Nedd Fechan facts for kids
The Nedd Fechan is a river mostly found in Brecknockshire, Wales. This area is now part of Powys. The river begins on the eastern side of a mountain called Fan Gyhirych. This mountain is located in the Fforest Fawr part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Nedd Fechan flows south for about 12 kilometers (7 miles). It then meets another river, the Afon Mellte, at a place called Pontneddfechan. From there, their combined waters become the River Neath, which is called Afon Nedd in Welsh. The River Neath then flows to the sea near Swansea.
The only major river that flows into the Nedd Fechan is the Afon Pyrddin. They meet at a spot known as Pwll Du ar Byrddin, which means 'the black pool of the Pyrddin'. After this meeting point, the Nedd Fechan forms the border between Brecknockshire on its east side and Glamorgan on its west side.
River Rocks and Waterfalls
The Nedd Fechan river starts flowing over a type of rock called Old Red Sandstone. This rock is very old and often has a reddish color. As the river moves downstream to a place called Blaen-nedd-isaf, it reaches Carboniferous Limestone. This limestone formed from the shells and skeletons of tiny sea creatures millions of years ago.
The river then flows through a beautiful, wooded valley called a gorge. Further along, past Pont Rhyd-y-cnau, the river cuts through even harder rocks. These are sandstones and mudstones from the Millstone Grit series.
The most exciting part of the river is between Pont Melin-fach and where it meets the Afon Pyrddin. Here, the river plunges over several amazing waterfalls! Two of the most famous are Sgwd Ddwli and Sgwd Pedol. These waterfalls happen because of cracks in the Earth's crust, called faults. These faults bring harder sandstone rocks next to softer mudstone rocks. The water wears away the softer mudstone faster, creating the drops that form the waterfalls.
Protecting Nature
The entire gorge area of the Nedd Fechan valley is a very special place for nature. It is protected as part of a larger Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An SSSI is an area chosen because it has important plants, animals, or geological features.
This area is also part of a larger special area of conservation. This means it's important for protecting rare plants and animals across Europe. The Nedd Fechan valley is especially known for its rare bryophyte plants. Bryophytes are small, simple plants like mosses and liverworts that often grow in damp places.
Old Mining History
Downstream from where the Nedd Fechan meets the Afon Pyrddin, you can find many signs of an old industry. People used to mine for silica rock here. You can still see several adits, which are tunnels dug into the side of the hills to enter the mines. These adits are visible on both sides of the river.
Many of these mines were served by horse-drawn tramways. These were simple tracks where carts, pulled by horses, carried the mined rock. Today, these old tramways are no longer used for mining. Instead, they provide easy paths for people to walk along this lower part of the gorge and explore the area.
