River Conwy

The River Conwy winds 55 kilometres from the Migneint moor in north Wales to Conwy Bay. Its name comes from old Welsh words meaning ‘chief water’. Along the way it is joined by tributaries such as the Machno, Lledr and Llugwy, then passes through Betws-y-coed, Llanrwst and Trefriw before reaching the sea. The river is tidal as far inland as Tan-lan near Llanrwst during spring tides. A small quay called Cei Cae Gwyn sits on its western bank. The valley shows two very different landscapes. To the east lie ancient mudstone hills covered in moor grass and heather, giving the water a brown tint from natural acids. To the west harder Cambrian rocks create dramatic crags and waterfalls, including Conwy Falls and the Lledr Gorge. The western side also holds lakes and reservoirs where copper, lead and silver were once mined. Below Betws-y-coed the valley widens into fertile farmland used for dairy herds and sheep. At the river’s mouth stands Conwy town, home to a World Heritage castle and three bridges. Thomas Telford’s early suspension bridge now carries a footpath, while Robert Stephenson’s tubular railway bridge still carries trains to London. The estuary is overlooked by the turbines of Moel Maelogan wind farm. The tidal stretch supports saltmarsh, sand dunes and woodland, recognised as a site of special scientific interest. Salmon and sea trout once thrived here, though acidification and pollution have reduced their numbers in recent decades.