Ogmore river | |
---|---|
Native name | Afon Ogwr (Welsh) |
Location | |
Country | Wales |
Cities | Blackmill, Brynmenyn, Aberkenfig, Bridgend, Ogmore-by-Sea |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Craig Ogwr |
Mouth | |
• location | Bristol Channel near Ogmore-by-Sea |
• coordinates | 51°28′11″N3°38′18″W / 51.46972°N 3.63833°W |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Ewenny River |
• right | River Llynfi, River Garw |
The River Ogmore (Welsh : Afon Ogwr) is a river in South Wales that is popular with anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m) in the Ogmore Valley as the Ogwr Fawr before it links with the Ogwr Fach at Blackmill. [1] The River Llynfi, the River Garw and finally the River Ewenny in its estuary are all tributaries of the Ogmore which flows into the sea between Ogmore-by-Sea and the Merthyr Mawr sand-dunes.
The Ogmore has two major branches in its headwaters: the Ogwr Fawr which flows south through Nantymoel, Ogmore Vale and Lewistown; and joining it from the east the Ogwr Fach which flows through Gilfach Goch . After the confluence with the Nant Iechyd, they join to form the Afon Ogwr at Blackmill.
Most of the headwaters flow over Carboniferous coal measures overlain by glacial drift and fluvial gravels. The valleys are reasonably broad for a small river, and many of the tributaries meandered through their valleys in the past. The considerable urbanisation, especially in the 19th century, confined most rivers to rather narrow artificial channels, bordered in places such as Bridgend with concrete flood protection walls.
The River Llynfi (Welsh : Afon Llynfi), runs for around 10 miles from its source north of Maesteg and flows generally southwards through the Llynfi Valley to the confluence with the River Ogmore at Aberkenfig. [2]
The River Garw flows broadly north-south and runs through Pontycymer to its confluence with the Ogmore (Ogwr) at Brynmenyn.
The Ewenny River (Welsh : Afon Ewenni) rises to the north-east of Bridgend town and flows through Pencoed and Coychurch before entering the River Ogmore estuary just below Ogmore Castle.
The industrialisation of the valley of the Ogmore by mining and heavy industry severely damaged much of the natural environment of the river. However, there has been an improvement in recent years and it supports a healthy population of aquatic invertebrates. The river does still have some problems though, including its proximity to major industrial plants, insensitive development and invasive weeds. [3]
On 29 August 2023, 200 volunteers gathered at the banks of the Ogmore River to help remove 2,000 tyres from the river bed. This project was coordinated by a local dog walker with the support of 50 different partners/agencies/companies/local individuals. During the clean, 32 trolleys were removed from the river with nearly a tonne of waste plastic and metals. [4]
Until the 1970s raw sewage was discharged directly to the estuary. The construction of the Sewage treatment plant in 1974 provided full treatment to the 30:20 standard. In recent years UV treatment has been added to substantially reduce the bacterial and viral load of the treated effluent. However, in periods of heavy rain, emergency outfalls pour into the river, releasing some sewage. [5]
In its industrial heyday, the Ogmore had no salmonid fish along much of its length, although brown trout survived in many of the smaller tributaries.
From the 1980s onwards, salmon and sea-trout started returning to the main river and the River Garw in ever-increasing numbers, but continued to avoid the chronically polluted Llynfi. However, even on the Llynfi, native brown trout numbers increased upstream of Tondu, and these were occasionally supplemented by stocked rainbow trout. In all parts of the river, trout can now be found, with salmon and sea trout almost everywhere. In addition eels remain common, and millers thumb, gudgeon, stone loach and minnow are found throughout.
Bridgend County Borough is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. The county borough has a total population of 139,200 people, and contains the town of Bridgend, after which it is named. Its members of the Senedd are Sarah Murphy MS, representing the Bridgend Constituency, and Huw Irranca-Davies MS representing the Ogmore Constituency, and its members of the UK parliament are Chris Bryant, Chris Elmore, and Stephen Kinnock.
The Borough of Ogwr was one of six districts of Mid Glamorgan in Wales, which existed from 1974 to 1996.
Ogmore Castle is a Grade I listed castle ruin located near the village of Ogmore in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, east of Ogmore-by-Sea, and south of the town of Bridgend. It is situated on the south bank of the Ewenny River and the east bank of the River Ogmore.
The River Teifi in Wales forms the boundary for most of its length between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, and for the final 3 miles (4.8 km) of its total length of 76 miles (122 km), the boundary between Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Its estuary is northwest of Cardigan, known in Welsh as Aberteifi, meaning 'mouth of the Teifi'. Teifi has formerly been anglicised as "Tivy".
Ogmore was a constituency created in 1918, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
The River Llynfi, is one of three main tributaries of the River Ogmore.
The River Garw runs for about 12 miles from its source in the hills north of Blaengarw to the confluence with the River Ogmore and the River Llynfi at Aberkenfig. It is one of three main tributaries of the River Ogmore which runs through the town of Bridgend. It is in Wales, United Kingdom.
The River Rhondda is a river in South Wales with two major tributaries, Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach.
The Garw Valley Railway is the trading name of the Bridgend Valleys Railway Company Limited. It operates a short section of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge railway located in South Wales, which is being recreated as a heritage railway. Formerly part of the Llynvi and Ogmore Railway (L&OR) and built by the Great Western Railway (GWR), the line was used for freight and passenger services, with most of the track still in place between Brynmenyn and Pontycymer. The project currently has a train shed at Pontycymer, and hopes to initially offer brake van rides between Pontycymer and Pant-y-Gog, a distance of 0.5 miles (0.8 km).
In 1861 the Llynvi Valley Railway was opened in Glamorganshire, Wales, to convey mineral products to the Bristol Channel at Porthcawl. It adopted an earlier tramroad, the Duffryn Llynvi and Porthcawl Railway. The Llynvi and Ogmore Railway was opened in 1865, and the two companies amalgamated to form the Llynvi and Ogmore Railway in 1866. At first Porthcawl harbour was an important destination for onward transport, but this soon declined.
Ogmore is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. It is one of seven constituencies in the South Wales West electoral region, which also elects four additional members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The River Ely is in South Wales flowing generally southeast, from Tonyrefail to Cardiff.
The Ewenny River is a river in South Wales. For most of its 10 miles (16 km) length, it forms the border between the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend. It is a major tributary of the River Ogmore, which it joins near its estuary.
Gilfach Goch is a community, electoral ward and small former coal mining village mostly in the Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales, near the larger community of Tonyrefail. Some areas in the North Western part of the village lie within Bridgend County Borough. It is situated in the Cwm Ogwr Fach between the Cwm Ogwr Fawr to the west and the Cwm Rhondda to the east.
The Nant Gwys is a river flowing off the Black Mountain in Powys, Wales. Its tributaries Gwys Fawr and the Gwys Fach flow south from Banwen Gwyn and Bwlch y Ddeuwynt respectively and join forces to form the Nant Gwys proper which then flows for about 5 km / 3 mi to its confluence with the Afon Twrch at Cwm-twrch-Uchaf.
Blackmill is a small village within Bridgend County Borough Council, in south Wales. It is located at the confluence of the Ogwr Fach and Ogmore rivers, to the north-east of Bridgend town.
Ogmore Valley is a community in the Bridgend County Borough, Mid Glamorgan, Wales. Made up of the villages of Nantymoel, Ogmore Vale, Price Town and Wyndham, its population at the time of the 2001 census was 7,800, increasing to 7,954 at the 2011 Census. The ribbon housing of the valley follows the Ogwr Fawr tributary which rises at Craig Ogwr and joins the Ogwr Fach at Blackmill. Villages include Nantymoel, Price Town, Wyndham, Ogmore Vale, Lewistown, Pant-yr-awel and Blackmill.
St Brides Major is a community on the western edge of the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its largest settlement is the village of St Brides Major, and also includes the villages of Ogmore-by-Sea and Southerndown, and the hamlets of Ogmore Village, Castle-upon-Alun, Heol-y-Mynydd, Norton and Pont-yr-Brown It is notable for coastal geology and scenery, limestone downlands and fossilised primitive mammals, sea cliffs and beaches, two Iron Age hillforts, three medieval castle sites,, two stepping stone river crossings and a clapper bridge. Three long distance paths cross the community. It is the western limit of the Vale of Glamorgan Heritage Coast, and has a visitor centre and tourist facilities.