Afon Pyrddin
Encyclopedia
The Afon Pyrddin is a river
forming the boundary between the county of Powys
and the county borough of Neath Port Talbot
in south Wales
, Great Britain
. It also forms a part of the boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The river and its waterfall
s are one of the key attractions of the recently designated Fforest Fawr Geopark
.
The name could be a reference to Saint David
, the patron saint of Wales – purddyn meaning "pure man" in Welsh
– although the likelihood of this has been disputed.
The streams of Nant y Bryn, Nant y Fedwen and Nant Hir come together to form the Pyrddin which flows south-eastwards for 5km / 3mi to its confluence
with the Nedd Fechan
.
, Sgwd Gwladus and Sgwd Einion Gam, the lady's fall and the fall of crooked Einion respectively. Sgwd Gwladus is formed where a band of erosion-resistant gritstone known as the 'Twelve Foot Sandstone' creates a lip over which the river plunges. It is easily accessible by footpath from Pontneddfechan. A notable feature beside the fall is the erratic block of gritstone which was balanced so that it rocked - at least until Victorian times when it was displaced. The ruins of a small building close to the falls are thought to be those of a corn-mill.
Sgwd Einion Gam, which is a further half mile, upstream can be accessed only by crossing and re-crossing the river itself. This fall is caused by the presence of a geological fault which brings another hard sandstone known as the 'Farewell Rock' up against softer mudstones.
, Afon Mellte, and Afon Hepste
– is home to many rare bryophytes which enjoy the cool humid conditions which exist here. Accordingly it has been designated as both a site of special scientific interest
and a special area of conservation
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
forming the boundary between the county of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
and the county borough of Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It also forms a part of the boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The river and its waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s are one of the key attractions of the recently designated Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark was the first Geopark to be designated in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to...
.
The name could be a reference to Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
, the patron saint of Wales – purddyn meaning "pure man" in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
– although the likelihood of this has been disputed.
The streams of Nant y Bryn, Nant y Fedwen and Nant Hir come together to form the Pyrddin which flows south-eastwards for 5km / 3mi to its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Nedd Fechan
Nedd Fechan
The Nedd Fechan or 'Little Neath' is a river in the county of Powys, south Wales, Great Britain. It rises on the eastern slopes of Fan Gyhirych in the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecon Beacons National Park and flows south for 12km / 7 mi to join with the Afon Mellte at Pontneddfechan, their...
.
Waterfalls
The Pyrddin is best known for two spectacular waterfallsWaterfall Country (Wales)
Waterfall Country is the name given to an area around the head of the Vale of Neath in South Wales where an unusually large number of spectacular and publicly accessible falls are to be found...
, Sgwd Gwladus and Sgwd Einion Gam, the lady's fall and the fall of crooked Einion respectively. Sgwd Gwladus is formed where a band of erosion-resistant gritstone known as the 'Twelve Foot Sandstone' creates a lip over which the river plunges. It is easily accessible by footpath from Pontneddfechan. A notable feature beside the fall is the erratic block of gritstone which was balanced so that it rocked - at least until Victorian times when it was displaced. The ruins of a small building close to the falls are thought to be those of a corn-mill.
Sgwd Einion Gam, which is a further half mile, upstream can be accessed only by crossing and re-crossing the river itself. This fall is caused by the presence of a geological fault which brings another hard sandstone known as the 'Farewell Rock' up against softer mudstones.
Habitat protection
The steep and wooded gorge of the Pyrddin – like that of its neighbours, the Nedd FechanNedd Fechan
The Nedd Fechan or 'Little Neath' is a river in the county of Powys, south Wales, Great Britain. It rises on the eastern slopes of Fan Gyhirych in the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecon Beacons National Park and flows south for 12km / 7 mi to join with the Afon Mellte at Pontneddfechan, their...
, Afon Mellte, and Afon Hepste
Afon Hepste
The Afon Hepste is a river in Powys, Wales and wholly within the Brecon Beacons National Park.Its headwaters, the Afon y Waun, Nant y Cwrier and Nant Hepste Fechan, rise on the Old Red Sandstone dip-slopes of Fforest Fawr and combine to form the Afon Hepste near the farmstead of Hepste Fechan...
– is home to many rare bryophytes which enjoy the cool humid conditions which exist here. Accordingly it has been designated as both a site of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and a special area of conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
.