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, image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg
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, image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at
Conwy
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Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
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County Borough of Conwy
, subdivision_type5 = City
, subdivision_name5 =
Conwy
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, discharge1_location= Cwm Llanerch
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Migneint moor where a number of small streams flow into
Llyn Conwy,
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, an ...
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Conwy estuary
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Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the C ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, mouth_coordinates =
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Machno,
Lledr,
Llugwy,
Crafnant
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The River Conwy (; cy, Afon Conwy) is a
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 ...
in
north Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
. From its source to its discharge in
Conwy Bay it is long and drains an area of 678 square km. "Conwy" was formerly
anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
as "Conway."
The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words ''cyn'' (chief) and ''gwy'' (water), the river being originally called the 'Cynwy'.
It rises on the
Migneint moor where a number of small
stream
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...
s flow into
Llyn Conwy, then flows in a generally northern direction, being joined by the
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 drain ...
of the rivers
Machno and
Afon Lledr
The ( en, River Lledr, italic=yes) is a river in north-west Wales and the second major tributary of the River Conwy. It is about 10 miles or 16 km long, and flows in a generally easterly direction.
The has its source on the eastern slo ...
before reaching
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-coed (; '' en, prayer house in the wood'') is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. ...
, where it is also joined by
Llugwy. From Betws-y-Coed the river continues to flow north through
Llanrwst,
Trefriw (where it is joined by the
Afon Crafnant) and
Dolgarrog (where it is joined by
Afon Porth-llwyd and
Afon Ddu) before reaching Conwy Bay at
Conwy. A local
quay, Cei Cae Gwyn, is located on its bank. During
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...
tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ...
s the river is tidal as far as Tan-lan, near Llanrwst.
Tributaries of the River Conwy
This is a list of named tributaries of the Conwy (and their tributaries) listed from source to sea;
*
River Machno
River Machno ( cy, Afon Machno) is a river in Snowdonia in north-west Wales. It is the first major tributary of the River Conwy, which it joins south of Betws-y-coed, past the Pandy Falls and the Machno Falls.
It has its source in the slopes ...
at Conwy Falls
*
Afon Lledr
The ( en, River Lledr, italic=yes) is a river in north-west Wales and the second major tributary of the River Conwy. It is about 10 miles or 16 km long, and flows in a generally easterly direction.
The has its source on the eastern slo ...
near Betws-y-coed
*
River Llugwy
River Llugwy (Welsh: ''Afon Llugwy'') is a tributary of the River Conwy, and has its source at Ffynnon Llugwy, a lake in the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia in north-west Wales.
Location and catchment area
The average annual ...
at Betws-y-coed
*
Afon Gallt y Gwg
*
Nant y Goron at Llanrwst
*
Afon Crafnant &
Fairy Falls at Trefriw
**
River Geirionydd
*
Afon Ddu (1) at Dolgarrog
*
Afon Porth-llwyd at Dolgarrog
*
Afon Dulyn at Tal-y-bont
**
Afon Ddu (2)
**
Afon Garreg-wen
**
Ffrwd Cerriguniawn
**
Afon Melynllyn
*
Afon Hiraethlyn near Tal-y-cafn
*
Afon Roe near Llanbedr-y-Cennin
**
Afon Tafolog
*
Afon Gyffin at Conwy
Geology and geomorphology
The Conwy is bounded to the east by the rolling ancient
mudstone
Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.' ...
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...
s of the
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 Paleoz ...
period, the Migneint Moors. These acid rocks are generally covered in thin, often acid soils and for large parts of the
upland areas the cover is of
moor grass — ''Mollinia spp'' and ''Erica'' communities. As a result, the water entering the river tends to be acidic and often coloured brown with
humic acids Humic substances (HS) are organic compounds that are important components of humus, the major organic fraction of soil, peat, and coal (and also a constituent of many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and ocean water). For a long era in the 19th a ...
.
To the west, the catchment is underlain by older
Cambrian
The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million years ago ...
rocks which are harder and the landscape is, as a consequence, more dramatic with high craggy hills and
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
s, through which the river falls in cascades and
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 ...
s. Examples of torrential river
geomorphology
Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or ...
can be seen at
Conwy Falls
Conwy Falls ( cy, Rhaeadr y Graig Lwyd) is a waterfall on the River Conwy at Capel Garmon, Bro Garmon in Conwy County Borough in Wales. The falls and surrounding area are a Site of Special Scientific Interest.Sayer, Zoe; Rebecca Terry (2006). A ...
and in the Lledr Gorge. The land to the east is highly forested with planted non-native
conifers
Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ext ...
.
On the western side of the valley are a number of lakes and
reservoirs
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
. The rocks are also rich in minerals and there are many abandoned mine sites where
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...
,
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...
and
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
have been mined since Roman times.
The river valley downstream of Betws-y-Coed is relatively wide and fertile, and supports
dairying and
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticate ...
rearing. In the winter, these pastures are used to nurture the sheep brought down from the mountains to avoid the worst of the winter weather.
SSSI
Aber Afon Conwy is a site of special interest. It has acquired such a status due to its marine and terrestrial biology. The
tidal reach
A reach is a segment of a stream, river, or arm of the sea, usually suggesting a straight, level, uninterrupted stretch.
They are traditionally defined by the capabilities of sailing boats, as a stretch of a watercourse which, because it is stra ...
of the site is around . Its upstream boundary is south of Tal y Cafn, and the whole site encompasses Conwy Bay. The shoreline is supported by natural rock, in addition to boulder clay cliff, sand dune, salt marsh and woodland.
Culture and history
The scattered communities along the Conwy valley have ancient traditions with
archeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...
evidence of habitation back to the
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with ...
. The
Romans occupied this area up to 400 AD and there has been continuous habitation since that time. The valley is home to two of the oldest churches in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, those at
Llanrhychwyn
Llanrhychwyn is a hamlet in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley, less than a mile south of Trefriw, and a mile north-west of Llanrwst. Today neighbouring Trefriw is a village with a population of around 600, but in the time o ...
and
Llangelynin, which respectively date back to the 11th and 12th centuries.
Much of the Conwy valley was laid waste in the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...
by the
Earl of Pembroke, under the orders of
Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
, the Yorkist king, following a Lancastrian attack on the town of
Denbigh
Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills.
History
...
in 1466.
At the mouth of the Conwy as it discharges into
Conwy Bay is the town of Conwy with its
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
—
Conwy Castle and two famous bridges. One of the earliest
suspension bridges by
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...
now carries a footpath whilst
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS HFRSE FRSA DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of his father ...
's
tubular iron bridge still carries the main
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and i ...
to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
railway line. A third bridge now takes road traffic, and more recently still the
A55 now runs in a tunnel under 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 environm ...
.
Water quality
Neither the River Conwy or its tributaries are monitored for quality by
Natural Resources Wales
Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Coun ...
. The river is routinely polluted by Dŵr Cymru sewage treatment plants and agricultural runoff. Algae blooms are common during the summer months. The river quality tends to be acidic in the headwaters with very low concentrations of the common anions and cations.
Natural Resources Wales monitors water levels in the valley, with a view to giving flood warnings. There are measuring stations at Betws-y-coed (Cwmlanerch), Llanrwst and Trefriw.
The Conwy is noted for its
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...
and
sea trout
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 ...
, although increasing acidification in the second half of the 20th century, especially in the poorly buffered upland waters has significantly impacted upon their spawning success. The construction of an artificial fish pass in the 1990s to allow migratory salmonids access to the river above Conwy falls was intended to help mitigate the effects of acidification.
The Conwy Crossing, an
immersed tube tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
, was built under the estuary during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
It was opened by the
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
in October 1991. This resulted in the loss of some saltmarsh but also led to the creation of
Conwy RSPB Reserve.
Since 2002 the valley has been overlooked by the turbines of the
Moel Maelogan wind farm
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...
.
Situation
The panorama shows the mouth of the Conwy Estuary from
Deganwy Castle
Deganwy Castle ( lat-med, Arx Deganhui;'' s:la:Annales Cambriae'' (B Text), 13th century wlm, Caer Ddegannwy; Modern cy, Castell Degannwy) was an early stronghold of Gwynedd and lies in Deganwy at the mouth of the River Conwy in Conwy, north ...
, the original defensive position of the area. However, problems with resupply in the event of siege and its destruction by
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd,
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
in 1263 to prevent it falling into King Edward's hands, led to a new castle being built across the water in Conwy town.
See also
*
Conwy Valley Line (railway line)
*
Rivers of Great Britain
*
List of rivers of Europe
References
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of the River Conwy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conwy
Rivers of Conwy County Borough
Rivers of Snowdonia