A 100-metre stretch of a North Wales river has moved 50 metres in less than two years, with residents fearing it could undermine a nearby road within a year
The changing course of a North Wales river has left local residents deeply worried and sparked alerts from environmental authorities. Video footage posted online showed the river’s dramatic shifts had formed a new island while exposing a former riverbed.
One local resident maintained a 100-metre section of Afon Elwy had shifted 50 metres in under two years. Heras fencing has been erected along the riverbank over concerns the river could undermine a nearby road if it keeps eroding the adjacent farmland.
“The whole river’s moved,” said Andy Walker, who outlined his concerns on video. “It’s crazy. The riverbank is being ripped apart and it will take away the road within a year I reckon.”
The area in question sits roughly 140ft upstream of Pont y Ddol, an 18th century stone bridge featuring a distinctive hump over its main arch. Located on the border between Conwy and Denbighshire, north of Llannefydd, it carries an unclassified road across the waterway.
A recent gathering bringing together landowners, residents and the community council occurred to tackle local worries. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) also attended, having previously flagged issues on the river arising from channel widening and unauthorised gravel extraction, reports Wales Online.
One local described the transformations near Pont y Ddol as “unbelievable”, adding: “It’s never was like that before.” They further stated: “I’m no expert but I’ve been in that river since the Beatles were in the charts and my crotchet river bag was in fashion and it never looked like that, or even changed in 50 years.”
The exposed riverbed is a meander scar, formed when the river flows at different speeds across its width. It’s one of several instances along the Elwy which, over time, has been subject to human interference.
Over the decades, the river has seen significant changes, including considerable straightening during the mid-1960s. Weirs were built and certain sections were channelised for agricultural or urban protection.
Experts have warned that this could lead to increased flow rates further downstream, potentially escalating flood risks in lower-lying communities such as St Asaph. The exact reason for the river’s course change near Pont y Ddol remains uncertain.
However, NRW has previously pointed out the dangers posed by unauthorised work on watercourses like the Elwy. This comes after increasing reports of damage caused by landowners across Wales extracting gravel, reshaping banks and straightening river channels.
Over the past century, this has led to the country losing more than 50% of its river gravel shoals. An NRW spokesperson said: “Rivers such as the Elwy are highly sensitive to these activities.
“There is evidence that this type of work has taken place historically. Such interventions can create new problems, including increased erosion and flood risk, as well as damage to wildlife.
“They can also affect neighbouring land and structures, which could lead to legal liability and expensive repairs.” The Elwy, a tributary of the River Clwyd, is renowned for its superb runs of sea trout and salmon.
The angling stretch upstream of Pont y Ddol is overseen by Rhyl and St Asaph Angling Association, whose members have similarly expressed their concerns. On social media, a prominent angler observed that while two river channels had been present for some time, erosion had worsened over the past two years.
In agreement, another commented: “I was there about six months ago and it seemed to me the river was trying to divert itself around the back of the bridge, which would be a major problem. Another angler I spoke to recently…. said the river had moved so close to the gated access that you wouldn’t be able to drive into the field any more.
“If correct, the river must be close to washing out the public highway.” At this spot, the boundary between Denbighshire and Conwy follows the river’s path.
River upkeep falls within NRW’s responsibility, while the threatened road south of the riverbank comes under Conwy Council’s authority. The local authority confirmed it hadn’t put up the security fencing currently safeguarding the river.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson declared: “We are aware of the concerns of the local community in relation to the changing course of the river. A meeting has recently been held with the community council, landowners, residents and NRW to discuss the concerns raised, where the roles and responsibilities of each party were clarified.
“Conwy County Borough Council is the highway authority and we will continue to monitor the road and bridge.” In response to historical man-made problems affecting the river, recent efforts have focused on “rewiggling” the Elwy.
The goal is to restore natural meanders in sections of the river that were artificially straightened decades ago. This constitutes a type of natural flood risk management (NFRM) – techniques designed to slow water flow speeds and reconnect the river with its original floodplain.
Studies on the Elwy identified a comprehensive list of 400 potential NFRM schemes that could be rolled out across the river’s catchment area, ranging from leaky dams to wetland tree planting. NRW is determined to stop current landowner activities from causing further damage.
A spokesperson said: “Many of the issues identified locally could be avoided if landowners contact us before starting any work. Early advice helps ensure works are properly planned, lawful and sustainable.”
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