GUIDE TO THE AFON CEIRW
(Grade 6 gorge to the Alwen confluence)
NAME OF RIVER: Ceirw.
WHERE IS IT?: North Wales (tributary of the Alwen) that parallels the A5. Map.
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS:
Access - Heading West on the A5. After the A494 from Ruthin junction, you cross the Alwen then the next bridge is over the Ceirw. Continue through the village until you see a sign for a school on the right. Follow to the school and then up the old road (gated) that parallels the A5. Park at the top of this road. The river is across the A5 and down the marked footpath. Walk upstream as far as you can for the more exciting stuff (Gd 4).
Egress - Either continue on to the Alwen or take out at one of the bridges in the village of Maerdy Glan Ceirw.
APPROX LENGTH: 7 km.
TIME NEEDED: 1.5 Hours.
ACCESS HASSLES: Don't know about the Ceirw, but we saw several locals and farmers and nobody said anything to us. The river is fished by Corwen Anglers. If you continue on to the Alwen then check the access agreement.
Richard Probart (Feb 2004)...'We paddled this river on 7th Feb 2004, about 2/3 of the way down the run there is a small wave with a river level gauge, where we had a little play. After we had been there about 5 minutes, the woman who owns the land came out to us to tell us to move on and get off her river. The reasons she gave were that they were salmon beds and we (meaning canoeists in general) damage them. Not wanting to start an argument, we were polite to her and moved on. Is anyone aware of any further problems?'
Ruth Bedford (Dec 2003)...'We paddled this river in November. Access along the track and via the footpath at the top has been restricted (although the public footpath sign is still there, a fence has been erected across the path). Access is possible lower down where a side road crosses the river, but this makes the higher grade sections difficult to access. Locals towards the bottom of the section of grade 2 before the get out were concerned about Salmon and who we had permission off to paddle the river.'
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Bank full everywhere. Good viewing from the A5.
GRADING: 2/3 (4). Though up to 6 if you want it!
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: None (provided you put in below the Gd 6). A really pleasant river for an intermediate/ well lead novice group.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: At the start there is a nice Gd 4. The river then settles down to grade 2+ with a couple of 3s (one of which is on the Alwen). No wires, low bridges or real tree problems 'Great'. A good club river.
OTHER NOTES: The watershed for this river is the opposite side of the hill to the Conwy (though not as big a catchment). The Conwy telephone guage was saying 1650 when we set off. So I guess, when the Conwy is med/ high this river is the same. It could be used as a warm up before running the Upper Conwy.
There is also an upper section on the Ceirw.
CONTRIBUTED BY: Andy Wilson, also Ruth Bedford and Richard Probart.
