River Crafnant
Encyclopedia
The River Crafnant is a tributary
of the River Conwy
(Afon Conwy in Welsh
), which is the main river of the Conwy valley in North Wales
.
It flows from picturesque Llyn Crafnant
, joining the river Conwy at Trefriw
. It is about 2.5 miles (4 km) in length.
The river Crafnant itself has a tributary, the river Geirionydd
which flows from Llyn Geirionydd
. These two join a little below the former Klondyke Mill, which used water from both rivers. Klondyke was a mining and milling complex connected with some of the metal mines of the Gwydir Forest
.
The river Crafnant is also fed by a number of unnamed streams draining from Cefn Cyfarwydd
, the ridge to the north-west.
At Trefriw some water from the river is extracted to pass through the woollen mill to generate hydro-electricity for the mill, after which the river flows over the Fairy Falls
, a popular attraction.
Coed Crafnant, an area of woodland in the valley, is managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust
.
Cwm Glas Crafnant is a National Nature Reserve
administered by the Countryside Council for Wales
which lies at the head of the narrow River Crafnant valley, beneath the rocky masses of Crimpiau and Craig Wen about 5 kilometres from Betws-y-Coed
in Conwy. Partly surrounded by a ridge of volcanic rock, the reserve supports a range of habitats including woodland
, marshland and cliffs. This quiet upland area is believed to be home to such species of threatened mammal as the red squirrel
and pine marten
.
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 Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
(Afon Conwy in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
), which is the main river of the Conwy valley 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...
.
It flows from picturesque Llyn Crafnant
Llyn Crafnant
Llyn Crafnant is a lake that lies in a beautiful valley in North Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydir Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains and, more specifically, the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd. The head of the valley offers a profile of crags which are silhouetted at...
, joining the river Conwy at Trefriw
Trefriw
Trefriw is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the river Conwy in North Wales, a few miles south of the site of the Roman fort of Canovium, sited at Caerhun. The parish population in 2001 was 924....
. It is about 2.5 miles (4 km) in length.
The river Crafnant itself has a tributary, the river Geirionydd
River Geirionydd
The River Geirionydd is a river in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is a tributary of the River Crafnant , which flows over the Fairy Falls waterfall in Trefriw, and thence on into the River Conwy , which is the main river of the Conwy valley.It flows from Llyn Geirionydd down a steep gorge before...
which flows from Llyn Geirionydd
Llyn Geirionydd
Llyn Geirionydd lies in a valley in North Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydyr Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains. The lake is almost a mile long and covers an area of , but is never any deeper than according to Jehu’s survey ...
. These two join a little below the former Klondyke Mill, which used water from both rivers. Klondyke was a mining and milling complex connected with some of the metal mines of the Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area....
.
The river Crafnant is also fed by a number of unnamed streams draining from Cefn Cyfarwydd
Cefn Cyfarwydd
Cefn Cyfarwydd is a ridge in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is located above the village of Trefriw on the western side of the Conwy valley, and dramatically separates the rugged mountains of the Carneddau from the greener, lusher Conwy valley....
, the ridge to the north-west.
At Trefriw some water from the river is extracted to pass through the woollen mill to generate hydro-electricity for the mill, after which the river flows over the Fairy Falls
Fairy Falls, Trefriw
The Fairy Falls is a waterfall in the village of Trefriw, north Wales.The falls are on the river Crafnant which has its source at Llyn Crafnant, being joined upstream by a tributary, the river Geirionydd...
, a popular attraction.
Coed Crafnant, an area of woodland in the valley, is managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust
North Wales Wildlife Trust
The North Wales Wildlife Trust is the Wildlife Trust for North Wales. Established in 1963 it has over 5,000 members...
.
Cwm Glas Crafnant is a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserves in Wales
National Nature Reserves in Wales are administered by the Countryside Council for Wales. There are 67 reserves.-North Wales:*Allt y Benglogro*Ceunant Cynfal*Ceunant Llennurch*Coed Camlyn*Coed Cymerau...
administered by the Countryside Council for Wales
Countryside Council for Wales
The Countryside Council for Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body. It is the Welsh Assembly Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales...
which lies at the head of the narrow River Crafnant valley, beneath the rocky masses of Crimpiau and Craig Wen about 5 kilometres from Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
in Conwy. Partly surrounded by a ridge of volcanic rock, the reserve supports a range of habitats including woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, marshland and cliffs. This quiet upland area is believed to be home to such species of threatened mammal as the red squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
and pine marten
Pine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
.