River Gwenfro

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Gwenfro
Afon Gwenfro
Afon Gwenfro - geograph.org.uk - 662684.jpg
The Gwenfro, near Tanyfron.
River Gwenfro
Location
Country Wales
Counties Wrexham County Borough
Physical characteristics
SourceFynnon y Ceirw
  location Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham County Borough
  coordinates 53°4′19″N3°5′27.7″W / 53.07194°N 3.091028°W / 53.07194; -3.091028
Mouth River Clywedog
  location
near Wrexham
  coordinates
53°2′8.2″N2°58′28.8″W / 53.035611°N 2.974667°W / 53.035611; -2.974667

The River Gwenfro (Welsh : Afon Gwenfro) is a small river in Wrexham County Borough, north Wales. It is a tributary of the Clywedog. [1] The name Gwenfro is possibly derived from the Welsh language words gwen (feminine of gwyn), "white", and bro, "border", "boundary". [2] (However bro here means "vale", and gwen is likely to mean "holy", thus "holy vale".)

The river rises at a number of small springs south and east of the village of Bwlchgwyn, including a place called Ffynnon y Ceirw ("spring of the stags"). It flows eastwards for several miles through a rather deep valley, and is joined by several other streams; it then passes through Wrexham city centre, where it is largely culverted, and joins the Clywedog at King's Mills.

The section of the river that passes through Wrexham city centre was culverted in 1881 and now passes beneath Brook Street. [3]

The Gwenfro was an important water source for Wrexham industry and has had pollution issues. Although still periodically affected – an incident in 2006 led to a fine for Welsh Water – fish including brown trout and roach are now present. [4]

References

  1. Rand McNally encyclopedia of world rivers, 1980, p.167
  2. Davis, E. Flintshire place-names, University of Wales Press, 1959, p.79
  3. "The Yorke Fountain - Wrexham History". Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. Water firm pollution killed fish, BBC news, 28-07-07