River Elwy
Encyclopedia
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. However the river is only actually called the Elwy at the village of Llangernyw
, where three rivers, Afon Cledwen, Afon Collen and Afon Gallen, meet to form the Elwy. It flows eastwards through Llanfair Talhaiarn
and a few miles downstream from this village it is joined by a tributary, the River Aled (Afon Aled) which has its source in Llyn Aled.
After passing through Bont-newydd, the river turns northwards again and flows through St. Asaph (Llanelwy or "the church enclosure on the Elwy" in Welsh). It joins the River Clwyd about half way between St. Asaph and Rhuddlan
, and the waters of the two rivers can often be seen flowing side by side for several miles.
A number of cave
s along the lower valley of the Elwy are of great archaeological interest and are considered one of the most important groups of Palaeolithic and later caves and rock shelters in Britain. In particular Pontnewydd Cave contained remains of Neanderthal
man and is the most north-westerly site at which Neanderthal remains have been found. The Elwy is also well-known for its sea trout fishing, and also has a small run of Atlantic Salmon
.
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...
and 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 Clwyd
River Clwyd
The River Clwyd is a river in North Wales which rises in the Clocaenog Forest 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...
. The source of the river is sometimes said to be on the northern flank 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....
, at Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
grid reference SH853593. However the river is only actually called the Elwy at the village of Llangernyw
Llangernyw
Llangernyw is a rural, mostly Welsh-speaking, village in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. The population was 960 in 2001, 67% Welsh-speaking...
, where three rivers, Afon Cledwen, Afon Collen and Afon Gallen, meet to form the Elwy. It flows eastwards through Llanfair Talhaiarn
Llanfair Talhaiarn
Llanfair Talhaiarn is a village approximately 5 miles south of Abergele in Conwy county borough, Wales, formerly in Denbighshire....
and a few miles downstream from this village it is joined by a tributary, the River Aled (Afon Aled) which has its source in Llyn Aled.
After passing through Bont-newydd, the river turns northwards again and flows through St. Asaph (Llanelwy or "the church enclosure on the Elwy" in Welsh). It joins the River Clwyd about half way between St. Asaph and 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...
, and the waters of the two rivers can often be seen flowing side by side for several miles.
A number of cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s along the lower valley of the Elwy are of great archaeological interest and are considered one of the most important groups of Palaeolithic and later caves and rock shelters in Britain. In particular Pontnewydd Cave contained remains of Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
man and is the most north-westerly site at which Neanderthal remains have been found. The Elwy is also well-known for its sea trout fishing, and also has a small run of Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
.