River Dyfi
Encyclopedia
The River Dyfi (also known in English
as the River Dovey) is a river
in Mid Wales
. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd
and Ceredigion
.
Creiglyn Dyfi at about 1900 feet (579.1 m) above sea level
, below Aran Fawddwy
, flowing south to Dinas Mawddwy
and Cemmaes Road
, then south west past Machynlleth
to Cardigan Bay
at Aberdyfi
. It shares its watershed with the River Severn
and the River Dee
before flowing generally south-westwards down to a wide estuary. The only large town on its route is Machynlleth.
Because of its origins high in the Cambrian Mountains
and its relatively short length, it is prone to flooding and some roads in the lower catchment can become impassable during very wet weather. It is a relatively pristine river with few polluting inputs and is notable for its Salmon
and Brown Trout
.
The catchment area was notable for its now defunct lead mines and slate
quarries, especially around Corris
and Dinas Mawddwy
.
's 1976 film The Song Remains the Same
. The segment of the film is where Robert Plant
comes ashore on a boat, after which he rides a horse, making his way to Raglan Castle
. Plant was obviously behind the choice of the location, being familiar with the area. Bron-Yr-Aur
cottage is located on the edge of Machynlleth
.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as the River Dovey) is a river
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 Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
and Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
.
Source
It rises in the small lakeLake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
Creiglyn Dyfi at about 1900 feet (579.1 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, below Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom.The nearest urban centres to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west. On the eastern slopes of Aran Fawddwy is...
, flowing south to Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, north Wales, just to the side of the A470 so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn which climbs up through the mountains to cross Bwlch y Groes at its...
and Cemmaes Road
Cemmaes Road
Cemmaes Road is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, in English, the village was named after the now-closed Cemmaes Road railway station. The Welsh name for the village, and for the community, is Glantwymyn , as it lies on the River Twymyn. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of...
, then south west past Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
to Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
at Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi , or Aberdovey is a village on the north side of the estuary of the River Dyfi in Gwynedd, on the west coast of Wales....
. It shares its watershed 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...
and 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....
before flowing generally south-westwards down to a wide estuary. The only large town on its route is Machynlleth.
Because of its origins high in the Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian Mountains
The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from, and including, the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons, north Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, the Black Mountains of eastern Wales, to Snowdonia in North Wales...
and its relatively short length, it is prone to flooding and some roads in the lower catchment can become impassable during very wet weather. It is a relatively pristine river with few polluting inputs and is notable for its Salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and Brown Trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
.
The catchment area was notable for its now defunct lead mines and 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...
quarries, especially around Corris
Corris
Corris is a village in the south of Snowdonia in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. Although the Snowdonia National Park covers much of the area around Corris, the village is not within the park. The name is possibly derived from the English word "quarries", and the extensive slate quarries that surround...
and Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, north Wales, just to the side of the A470 so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn which climbs up through the mountains to cross Bwlch y Groes at its...
.
Tributaries
The Dyfi is joined by the :- Angell at AberangellAberangellAberangell is a village in Gwynedd, Wales named after the Welsh Folk-tale king Aberyn Angell .It stands at the confluence of the River Angell and the River Dyfi and was the terminus of the narrow gauge Hendre-Ddu Tramway and also had a station on the Mawddwy Railway. Aberangell has a very small...
- TwymynAfon TwymynThe River Twymyn is a river in Powys, Mid Wales.From its source at the 40-metre high Ffrwd Fawr waterfall and head of the Pennant Valley near Dylife the river flows through Llanbrynmair before joining the River Dyfi upstream of Cemmaes Road.- See also :* Dylife Gorge...
above Cemmaes RoadCemmaes RoadCemmaes Road is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, in English, the village was named after the now-closed Cemmaes Road railway station. The Welsh name for the village, and for the community, is Glantwymyn , as it lies on the River Twymyn. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of...
(Glantwymyn) - South DulasAfon DulasThe Afon Dulas is a river forming the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Powys in Wales.Prior to local government reorganisation it formed the boundary between Sir Meirionnydd/Merionethshire and Sir Drefaldwyn/Montgomeryshire.-Route:It rises from a source in the hills above Aberllefenni...
above MachynllethMachynllethMachynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official... - North DulasAfon DulasThe Afon Dulas is a river forming the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Powys in Wales.Prior to local government reorganisation it formed the boundary between Sir Meirionnydd/Merionethshire and Sir Drefaldwyn/Montgomeryshire.-Route:It rises from a source in the hills above Aberllefenni...
at Ffridd GateFfridd GateFfridd Gate was a station on the Corris Railway in Wales, serving the hamlet of the same name close to where the Afon Dulas meets the Afon Dyfi and the village of Llanwrin. Close by was the railway's bridge over the Dyfi, originally a wooden trestle construction and later a three-span steel bridge... - Llyfnant at GlandyfiGlandyfiGlandyfi is a small hamlet in the county of Ceredigion in Wales on the A487 trunk road from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth....
.
Film Location
The Dyfi's estuary was used as a location shot in Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's 1976 film The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
. The segment of the film is where Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
comes ashore on a boat, after which he rides a horse, making his way to Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
. Plant was obviously behind the choice of the location, being familiar with the area. Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur , sometimes misspelled as Bron-Y-Aur, is an 18th century cottage in South Snowdonia, Wales, best known for its association with the English rock band Led Zeppelin....
cottage is located on the edge of Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
.