Aber Falls
Aber Falls | |
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Rhaeadr Fawr | |
Aber Falls (size is shown by people stood below) | |
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Location | About two miles (3 km) south of the village of Abergwyngregyn |
OS grid | SH6678970052 |
Coordinates | 53°12′37.94″N 3°59′41.87″W / 53.2105389°N 3.9949639°WCoordinates: 53°12′37.94″N 3°59′41.87″W / 53.2105389°N 3.9949639°W |
Total height | 120 ft (37 m) |
Watercourse | Afon Goch |
Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr in Welsh) is a waterfall located about two miles (3 km) south of the village of Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, Wales.
The waterfall is formed as the Afon Goch plunges about 120 feet (37 m) over a sill of igneous rock in the foothills of the Carneddau range. Two tributaries merge; the enlarged stream is known as Afon Rhaeadr Fawr; from the road bridge, Bont Newydd, the name becomes Afon Aber.
History
Visitors walking along the main footpath towards the falls may spot several small Bronze Age settlements including an excavated roundhouse and smithy fenced off with an information plaque adorning it, several standing stones and cairns are also present, most of these sites can be found on the right side of the pathway. There is also a piece of recording equipment that is recording the weather. It is located to the north west of Snowdonia National Park in Wales.
Visitor facilities
Visitors can park at Bont Newydd, from where the Falls are accessible on foot on a clearly marked trackway. There is a small charge for parking but there are toilets and picnic benches available. The nearest place where food can be purchased is the cafe in the tourist information centre at Abergwyngregyn village.
It is possible to bathe in the plunge pool of the falls, although the water is cold even at the height of summer and care must be taken on the often slippery rocks.
North Wales Path
The North Wales Path, a long distance coastal path between Prestatyn and Bangor, crosses the bridge at the foot of the falls. This bridge, together with the smaller one at the foot of the smaller falls to the west (Rhaeadr Fach), was erected in 1995.
Gallery
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Aber Falls with the mountains around
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The bridge and falls
References
Bibliography
- Gwynfor Evans (2001) Cymru O Hud Abergwyngregyn.
- Gwynfor Evans (2002) Eternal Wales Abergwyngregyn
Novels
- Sharon Penman, Here Be Dragons
- Sharon Penman, The Reckoning
- Edith Pargeter, The Heaven Tree