Pistyll Rhaeadr (, meaning "spring of the waterfall") is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

from the village of

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant () is a village, community and an ecclesiastical parish in the extreme north of Powys, Wales; about 9 miles west of Oswestry and 12 miles south of Llangollen, on the B4580. It lies near the foothills of the Berwyn mountains ...

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, and west of

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

Description

Pistyll Rhaeadr is formed by the Afon Disgynfa falling, in three stages, over a

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...

cliff-face, below which the river is known as the Afon Rhaeadr. The tallest stage is estimated at about 40 metres. It is counted as one of the

Seven Wonders of Wales The Seven Wonders of Wales ( cy, Saith Rhyfeddod Cymru) is a traditional list of notable landmarks in north Wales, commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme: The rhyme is usually supposed to have been written sometime in the late 18th or ear ...

and is a

Site of Special Scientific Interest 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 ...

. The 19th-century author

George Borrow George Henry Borrow (5 July 1803 – 26 July 1881) was an English writer of novels and of travel based on personal experiences in Europe. His travels gave him a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, who figure strongly in his work. Hi ...

, in his book ''

Wild Wales ''Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery'' is a travel book by the English Victorian gentleman writer George Borrow (1803–1881), first published in 1862. The book recounts Borrow's personal experiences and insights while touring Wales ...

'', remarked of the waterfall: "What shall I liken it to? I scarcely know, unless it is to an immense skein of silk agitated and disturbed by tempestuous blasts, or to the long tail of a grey courser at furious speed. I never saw water falling so gracefully, so much like thin, beautiful threads as here." There is car parking space near the foot of the waterfall for people who want to explore the waterfall, with a café and a B&B alongside. The waterfall is often referred to by the media, government sources, and other sources as the tallest in Wales or the tallest single drop in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. However, it is not a single drop, and both its single drop height and its total height are surpassed by both the Devil's Appendix and

Pistyll y Llyn Pistyll y Llyn is one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales and the United Kingdom. It is a horsetail style set of falls which are located in the Cambrian Mountains about from Glaspwll in Powys, Wales. It is formed where the River Llyfnant falls ...

, as well as several other waterfalls.

References

External links

www.pistyllrhaeadr.co.uk

BBC NE Wales Seven Wonders of Wales

Photos of Pistyll Rhaeadr on geograph
{{Seven Wonders of Wales Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Clwyd Landmarks in Wales Tourist attractions in Powys Waterfalls of Powys Natural arches of Wales WRhaeadr

Description

See also

References

External links