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River Clwyd

ClwydLlanelidanRivers of DenbighshireRuthin
River clwyd rhuddlan
River clwyd rhuddlan

The River Clwyd (Welsh: Afon Clwyd) is a river in Wales that rises in the Clocaenog Forest (grid reference SJ045535) 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Corwen. Its total length is 35 mi (56 km).It flows due south until, at Melin-y-wig, it veers north-eastwards, tracking the A494 and passing through Derwen, Llanelidan, Pwllglas and Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd to Ruthin. Here it leaves the relatively narrow valley and enters a broad agricultural vale, the Vale of Clwyd (Welsh: Dyffryn Clwyd). Just south of Denbigh, it is joined by the River Clywedog. This substantial tributary also has its source in the Clocaenog Forest but drains out to the east and north of the forest and passes through Cyffylliog, Bontuchel and Rhewl before its confluence with the main river. Then the Clwyd meanders northwards through the fertile Clwyd valley to St Asaph. Around 1.5 mi (2 km) north of St Asaph, the river is joined by a tributary as large as the main river, the River Elwy. In normal flows at low tide, the waters of these two rivers can be seen flowing side by side down the river with little mixing. The River Elwy has its source a long way to the west on the flanks of Moel Seisiog south-east of Llanrwst. It also has a tributary the River Aled with its source in the upland lake Llyn Aled. The Elwy flows principally eastwards to join the Clwyd passing through few villages. At the confluence of the Elwy and the Clwyd, the river becomes tidal and enters a narrow estuary with much wildlife before meeting the Irish Sea at Rhyl. In 1277, King Edward I sited a castle next to the Clwyd at Rhuddlan. In order for his supply barges to reach the castle, he employed 968 men to work on what was called 'The Great Ditch'. He straightened the 3 mi (4.8 km) stretch of river that ran from the castle to the sea. This was an enormous feat of engineering, compared even to today's modern standards, and it is still possible to make out the original loops and turns of the Clwyd using satellite imagery. The former county of Clwyd, consisting of the modern-day principal areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and most of Conwy, was named after the river, when it was created as a two-tier county in 1974. The River Clwyd is known for an excellent run of sea trout (sewin), as well as Atlantic Salmon. In recent years including the recent 2017 season there have been good reported catches of wild brown trout most of which are returned unharmed on a voluntary catch and release system. Rhyl and St Asaph Angling Association controls 20 mi (32 km) of fishing on the River Clwyd and its tributaries the River Elwy and River Aled.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article River Clwyd (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.07017 ° E -3.42679 °
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Address

B5105
LL15 2NF , Derwen
Wales, United Kingdom
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River clwyd rhuddlan
River clwyd rhuddlan
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Denbighshire
Denbighshire

Denbighshire ( DEN-bee-shər, -⁠sheer; Welsh: Sir Ddinbych [ˌsiːr ˈðɪnbɨχ]) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. Denbighshire has an area of 326 square miles (840 km2) and a population of 95,800, making it sparsely populated. The most populous area is the coast, where Rhyl (25,149) and Prestatyn (19,085) form a single built-up area with a population of 46,267. The next-largest towns are Denbigh (8,986), Ruthin (5,461), and Rhuddlan (3,709). St Asaph (3,355) is a city. All of these settlements are in the northern half of the county; the south is even less densely populated, and the only towns are Corwen (2,325) and Llangollen (3,658). The geography of Denbighshire is defined by the broad valley of the River Clwyd, which is surrounded by rolling hills on all sides except the north, where it reaches the coast. The Vale of Clwyd, the lower valley, is given over to crops, while cattle and sheep graze the uplands. The Clwydian Range in the east is part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewydd-Llanelwy) Palaeolithic site has Neanderthal remains of some 225,000 years ago. The county is also home to several medieval castles, including Castell Dinas Brân, Denbigh, and Rhuddlan, as well as St Asaph Cathedral. Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod takes place in the town each July.