River Dwyfor

The Dwyfor as it leaves Cwm Pennant

The River Dwyfor flows south through the mountains of Caernarfonshire to Tremadog Bay. On its way It carves the lovely valley known as Cwm Pennant.

The Dwyfor rises in Cwm Dwyfor at the head of Cwm Pennant, and gathers to itself numerous streams which drain the surrounding mountains from Mynydd Graig Goch in the west to Moel Hebog in the east, then flows southwest towards Dolbenmaen. Much of its course is within the Snowdonia National Park.

After a brief diversion west, it turns south, then southwest again, heading for the village of Llanystumdwy. Beyond Llanystumdwy it heads for the coast and Tremadog Bay. Its mouth has been diverted eastwards for more than half a mile by a spit resulting from longshore drift.

Its principal tributaries are the Henwy which enters on its left bank above Dolbenmaen, and the Dwyfach which joins it as a right-bank tributary to the west of Llanystumdwy. The Dwyfach itself rises in an area of flat ground to the west of the A487 road between Bryncir and Llanllyfni and flows in a generally southerly direction.

The river is bridged by numerous minor roads and paths but also by the A487, B4411 and A497 roads as well as the railway line between Criccieth and Pwllheli.

Cwm Pennant

Cwm Pennant is a valley high in the hills, where the Dwyfor rises. This isolated valley has been described as "the most beautiful Valley in Wales", which is no mean claim. It is a place of wild poppies and bluebells in season filling the valley with colour and perfume.

Once this was not a place left to nature and the farmers; old slate workings on the valley sides bear witness to the quarrying which once clawed at the hillsides here, but the slate men are gone and the valley, and its farmers, remain

The valley is hemmed in to the north and west by the mountains of the Nantlle Ridge; Y Garn, Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd and Mynedd Graig Goch rise up here, while to the east are Moel Lefn, Moel yr Ogof and Moel Hebog. The waters of the young River Dwyfor flow south down the valley.

Footpaths lead up the valley and to the old slate workings, following the track of the slate tramway, and up out of the valley and over to the Beddgelert Forest; one path finds its way down to Rhyd Ddu and others wander in the forest before reaching Beddgelert.

Name

'Afon Dwyfor' signifies the 'big holy river' in Welsh whilst the 'Afon Dwyfach' is the 'little holy river'.

Outside links

• Location map: 52°57’47"N, 4°13’3"W
• Pictures of River Dwyfor and the area on Geograph.co.uk