Pistyll Rhaeadr
| Pistyll Rhaeadr | |
| Montgomeryshire, Denbighshire | |
|---|---|
 Pistyll Rhaeadr | |
| River: | River Disgynfa |
| Fall: | 240 feet |
| Co-ordinates: | 52°51’18"N, 3°22’43"W |
Pistyll Rhaeadr (meaning "spring of the waterfall") is a waterfall on the border of Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire located a few miles from the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, twelve miles west of Oswestry.
Description
Pistyll Rhaeadr is formed by the River Disgynfa, which forms the border between the two counties, falling in three stages, over a 240-foot Silurian cliff-face.[1] The tallest of the stages is estimated at about 130 feet.[2] It is counted as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Below the falls the river is known as the River Rhaeadr.
The fall contains a natural arch in the midst of the drop, through which the water plunges.
The 19th-century author George Borrow, in his book Wild Wales, remarked of the waterfall:
| “ | What shall I liken it to? I scarcely know, unless it is to an immense skein of silk agitated and disturbed by tempestuous blasts, or to the long tail of a grey courser at furious speed. I never saw water falling so gracefully, so much like thin, beautiful threads as here. | ” |
There is car parking space at the foot of the waterfall for people who want to explore the waterfall, with a café and a B&B alongside.
The waterfall is often referred to by the media,[3][4] government sources,[5] and other sources[6] as the tallest in Wales or the tallest single drop in the United Kingdom.[7] However, it is not a single drop, and both its single drop height and its total height are surpassed by both the Devil's Appendix and Pistyll y Llyn, as well as several other waterfalls.[8][9]
Outside links
- www.pistyllrhaeadr.co.uk
- BBC NE Wales Seven Wonders of Wales
- Pictures of Pistyll Rhaeadr and the area on Geograph.co.uk
References
- ↑ "Kerry Ridgeway". Walking in Mid-Wales and the Brecon Beacons. Powys Council Tourism Services Unit. p. 27. http://www.tourism.powys.gov.uk/brochures/Powys-Walks-Booklet.pdf. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ↑ "Wales 2008". http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/holidays/Wales2008/water/. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ "Waterfall 1000th on protected list". BBC News. 22 May 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/757921.stm. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ "Times Walks: Pistyll Rhaeadr, Wales". Times Online (London). 25 April 2009. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/walks/article6160349.ece. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ "Kerry Ridgeway". Walking in Mid-Wales and the Brecon Beacons. Powys Council Tourism Services Unit. p. 27. http://www.tourism.powys.gov.uk/brochures/Powys-Walks-Booklet.pdf. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ↑ "Pistyll Rhaeadr". http://www.placesonline.com/europe/uk_wales/powys/nature_and_sport/pistyll_rhaeadr.asp. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ "Pistyll Rhaeadr". http://www.pistyllrhaeadr.co.uk/. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ Des Marshall (2009). Walking to Mid Wales' Waterfalls. Machynlleth, Wales: Kittiwake. pp. 1, 2. ISBN 978-1-902302-69-0.
- ↑ "The tallest waterfalls in Wales". http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/holidays/waterfalls/Tallest.html. Retrieved 4 February 2010.