River Machno () is a river in

Snowdonia Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...

in north-west

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 ...

. It is the first major tributary of the

River Conwy The River Conwy (; ) is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is long and drains an area of 678 square km. "Conwy" was formerly anglicised as "Conway." The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words ''c ...

, which it joins south of

Betws-y-coed Betws-y-Coed () is a village and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village is located near the confluence of the River Conwy and the River Llugwy and is on the eastern edge of Snowdonia. The population of the co ...

, past the Pandy Falls and the Machno Falls. The river originates in the hills surrounding the village of

Penmachno Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland Machno valley, south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, North Wales. The B4406 road runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of the Glasgwm and Machno rivers. It ha ...

. It has its source in the slopes at the head of the Machno valley, and flows through the villages of

Cwm Penmachno Cwm Penmachno (historically called Tre-Gynwal) is a village at the head of River Machno, Cwm Machno in North Wales. History The village was built in the 1860s as a quarry settlement. The Penmachno quarry lay immediately south and above the se ...

and

. The Snowdonia Slate Trail follows the whole length of the Machno Valley.

Industrial history

The area around the River Machno has a history of slate quarrying, which was a significant industry in

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some remnants of old quarries and mining activities can still be found in the region. Bro Machno Machno Machno {{Wales-river-stub