Welsh Rivers & Waterways — Knowledge Organiser

Major Welsh rivers

1. 1 Afon Hafren — River Severn Britain's longest river (354km). Rises on Pumlumon (Plynlimon) in mid-Wales at 743m. Flows northeast into England, then south to the Bristol Channel. The Severn Bore (tidal surge) is one of the world's largest.
2. 2 Afon Gwy — River Wye 134km. Rises near Pumlumon, flows southeast through Hereford to join the Severn near Chepstow. The Wye Valley (Dyffryn Gwy) is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
3. 3 Afon Dyfrdwy — River Dee 113km. Rises in Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake — the largest natural lake in Wales). Flows northeast, forming part of the Welsh/English border near Chester.
4. 4 Afon Taf — River Taff 50km. Rises in the Brecon Beacons. Flows south through Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff to Cardiff Bay. The valleys of the Taff and its tributaries formed the heart of the south Wales coalfield.
5. 5 Afon Conwy — River Conwy 40km. Rises in Llyn Conwy (high moorland in Gwynedd). Flows north to Conwy estuary and the medieval walled town of Conwy (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
6. 6 Llyn Tegid — Bala Lake The largest natural lake in Wales (4km × 1km). Home of the gwyniad — a fish found only in this lake, a relic of the ice age. The Dee flows through it.