The Damming of the Towy

 

10 km (6 miles) from its source, the swift flow of the Towy is interrupted by the Llyn Brianne reservoir, created in 1972 by damming a section of the river to store winter rain for release into the river during dry periods.

 

The reservoir supports the abstraction at Nantgaredig which supplies a large area of South East Wales with drinking water. The flow in the River Towy would have been unable to sustain such an abstraction were it not for the release of water from the upland reservoir.

AFON TYWI

The Towy has been home to some fishy giants in its time. At Whitemill in 1933 a salmon fisherman landed a nine foot long, 388 lb (176 kg) sturgeon. It was the largest fish ever caught without a net in Britain.

 

Flowing for a total length of 121 km (75 miles) the River Towy (Welsh: Afon Tywi) is the longest river running entirely within Wales, and it is noted for its trout and salmon fishing.

 

The river begins on the lower slopes of Crug Gynan in the Cambrian Mountains (grid reference SN802631) and, flowing through the Towy Forest, forms the border between Ceredigion and Powys. The river flows south-westwards through Carmarthenshire passing through the towns of Llandovery and Llandeilo and Carmarthen..

 

At Carmarthen it is joined by a substantial tributary, the Afon Gwili, at Abergwili. Finally the Towy flows into Carmarthen Bay east of the Pendine Sands in an estuary which it shares with the River Tâf and the two branches of the River Gwendraeth. The mouth of the Towy estuary is guarded by Llansteffan Castle, a 12th-century Norman castle.

CARMARTHEN DISTRICT ANGLING CLUB

Established 1953

Llyn Brianne Reservoir

Nineteenth Century Sporting Coracles on

The Afon Tywi

 

On the Upper River Towy close to Llangadog Bridge in the mid-nineteenth century lived the wealthy family named the Stepney-Gulstons, who owned at least three coracles. They left photographs of their activities on the river from about 1871. Although in the photographs the coracles appear to be Towy design there are variations to the ones used by the netsmen at Carmarthen. Instead of the basket work gunwale a lathe one is evident -a variation later used by the netsmen. Also the paddles are from the River Teifi also the bulkhead design under the seat made from verticle supports as opposed to a planked horizontal design normally seen on the Tywi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                The Stepney-Gulstons                                           River Tywi 1870

On 19th October 1987, four people died when the 0527 service from Swansea to Shrewsbury fell into the River Towy near Llandeilo. The accident was caused by the Glanrhyd bridge being washed away by the swollen river. The underlying cause was the scour of the river bed undermining the bridge pier.

 

 Click here to read Welsh Water’s report of the infamous 1987 Floods.

Coracles

 

On the Carmarthen waterfront coracles are still stored ready for easy access to the river. The visitor may see fishing on some afternoons during the season although most fishing is at night .

 

A report on the fishery in 1863 described the coraclemen as "lawless and aggressive".

 

The Towy coracle is longer than the Teifi type and other differences include a wooden bowl as a baler stored under the seat.

 

Today only 12 licences are available to fish the river. In recent years the traditional lathe coracle has been

replaced by glass fibre by many of the netsmen.

Tywi Coracleman