The River Llyfnant ( cy, Afon Llyfnant) is a short river in

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

, on the west coast of

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 ...

. The river rises in the mountains south of Machynlleth, reaches the hill walk of Uwch Garreg and then plunges over a series of waterfalls known as Pistyll y Llyn, into a ravine, descending towards the

River Dovey The River Dyfi ( cy, Afon Dyfi; ), also known as the River Dovey (; ), is an approximately long river in Wales. Its large estuary forms the boundary between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion, and its lower reaches have historically been c ...

( cy, Afon Dyfi) near Dovey Junction railway station. The Llyfnant rises at Llyn Penrhaiadr in the Uwch Garreg mountains south of

Machynlleth Machynlleth () is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a pop ...

. It flows northwards through mountainous scenery for about three miles, before suddenly coming to the edge of the escarpment and plunging into a ravine in a series of waterfalls and cascades known as Pistyll y Llyn, descending abruptly from . At a more leisurely pace, it now begins to curve gradually towards the west and passes the hamlet of Gellifudr at the end of the first unclassified road it has encountered. Continuing in a generally western direction with the road on its right bank, it passes through woodland and is bridged for the first time at the hamlet of Glaspwll by a minor road that goes north to Machynlleth. The road is now on its left bank as it continues westwards through a steep-sided valley with woodland on either side. Reaching more level ground, it flows under the

A487 road The A487, officially the Fishguard to Bangor Trunk Road, is a trunk road in Wales that follows the coast from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in the south, to Bangor, Gwynedd, in the north. Route The road starts at a junction with the A40 in ...

at Pont Llyfnant and under the

Cambrian Coast Line The Cambrian Line ( cy, Llinell y Cambrian), also known as the Cambrian Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell y Cambrian) and Cambrian Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir y Cambrian), is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury, England, westwards to Aber ...

from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth close to Dovey Junction railway station, before joining the

about one mile inland from its estuary. The total length of the river is about ten miles. It is the haunt of dippers and red kites can often be seen circling overhead.

References

{{Authority control Llyfnant LLyfnant Llyfnant