s northwards through the fertile Clwyd valley to St Asaph
. Two miles north of St Asaph, the river is joined by a tributary as large as the main river, the River Elwy
. In normal flows at low tide, the waters of these two rivers can be seen flowing side by side down the river with little mixing.
The River Elwy has its source a long way to the west on the flanks of Moel Seisiog
south-east of Llanrwst
. It also has a tributary the River Aled with its source in the upland lake Llyn Aled. The Elwy flows principally eastwards to join the Clwyd passing through few villages. At the confluence of the Elwy and the Clwyd, the river becomes tidal and enters a narrow estuary with lots of wildlife before meeting the Irish Sea
at Rhyl
.
In 1277 King Edward I sited a castle
next to the Clwyd at Rhuddlan
. In order for his supply barges to reach the castle, he employed 968 men to work on what was called 'The Great Ditch'. He straightened the 3 mi (4.8 km) stretch of river that ran from the castle to the sea. This was an enormous feat of engineering, compared even to today's modern standards, and it is still possible to make out the original loops and turns of the Clwyd using satellite
imagery.
The former county of Clwyd
, consisting of the principal areas of modern-day Conwy, Denbighshire
, Flintshire
and Wrexham, was named after the river, when it was created as a 2-tier county in 1974.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
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...
which rises in the Clocaenog Forest
Clocaenog Forest
Clocaenog Forest is in West Denbighshire/Conwy, Wales on Mynydd Hiraethog.It is 40 square miles in extent, mostly coniferous softwoods under the control of the Forestry Commission. It was planted in 1905 on what was mostly moorland and many hill farms. It is a highland region, mostly above 350...
5 mi (8 km) northwest of Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
.
It flows due south until at Melin-y-Wig it veers northeastwards, tracking the A494
A494 road
The A494 is an important trunk road in Wales. The road runs between "Drome Corner" at the intersection of the A548 and A550 by RAF Sealand, Queensferry and the A470 at Dolgellau, Gwynedd.-Beginnings:...
to Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
. Here it leaves the relatively narrow valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
and enters a broad agricultural vale
River Valley
River Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
, the Vale of Clwyd
Vale of Clwyd
The Vale of Clwyd is a tract of low-lying ground in the county of Denbighshire in northeast Wales. The Vale extends south-southwestwards from the coast of the Irish Sea for some 20 miles forming a triangle of low ground bounded on its eastern side by the well-defined scarp of the Clwydian Range...
(Welsh: Dyffryn Clwyd). Just south of Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
it is joined by the River Clywedog
River Clywedog, Denbigh
The River Clywedog is a tributary of the River Clwyd in northeast Wales. The river rises within Clocaenog Forest and flows in a generally easterly direction through the villages of Cyffylliog, Bontuchel and Rhewl before turning northwards to join the Clwyd to the east of Denbigh....
. This substantial 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...
also has its source in the Clocaenog Forest but drains out to the east and north of the forest and passes through Cyffylliog, Bontuchel
Bontuchel
Bontuchel is a hamlet in Denbighshire, Wales....
and Rhewl
Rhewl
Rhewl is a village on the A525 between Ruthin and Denbigh in the county of Denbighshire in North Wales.The village is notable for its football club, Rhewl F.C.. Rhewl primary school was one of many schools due to be shut down but protests by the local newspapers and parents of the pupils saved the...
before its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the main river.
Then the Clwyd meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
s northwards through the fertile Clwyd valley to St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
. Two miles north of St Asaph, the river is joined by a tributary as large as the main river, the River Elwy
River Elwy
The River Elwy is a river in North Wales and is a tributary of the River Clwyd. The source of the river is sometimes said to be on the northern flank of Moel Seisiog, south-east of Llanrwst, at Ordnance Survey grid reference SH853593...
. In normal flows at low tide, the waters of these two rivers can be seen flowing side by side down the river with little mixing.
The River Elwy has its source a long way to the west on the flanks of Moel Seisiog
Moel Seisiog
Moel Seisiog is a 468m summit on Mynydd Hiraethog, Conwy, North Wales. It is the source of the River Elwy....
south-east of Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
. It also has a tributary the River Aled with its source in the upland lake Llyn Aled. The Elwy flows principally eastwards to join the Clwyd passing through few villages. At the confluence of the Elwy and the Clwyd, the river becomes tidal and enters a narrow estuary with lots of wildlife before meeting 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...
at Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
.
In 1277 King Edward I sited a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
next to the Clwyd at Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
. In order for his supply barges to reach the castle, he employed 968 men to work on what was called 'The Great Ditch'. He straightened the 3 mi (4.8 km) stretch of river that ran from the castle to the sea. This was an enormous feat of engineering, compared even to today's modern standards, and it is still possible to make out the original loops and turns of the Clwyd using satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
imagery.
The former county of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
, consisting of the principal areas of modern-day Conwy, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, 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...
and Wrexham, was named after the river, when it was created as a 2-tier county in 1974.
See also
- Rivers of the United Kingdom