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List of rivers of Wales

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This is a list of rivers of Wales, organised geographically. It is taken anti-clockwise from the Dee Estuary to the M48 Bridge that separates the estuary of the River Wye from the River Severn.

Tributaries are listed down the page in an upstream direction, starting with those closest to the sea. The main stem (or principal) river of a catchment is given, left-bank tributaries are indicated by (L), and right-bank tributaries by (R). Note that, in general usage, the 'left (or right) bank of a river' refers to the left (or right) hand bank as seen when looking downstream. Where a named river is formed by the confluence of two differently named rivers, these are labelled as (Ls) and (Rs) for the left and right forks. A prime example is the formation of the River Taff from the Taf Fawr and the Taf Fechan at Cefn Coed-y-cymmer.

The list includes more or less every watercourse named on Ordnance Survey mapping and thus many of the main rivers of Wales (as defined by Natural Resources Wales ). Difficulties arise otherwise in determining what should and what should not be included.[1]

Certain names are encountered frequently and particular care should be taken to differentiate between the various occurrences of Clydach, Clywedog and of Dulas for example as well as those whose names refer perhaps to the colour of their waters e.g. Afon Goch (red river), Afon Ddu (black/dark river) and Afon Wen (white/light river).

Mainland rivers flowing into Liverpool Bay

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From Dee Estuary to Garth Pier, Bangor, Gwynedd

Dee catchment

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Clwyd catchment

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Conwy catchment

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Simple coastal catchments

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Aber catchment

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Ogwen catchment

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Cegin catchment

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Adda catchment

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Isle of Anglesey rivers

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Anticlockwise from Menai Bridge / Porthaethwy

Minor coastal catchments

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Crigyll catchment

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Ffraw catchment

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Cefni catchment

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Braint (i) catchment

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The Afon Braint bifurcates near Llanfairpwllgwyngyll to form two different watercourses.

Braint (ii) catchment

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Note "Afon Menai", known as the "Menai Strait" in English, is not technically a river, despite its Welsh name..

Mainland rivers flowing into the Menai Strait and Caernarfon Bay

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From Bangor Pier to the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula

Seiont catchment

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Gwyrfai catchment

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Simple coastal catchments

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Rivers flowing into Cardigan Bay

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From the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula to St. David's Head

Daron catchment

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Soch catchment

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Rhyd-hir catchment etc

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Dwyfor catchment

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Glaslyn catchment

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Artro catchment

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Ysgethin catchment

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Mawddach catchment

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Dysynni catchment

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Dyfi catchment

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Clarach catchment

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Rheidol catchment

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Ystwyth catchment

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Wyre catchment

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Cledan catchment

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Arth catchment

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Aeron catchment

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Coastal streams

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Teifi catchment

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Nyfer catchment etc

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Minor coastal catchments

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Rivers flowing to west Pembrokeshire coast

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From St David's Head to St. Govan's Head

Minor catchments

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Cleddau catchment

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Rivers flowing into the Bristol Channel

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From St. Govan's Head to M48 Bridge

South Pembrokeshire rivers

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Taf catchment

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Towy catchment

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Gwendraeth catchment

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Lliedi catchment

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Loughor catchment

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Clyne catchment

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Tawe catchment

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Neath catchment

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Afan catchment

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Kenfig catchment

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Ogmore catchment

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Col-huw catchment

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Thaw catchment

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Cadoxton catchment

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Taff catchment

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Rhymney catchment

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Usk catchment

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Wye catchment

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Severn catchment

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With the exception of a small part of the Rea Brook, all tributaries of the Severn downstream of the confluence of the Severn and the Vyrnwy are wholly in England. For details see List of rivers of England.

Longest rivers in Wales

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This is a table of the longest rivers wholly or partially in Wales.[2] Rivers only partly in Wales are included in this table in italics. Note that river lengths given by different authorities vary due to the different ways in which the measurement is made or indeed estimated. That rivers are partly fractal in nature accounts for some variation and lengths can also vary slightly over time as meanders expand or are cut off where rivers run through broad flood-plains.

River Length Notes
(miles) (km)
1 River Severn 220 354 Longest river in the United Kingdom; leaves Wales after 48 miles (77 km).
2 River Wye 135 217 Forms the Wales-England border for much of its length.
3 River Teme 81 130 Entirely in England after 12 miles (19 km).
4 River Usk 78 126[3] Longest river entirely in Wales according to some sources.[4]
5 River Tywi 75 121
6 River Teifi 73 117 [5]
7 River Dee 70 113
8 River Taff 40 64

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 (Explorer) and 1:50,000 (Landranger) scale maps of Wales
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911. "Wales"
  3. ^ "Usk Management Catchment Summary" (PDF). Natural Resources Wales. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  4. ^ Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Baines, Menna; Lynch, Peredur I. (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales (First ed.). Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 904. ISBN 9780708319536.
  5. ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. 2008.