The River Llynfi, cy, Afon Llynfi, is one of three main
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore ( cy, Afon Ogwr) is a river in South Wales that is popular with anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m) in th ...
( cy, Afon Ogwr).
It runs for around 10 miles from its source north of
Maesteg
Maesteg is a town and community (Wales), community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2011, Maesteg had a population of 20,612. The English ...
and flows generally southwards through the Llynfi Valley to the
confluence with the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore ( cy, Afon Ogwr) is a river in South Wales that is popular with anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m) in th ...
and the
River Garw at
Aberkenfig
Aberkenfig ( cy, Abercynffig, meaning "mouth of the Kenfig" (stream)) is a village located in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales to the north of Bridgend town. It is in the community of Newcastle Higher.
Location
Aberkenfig is located in Sou ...
. Its main tributaries are Nant Cwm-du and Nant Cedfyw which enter on its left bank and Nant Crynwydd, Nant Sychbant and Nant y Gadlys on its right bank.
[Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 151 'Cardiff & Bridgend/Caerdydd & Phen-y-bont-ar-Ogwr' and 166 'Rhondda & Merthyr Tydfil/Merthyr Tudful']
The Llynfi has endured a long period of
industrialisation and
coal mining especially around Maesteg. There was an
ironworks and
brick works
A brickworks, also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock (the most common material from which bricks are made), often with a quarry for cl ...
at
Tondu
Tondu ( en, Black Meadow) is a village in Bridgend County Borough, Wales, located about north of the town of Bridgend, in the community of Ynysawdre.
Tondu lies on the A4063 from Bridgend to Maesteg, and was established in the late 18th cent ...
.
Industrialisation and poor provision of
sewerage led to severe
water pollution
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...
of the river. In the second half of the 20th century, whilst the impact of
coal mining diminished, new industries such as
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
and toiletries,
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...
making and
sewage disposal continued to maintain the Llynfi in an almost abiotic condition. Strong enforcement action against a number of industries helped to ensure a steady improvement in quality into the 21st century.
* Map sources for: on
Mynydd Caerau and with the Ogmore.
External links
BBC Wales feature on the River Llynfi and its wildlife
References
{{authority control
Llynfi