
The River Garw (''Afon Garw'' in
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, of or about Wales
* Welsh language, spoken in Wales
* Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales
Places
* Welsh, Arkansas, U.S.
* Welsh, Louisiana, U.S.
* Welsh, Ohio, U.S.
* Welsh Basin, during t ...
, meaning "rugged river") runs for about 12 miles from its source in the hills north of
Blaengarw to the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
with the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore () is a river in South Wales that is popular with Angling, anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore-by-Sea, Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m ...
and the
River Llynfi
The River Llynfi (), is one of three main tributaries of the River Ogmore ().
It runs for around 10 miles from its source north of Maesteg and flows generally southwards through the Llynfi Valley to the confluence with the River Ogmore and the ...
at
Aberkenfig
Aberkenfig (, 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 South Wales, just ...
. It is one of three main
tributaries
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' 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 into which the ...
of the River Ogmore which runs through the town of
Bridgend
Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
. It is in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Course
Originating in
Blaengarw, it passes through the
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
s of
Pontycymer
Pontycymer, also spelt Pontycymmer, is a former mining village in Wales. It is situated in the Garw Valley, in Bridgend County Borough, about 7 miles or 11 km north of the town of Bridgend.
Its attractions include Bridgend Valleys Rail ...
,
Pantygog,
Lluest/
Braichycymer,
Tylagwyn,
Llangeinor
Llangeinor (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Llangeinwyr'') is a small village (and community council electoral ward) located in the Garw Valley around north of Bridgend in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. The ward population taken at the United Kingdom ...
,
Abergarw
Abergarw is a village in Bridgend county. It lies at the confluence of the River Garw (Rough River) and River Ogwr river valleys, about to the north of the town of Bridgend itself, between the villages of Brynmenyn and Bryncethin
Bryncethin ( ...
and finally the village of
Brynmenyn
Brynmenyn is a small village located at the confluence of the Garw and Ogmore rivers in south Wales, around 4 miles north of Bridgend, and it also in the Bridgend County Borough council area. The village has its own primary school.
Transport
T ...
, where it joins the
River Ogmore
The River Ogmore () is a river in South Wales that is popular with Angling, anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore-by-Sea, Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m ...
.
Tributaries
With most of the River Garw's course running along the floor of the
river valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...
to which its name is given, it collects a number of tributary streams along the way. These streams are listed in order of
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
with the river from its uppermost point to its confluence with the River Ogmore.
*Nant Cwm Gwyn
*Ffynon Daren Goch
*Nant Cwm gweinen
*Cwm Nant Hir
*Nant Gelli Wern: This brook is best known in the local area for its small ''
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
'' and now defunct
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
above
Pontycymer
Pontycymer, also spelt Pontycymmer, is a former mining village in Wales. It is situated in the Garw Valley, in Bridgend County Borough, about 7 miles or 11 km north of the town of Bridgend.
Its attractions include Bridgend Valleys Rail ...
s playing fields above Waun Bant.
*Nant Forch Wen: This brook is known in the local area mainly for both its longstanding crossing point at Forch Las consisting of two railway sleepers stretching between its banks alongside a ford that leads between Forch Las and the highest area of
Pantygog, and for the fact that it once filled the village of Pontycymer's own swimming baths (since demolished) which were closed in the 1970s to 1980s due to the polio scare of that time.
*Nant Garw Fechan: Best known for the minor valley to which it gives its name. This valley and its river now form a picturesque nature reserve above the village of
Braichycymer
*Nant Lwyn cria
*Nant Y Cwrdu
*Nant Felin arw
*Cae Garw Drehir
Industrial Effects
The effects of
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
in the valley, both from small family owned shafts and major pits alike, caused the river to become polluted and dirty with
coal dust
Coal dust is a fine-powdered form of coal which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizer, pulverization of coal rock. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created by mining, transporting, or mechanically handling it. ...
and other chemicals to the point at which it was once entirely black in colour, earning it the mainly local nickname of the "Black River".
Wildlife
The River Garw once contained
Salmon
Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
amongst other fish. Industrialisation of the valley resulted in their loss, but they are slowly being re-introduced as part of the valley's regeneration, after the closure of the coal mines in the 1980s and the recovery of the now useful shale through a brief period of restorative opencast mining in the 1990s.
It also runs through
Bryngarw Country Park
Bryngarw Country Park is made up of and is situated on the west bank of the Afon Garw, at the mouth of the Garw Valley in the Bridgend County Borough, Wales.
The western boundary is marked by the Brynmenyn-Bettws road and the River Graw is its ...
- a managed and publicly owned estate and nature reserve, where many types of birds can occasionally be seen.
Flood Risks
During periods of prolonged heavy rain, the River Garw quite commonly bursts its shallow banks, causing minor
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...
in all villages along its length. As the villages are mostly up on the valley sides, this doesn't have any significant effect, save for a few places; a house that once stood next to what is now a small footbridge across the river near the children's playground on the valley floor at Pantygog was demolished some years ago due to constant flooding from the river. The river has also been known to flood the playground area at Braichycymmer, and sometimes becomes hazardous near the
Llangeinor
Llangeinor (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Llangeinwyr'') is a small village (and community council electoral ward) located in the Garw Valley around north of Bridgend in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. The ward population taken at the United Kingdom ...
playing fields/railway crossing, and in the lower regions of
Bryngarw Country Park
Bryngarw Country Park is made up of and is situated on the west bank of the Afon Garw, at the mouth of the Garw Valley in the Bridgend County Borough, Wales.
The western boundary is marked by the Brynmenyn-Bettws road and the River Graw is its ...
(where it has become less of a problem due to the deepening off the river bed to these ends). Its tributary streams, one of which joins at the boundary of
Pontycymer
Pontycymer, also spelt Pontycymmer, is a former mining village in Wales. It is situated in the Garw Valley, in Bridgend County Borough, about 7 miles or 11 km north of the town of Bridgend.
Its attractions include Bridgend Valleys Rail ...
and Pantygog, can turn from mere babbling brooks to raging torrents in a matter of a few minutes, and it is not unknown for this to occur very suddenly.
Sewage
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a not-for-profit company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England that border Wales. In total, it serves around 1.4 million households and businesses and over thr ...
's combined sewers overflow into the river, and in 2022 it was one of the most heavily used overflow for Welsh sewage. In that year alone, two pipes discharged 7,804 and 7,784 hours of sewage into the river, 325 days of the year.
See also
*
Garw Valley Railway
The Garw Valley Railway is the trading name of the Bridgend Valleys Railway Company Limited. It operates a short section of railway located in South Wales, which is being recreated as a heritage railway. Formerly part of the Llynvi and Ogmore R ...
References
External links
Photos of the River Garw on geograph.org.uk
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Garw