Schwyll Aquifer
Encyclopedia
Schwyll Aquifer was historically known as 'the Great Spring of Glamorgan
'.
Until recently, Welsh Water
used the resurgence
at the Schwyll Spring near Ewenny
as the main source of water for the Bridgend
area. It now functions as a backup supply and as such has a number of associated source protection zones policed by the Environment Agency
. The outflow of the spring
is far larger than any other freshwater
spring in Wales
and greater than that from Wookey Hole
or Cheddar Gorge risings.
The aquifer consists of an underground waterway in the Carboniferous Limestone
of South Wales
. Due to the delay between local heavy rain
and discoloration of the water at the spring, it is believed that the water originates from as far as 20 miles away. This would locate the main source in the limestone of the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons
. The lack of an accessible cavern
at the rising hinders exploration of the cave
system. The only known point of access so far is at the pumping shaft of the extraction plant at Schwyll. The system was explored by cave divers in 1998 to a distance of 440 metres from the shaft. At 400 metres, a large cavern was discovered containing some bones which were identified as a species of horse. The bones were submitted for dating.
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
'.
Until recently, Welsh Water
Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
used the resurgence
Resurgence
Resurgence is a British bi-monthly magazine which has been described as the artistic and spiritual voice of the green movement in Great Britain. Resurgence was founded in the 1960s by John Papworth....
at the Schwyll Spring near Ewenny
Ewenny
Ewenny is a village on the River Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.Over the years the village has grown into the neighbouring village of Corntown to such an extent that there is no longer a clear boundary between the two. The nearest town of significant size is Bridgend, away.-Ewenny...
as the main source of water for the Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
area. It now functions as a backup supply and as such has a number of associated source protection zones policed by the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
. The outflow of the spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
is far larger than any other freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
spring in 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...
and greater than that from Wookey Hole
Wookey Hole
Wookey Hole Caves is a show cave and tourist attraction in the village of Wookey Hole on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset, England.Wookey Hole cave was formed through erosion of the limestone hills by the River Axe...
or Cheddar Gorge risings.
The aquifer consists of an underground waterway in the Carboniferous Limestone
Carboniferous limestone
Carboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian epoch of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Due to the delay between local heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
and discoloration of the water at the spring, it is believed that the water originates from as far as 20 miles away. This would locate the main source in the limestone of the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
. The lack of an accessible cavern
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
at the rising hinders exploration of the cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
system. The only known point of access so far is at the pumping shaft of the extraction plant at Schwyll. The system was explored by cave divers in 1998 to a distance of 440 metres from the shaft. At 400 metres, a large cavern was discovered containing some bones which were identified as a species of horse. The bones were submitted for dating.