The Ewenny River ( cy, Afon Ewenni) is a river in
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
. For most of its length, it forms the border between the
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...
and
Bridgend
Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge ...
. It is a major tributary of the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore ( cy, Afon Ogwr) is a river in South Wales that is popular with anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m) in the ...
, which it joins near its
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
.
Course
The river rises to the north east of
Bridgend
Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge ...
town, in
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, where two minor rivers known as Ewenny Fach and Ewenny Fawr join. Ewenny Fach is considered a tributary of the Ewenny Fawr, which in turn is formed when three streams, Nant Canna, Nant Ciwc and Nant Crymlyn join. This branch of the river flows southeast, past the village of
Pencoed
Pencoed ( cy, Pen-coed) is a urbanised community and town in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales. It straddles the M4 motorway north east of Bridgend and is situated on the Ewenny River. At the 2011 census it had a population of around 9,166.
...
and under the
M4 Motorway
The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
until it is joined by the Ewenny Fach south of Junction 35 of the road . From here, the river turns southward and flows through the Ewenni Moor, past the village of
Waterton. Waterton is the site of a large industrial estate, and a few miles of meandering river were straightened and diverted to prevent flooding. The river flows through the villages of
Ewenny
Ewenny ( cy, Ewenni) is a village and community (parish) on the River Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
Over the years the village has grown into the neighbouring village of Corntown to such an extent that there is no longer a clear boundar ...
and
Ogmore, before entering the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore ( cy, Afon Ogwr) is a river in South Wales that is popular with anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m) in the ...
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
just below where
Ogmore Castle
Ogmore Castle ( cy, Castell Ogwr) is a Grade I listed castle ruin located near the village of Ogmore-by-Sea, south of the town of Bridgend in Glamorgan, South Wales. It is situated on the south bank of the River Ewenny and the east bank of the Riv ...
is on the river. One of its main tributaries is the
Afon Alun
The Afon Alun is a river in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It is a tributary of the Ewenny River, which it joins to the south of Bridgend.
Course
Two streams join near Llandow village to form the river: the Stembridge Brook and the Llando ...
, which flows west for a few miles, and converges with the Ewenny north of Ogmore.
Fishing
The river has very good
grayling, and also
sewin
Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous (sea-run) forms of brown trout (''Salmo trutta''), and is often referred to as ''Salmo trutta'' morpha ''trutta''. Other names for anadromous brown trout are sewin (Wales), peel or peal ...
.
Mouth
The river joins the Ogmore near Ogmore Castle, which is south of the river. At the confluence, a series of stepping stones cross the river. However, these only cross the Ewenny river, and not the Ogmore.
References
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of the River Ewenny and surrounding area
{{authority control
Rivers of Bridgend County Borough
Rivers of the Vale of Glamorgan