River Gwendraeth
Encyclopedia
The River Gwendraeth is a river
in Carmarthenshire
in west Wales
.
It has two almost equal branches that have their confluence
in their joint estuary
at Carmarthen Bay
. The Gwendraeth Fawr (Large Gwendraeth in Welsh
) is surprisingly the smaller and has its source in a series of springs to the north of Cross Hands
, the most northerly of which rises to the north of Gorslas in the Llyn Llech Owain Country Park, just above the 585 feet (178.3 m) contour. Below Cross Hands, it skirts the northern edge of Mynydd Mawr Woodland Park, and flows to the south of Drefach. It crosses the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour to pass through Pontyberem
, Pont Henri and Pontyates
, by which time it is less than 33 feet (10.1 m) above sea level. Finally, it passes to the south of Kidwelly
, to enter the estuary.
The Gwendraeth Fach (small Gwendraeth in Welsh) flows further to the north having its source about 4 miles north of Cross Hands near the 190 metres (623.4 ft) contour at Penrhiwgoch. Passing under the A48 road
, it is soon below the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour, flowing in a south-westerly direction to the south of Llanddarog
, Cwmisfael and Llangyndeyrn
, before turning southwards through Mynyddygarreg. It reaches the estuary to the west of Kidwelly after passing through the town centre.
The two branches follow almost parallel courses to the sea. The valleys of both rivers flow through a mixture of modestly steep coal mining
communities and through the verdant agricultural land of Carmarthenshire
.
When Thomas Kymer built his canal to carry coal from pits at Pwll y Llygod on the banks of the Gwendraeth Fawr to Ythyn Frenig, about half a mile to the west of Kidwelly on the southern bank of the Gwendraeth Fach, the authorising act of Parliament
included powers to divert the course of the Gwendraeth Fawr from Pwll y Llygod to Pont Spwdwr, where the Kidwelly to Llanelli
turnpike road crossed the river. The canal was built and operational by May 1768, and was later incorporated into the Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal. Although the route across the sands to the dock that he built was often affected by silting, it continued to be used for the export of coal long after the canal had been replaced by a railway. Coasters carried the cargo to Laugharne, Carmarthen
, St Clears
and Llanstephan, with the last recorded sailing bound for Llanstephan in the early 1920s.
The most notable place of interest is Kidwelly Castle
perched above the estuary of the Gwendraeth Fach. The Gwendraeth estuary widens rapidly before joing with the estuaries of the River Tywi
and the River Tâf
to form a three branched estuary.
To the south of the estuary are the great flat sands of Cefn Sidan
and Pembrey
, whilst across the estuary on the banks of the River Taf is Laugharne famed for its association with Dylan Thomas
.
The SV Paul
is one of the many shipwrecks in the vicinity of the Gwendraeth and the Cefn Sidan
sands.
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...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
in west 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...
.
It has two almost equal branches that have their 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...
in their joint estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
at Carmarthen Bay
Carmarthen Bay
Carmarthen Bay is an inlet of the south Wales coast. The coastline includes famous beaches, including the Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and is partially covered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park....
. The Gwendraeth Fawr (Large Gwendraeth 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...
) is surprisingly the smaller and has its source in a series of springs to the north of Cross Hands
Cross Hands
Cross Hands is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales about 12 miles from Carmarthen . It is supposedly named from the practice of prisoners intended for jail in Carmarthen and Swansea being staged for exchange....
, the most northerly of which rises to the north of Gorslas in the Llyn Llech Owain Country Park, just above the 585 feet (178.3 m) contour. Below Cross Hands, it skirts the northern edge of Mynydd Mawr Woodland Park, and flows to the south of Drefach. It crosses the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour to pass through Pontyberem
Pontyberem
Pontyberem is a village situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.- History :...
, Pont Henri and Pontyates
Pontyates
Pontyates, or 'Pontiets', is a village situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, West Wales.-General information:...
, by which time it is less than 33 feet (10.1 m) above sea level. Finally, it passes to the south of Kidwelly
Kidwelly
Kidwelly is a town in Carmarthenshire, west Wales, approximately north-west of the main town of Llanelli.It lies on the River Gwendraeth Fach above Carmarthen Bay. The town is twinned with French village St Jacut de la Mer.-History:...
, to enter the estuary.
The Gwendraeth Fach (small Gwendraeth in Welsh) flows further to the north having its source about 4 miles north of Cross Hands near the 190 metres (623.4 ft) contour at Penrhiwgoch. Passing under the A48 road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, it is soon below the 160 feet (48.8 m) contour, flowing in a south-westerly direction to the south of Llanddarog
Llanddarog
- External links :**...
, Cwmisfael and Llangyndeyrn
Llangyndeyrn
Llangyndeyrn is a village in the River Gwendraeth river valley, Carmarthenshire, in Dyfed region of West Wales, United Kingdom.The Welsh language name of the village means "the church of St. Cyndeyrn". A Welsh saint named Cyndeyrn is the equivalent of the English Kentigern and the Scottish St...
, before turning southwards through Mynyddygarreg. It reaches the estuary to the west of Kidwelly after passing through the town centre.
The two branches follow almost parallel courses to the sea. The valleys of both rivers flow through a mixture of modestly steep coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
communities and through the verdant agricultural land of Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
.
When Thomas Kymer built his canal to carry coal from pits at Pwll y Llygod on the banks of the Gwendraeth Fawr to Ythyn Frenig, about half a mile to the west of Kidwelly on the southern bank of the Gwendraeth Fach, the authorising act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
included powers to divert the course of the Gwendraeth Fawr from Pwll y Llygod to Pont Spwdwr, where the Kidwelly to Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
turnpike road crossed the river. The canal was built and operational by May 1768, and was later incorporated into the Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal. Although the route across the sands to the dock that he built was often affected by silting, it continued to be used for the export of coal long after the canal had been replaced by a railway. Coasters carried the cargo to Laugharne, Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
, St Clears
St Clears
St Clears is a small town on the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire, Wales. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 2,820 people, most of whom are Welsh-speaking, although there is a marked difference between the southern and northern ends of the town in percentage terms.-History:The...
and Llanstephan, with the last recorded sailing bound for Llanstephan in the early 1920s.
The most notable place of interest is Kidwelly Castle
Kidwelly Castle
Kidwelly Castle is an Norman castle overlooking the river Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales.The present remains of the castle include work from about 1200 to about 1476. Created as a defence against the Welsh, the castle fell to the Welsh several times in the twelfth...
perched above the estuary of the Gwendraeth Fach. The Gwendraeth estuary widens rapidly before joing with the estuaries of the River Tywi
River Tywi
With a total length of the River Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales, and is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing.The river rises within of the Teifi on the lower slopes of Crug Gynan in the Cambrian Mountains and, flowing through the Towy Forest, forms the border...
and the River Tâf
River Tâf
The River Tâf is a river that rises in the Preseli Hills of North Pembrokeshire, West Wales, near the village of Crymych and is around 50 km long....
to form a three branched estuary.
To the south of the estuary are the great flat sands of Cefn Sidan
Cefn Sidan
Cefn Sidan, roughly translated from Welsh, means "Silky Back". This long sandy beach and its dunes form the outer edge of the Pembrey Burrows between Burry Port and Kidwelly, looking southwards over Carmarthen Bay in South Wales....
and Pembrey
Pembrey
Pembrey is a village in Carmarthenshire Wales, situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, overlooking Carmarthen Bay.-History:The name Pembrey is an Anglicisation of the Welsh, Pen-bre...
, whilst across the estuary on the banks of the River Taf is Laugharne famed for its association with Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
.
The SV Paul
SV Paul
The SV Paul was a four-masted fore-and-aft rigged windjammer, launched in Seattle in 1919. Originally named Mount Whitney she was sold to new German owners in 1924 and renamed Margaret Sayer, finally in 1925 she was acquired by Flensburg owners and renamed 'Paul'.-Shipwreck and salvage:In 1925 the...
is one of the many shipwrecks in the vicinity of the Gwendraeth and the Cefn Sidan
Cefn Sidan
Cefn Sidan, roughly translated from Welsh, means "Silky Back". This long sandy beach and its dunes form the outer edge of the Pembrey Burrows between Burry Port and Kidwelly, looking southwards over Carmarthen Bay in South Wales....
sands.