River Ceiriog

The River Ceiriog flowing under the canal and railway viaducts at Chirk

The River Ceiriog is an 18-mile-long river in Denbighshire. It is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises at an altitude of around 1,800 ft on the south-eastern slopes of Moel Fferna in the Berwyn Mountains, and flows through the Ceiriog Valley. It flows below Chirk Castle and the town of Chirk, where the Chirk Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal over the river. The Ceiriog joins the Dee east of the town. In its lower reaches the river forms the border between Denbighshire and Shropshire.

Home to a Trout fishing club, the river and its valley were described by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George as "a little bit of heaven on earth". As well as being a home to trout the first grayling to be artificially reared in Wales were released into the river in 2009.

Due to its steep gradient and juvenile nature the river can be wild at times and has been named as the fastest flowing in Wales. The Environment Agency monitors the river levels at the estate of Brynkinalt. The mean level of the river here is between one and two feet and depths of up to five feet have been recorded. As it nears its end the river can get significantly deeper.

References

• Map of the source: 52°56’31"N, 3°18’36"W