The Afon Cadnant ( en, River Cadnant) is a small

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

on Anglesey,

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

, which drains to the

Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...

about 1 km north-east of the

Menai Suspension Bridge The Menai Suspension Bridge ( cy, Pont y Borth, Pont Grog y Borth) is a suspension bridge spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world's f ...

. The river drains a largely agricultural area from

Llandegfan Llandegfan (; ; meaning ''The Church of St Tegfan'') is a village on the east of island of Anglesey in Wales. It is part of the community of Cwm Cadnant.Davies (2008) p.180 Population is around 1,580. History and description The original villag ...

Llansadwrn Llansadwrn (; ; ) is a small village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located in the countryside above the valley of the River Tywi, about halfway between Llandovery (Welsh: Llanymddyfri) to the north-east, and Llandeilo to the ...

and beyond, with feeder

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

extending up towards Pentraeth

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

. Within the catchment are some artificial fishing ponds and a number of beef and dairy farms. More notable are the remains and ruins of a number of water mills, especially in the lower section before the river enters the

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...

. Up until the end of the 18th century it appears that great efforts were made to extract all the energy from the river to grind corn. This reflects the history of Anglesey as the bread-basket of Wales.

Cadnant Dingle

The lower section known as Cadnant Dingle is a steep sided densely wooded valley with very restricted access. It is a designated

SSSI A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

as a representative example of the

Brachypodium sylvaticum ''Brachypodium sylvaticum'', commonly known as false-brome, slender false brome or wood false brome, is a perennial grass native to Europe, Asia and Africa. It has a broad native range stretching from North Africa to Eurasia. The bunchgrass is ...

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

(slender falsebrome oak/ash) group of broadleaved woodlands. Within the dingle and on the adjacent land is Plas Cadnant, an historical estate now noted for its extensive gardens. At the mouth of the river there is a small group of houses called Cwm Cadnant below which is a modern bridge carrying the main road to

Beaumaris Beaumaris ( ; cy, Biwmares ) is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town of Anglesey. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey from th ...

. Before the construction of the Menai Suspension Bridge, this was an important landing stage for boats carrying milled corn to the mainland. It was also the staging place for the

Bishop of Bangor The Bishop of Bangor is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor. The see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol. The ''Report of the Commissioners appointed ...

as he moved between his palace at Glyn Garth on Anglesey and his cathedral at Bangor. Further upstream from the old bridge there is an old smithy, a few workers cottages and a slate mill dating from 1820.

References

Menai Strait Rivers of Anglesey Cadnant {{UK-SSSI-stub