River Neath

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River Neath
Afon Nedd
The Tennant Canal crosses the River Neath at Aberdulais

The Tennant Canal crosses the River Neath at Aberdulais

Data
location Wales
River system River Neath
source Fforest Fawr
51 ° 51 ′ 0 ″  N , 3 ° 35 ′ 28 ″  W.
Source height 650  m
muzzle at Briton Ferry in the Bristol Channel Coordinates: 51 ° 36 ′ 59 ″  N , 3 ° 51 ′ 3 ″  W 51 ° 36 ′ 59 ″  N , 3 ° 51 ′ 3 ″  W
Mouth height 0  m
Height difference 650 m
Bottom slope 15 ‰
length 42 km
Right tributaries Afon Pyrddin, River Dulais
Medium-sized cities Neath
Small towns Glyn-neath, Resolven

The River Neath ( Welsh Afon Nedd ) is a river in Wales .

geography

The river rises as Nedd Fechan at a height of about 650 m between the peaks of Fan Gyhirych and Fan Fraith in the mountains of Fforest Fawr in the Brecon Beacons National Park . The river flows over a series of rapids and waterfalls about 12 km south. At Pontneddfechan near Glynneath the Afon Melte flows from the left . The river now called River Neath, in contrast to many other South Welsh rivers, flows from here in a south-westerly direction through a wide valley called Vale of Neath. Numerous streams such as the Afon Pyrddin, River Dulais and numerous other streams flow from the surrounding mountains, some of which flow into the valley in waterfalls. The most famous waterfalls are the 25 m high Melincourt Falls and the Aberdulais Fall . The region is considered to be the region with the most waterfalls in Wales and is therefore also called Waterfall Country .

From the town of Neath the tides can be felt in the river. In the coastal plain it is crossed by the M4 motorway. It flows into Swansea Bay southwest of Briton Ferry.

history

Although the Vale of Neath played an important role during industrialization, it was never used as intensively industrially as other South Welsh valleys , such as the Afan Valley . The Neath Abbey Ironworks were in the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the major industries of Wales. The remains of this factory, the former Aberdulais Tinwork and the Neath Tennant Canal bear witness to the role that the Vale of Neath played during industrialization. In contrast to other valleys, coal mining played only a minor role because of the difficult accessibility of the coal deposits on the upper mountain slopes. Silica was also mined in the upper valley . After coal mining ceased in South Wales at the end of the 20th century, construction of a new coal mine at Glyn-neath began in 2014 and is due to open in 2018.

traffic

The Vale of Neath Railway and the A465 dual carriageway run through the valley .

Web links

Commons : River Neath  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fforest Fawr Geopark: River Neath. Retrieved September 8, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Books on Welsh Coalmining and Collieries: Vale of Neath Collieries. Retrieved September 10, 2015 .
  3. ^ South Wales Evening Post: Neath Valley mine plan to take on more jobs and reach major targets. Retrieved September 10, 2015 .