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| River Usk | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Native name | Afon Wysg (Welsh) |
| Location | |
| Country | Wales |
| County | Powys,Carmarthenshire,Monmouthshire,Newport |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Fan Brycheiniog,Carmarthenshire /Powys,Wales |
| • coordinates | 51°54′3″N3°43′19″W / 51.90083°N 3.72194°W /51.90083; -3.72194 |
| • elevation | 502 m (1,647 ft) |
| Mouth | Severn Estuary |
• location | Uskmouth,Newport,Wales |
• coordinates | 51°32′31″N2°59′6″W / 51.54194°N 2.98500°W /51.54194; -2.98500 |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 125 km (78 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,160 km2 (450 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Chain Bridge (Usk)[1] for 1957-2012 |
| • average | 27.919 m3/s (986.0 cu ft/s)for 1957-2012 |
| • minimum | 1.58 m3/s (56 cu ft/s)on 27 Aug 2003 |
| • maximum | 585.4 m3/s (20,670 cu ft/s)on 27 Dec 1979 |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Cilieni,Nant Brân,Ysgir,Honddu,Rhiangoll,Grwyne Fawr,Gavenny,Olway Brook |
| • right | Hydfer,Crai,Senni,Tarell,Cyrig,Nant Menasgin,Caerfanell,Crawnon,Clydach,Berthin Brook,Sôr Brook,Llwyd,Ebbw |
TheRiver Usk (/ʌsk/;Welsh:Afon Wysg)rises on the northern slopes of theBlack Mountain (y Mynydd Du),Wales, in the westernmost part of theBrecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary betweenCarmarthenshire andPowys, it flows north intoUsk Reservoir, then east throughSennybridge toBrecon before turning southeast to flow byTalybont-on-Usk,Crickhowell andAbergavenny, after which it takes a more southerly course.
Beyond the eponymous town ofUsk, it passes theRoman legionary fortress ofCaerleon to flow through the heart of the city ofNewport and into theSevern Estuary atUskmouth near theNewport Wetlands. The river is about 125 kilometres (78 miles) long[2] and drains a basin of 1160 km2.[3] According to theEncyclopaedia of Wales (which gives a figure of 137 km (85 mi)), the river is the longest to flow wholly within Wales.[4]
TheMonmouthshire and Brecon Canal follows the Usk for most of the length of the canal.
The name of the river derives from aCommon Brittonic word meaning "abounding in fish" (or possibly "water"); this root also appears in other British river names such asExe,Axe,Esk and other variants. The name iscognate withpysg (plural ofpysgod), theWelsh word for fish, borrowed from Latinpiscis.[5]
The name of the river appears as "Wÿsk" on theCambriae Typus map of 1573.[6]
The whole river has been designated aSite of Special Scientific Interest. It has anestuary withmudflats andsalt marsh,lagoons,bog and marsh, variedgrassland andwoodland habitats along its course. Its flora and fauna are diverse and includeAtlantic salmon,European otters,twait shad,shad,lamprey,European perch,brown trout,chub,common dace andcommon roach, as well askingfishers,grey herons and other wildfowl and bird life.Dippers can be seen upriver along withred kites in the river's valley upstream from around the town ofUsk.
The Usk has long been a noted salmon and trout fishing river. Salmon of over 30 pounds (14 kg) may still be caught. In 1999 the river had the highest estimated salmon egg deposition of any river south ofCumbria and theScottish rivers, and exceeded its spawning target.[7] The river has recently been rated as the bestfly fishing water in Wales for salmon and inside the UK Top Ten.[when?]
Thenormal tidal limit of the river is just below the bridge atNewbridge-on-Usk, some 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Newport.[8]
There are numerous bridge crossings of the river, variously for vehicles, pedestrians and rail traffic. A number are of historic interest, notably a series of largely eighteenth- and nineteenth-centurylisted structures between Abercamlais and Newport.
The highest crossing is that of Pont ar Wysg (translates fromWelsh asbridge on the Usk) which carries the moorland road west fromTrecastle to Twynllanan. There are a further couple of minor road crossings below theUsk Reservoir dam aroundCwmwysg, then Pont Newydd (translates asnew bridge) immediately south of Trecastle. In the vicinity ofSennybridge are Pont Pantysgallog, Pont Ynysyrwyddfa, Pont Senni (after which the village is named) and Pont Llwyncyntefin. Pont y Commin is of interest insofar as a former railway bridge carried theNeath and Brecon Railway at a high level diagonally over the road bridge itself. Three historic bridges span the river in quick succession: a pedestrian suspension bridge atAbercamlais and stone arch bridges at Abercamlais andPenpont (both Grade II* listed), withAberbrân bridge another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream.[9]
The Grade I listedUsk Bridge in Brecon dates back to 1563 but it was significantly altered in the 1950s to accommodate increased road traffic. It is supplemented by a modern concrete span bridge carrying theA40 Brecon bypass dual carriageway over the river to the east of the town. Another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) miles downstream is Lock Bridge, which carries the B4558 over the river, and immediately downstream again is the substantial Brynich Aqueduct carrying theMonmouthshire and Brecon Canal over the river atLlanfrynach. There was another pair of bridges atLlansantffraed but since the dismantling of the railway bridge only the road bridge linking toTalybont-on-Usk remains. A couple of private footbridges span the next section of the river before its waters pass beneath the historic (Grade I listed)Llangynidr Bridge.
Tower Bridge is a Grade II* listed structure providing private vehicular access intoGlanusk Park, the river then remaining unbridged downstream until the historic (Grade I listed)Crickhowell Bridge. AtGlangrwyney is abailey bridge installed after the earlier stone bridge was washed away, though there was once achain ferry crossing of the river nearLlanwenarth as the nearby Boat Farm testifies.[10]
Thenext bridge is that at Abergavenny connecting the town withLlanfoist. This Grade II* listed structure was accompanied on its upstream side by a railway bridge from the 1860s until the railway's closure in the late 1950s. Abergavenny is bypassed to the south by theA465 dual carriageway which crosses the river west of the Hardwicke roundabout. The bridge which carries the A4042 road over the river atLlanellen was built byJohn Upton in 1821.
A private footbridge spans the river atLlanover and the mainline railway crosses it atThe Bryn, a small village otherwise known as Llangattock Nigh Usk. The B4598 road is carried over the river by another Upton legacy, the Grade II* listedPant-y-Goitre Bridge nearLlanvihangel Gobion, and again by the 'Chain Bridge' nearKemeys Commander (the name of this iron arch structure is a hangover from the previous bridge which was supported by chains). The river is crossed by two bridges atUsk, the former railway crossing and, downstream, the Usk Bridge carrying the A472 road and theUsk Valley Walk. Yet another Grade II* listed structure, it was built byWilliam Edwards in the late 1740s. A long unbridged section follows until, just upstream from thenormal tidal limit on the Usk, it is crossed by the Grade II* listedNew Bridge atNewbridge-on-Usk, probably also a legacy of Edwards from 1779.
There are thirteen crossings within the boundaries of thecity of Newport. The Twenty Ten Bridge is a recently constructedprivate bridge upstream of Caerleon giving access to one of the golf courses associated with Celtic Manor. In Caerleon itself the B4236 road crosses by means ofCaerleon Bridge dating from 1806. Downstream are two rail crossings,upstream anddownstream of theM4 motorway crossing which comprises two independent structures carrying the east and westbound carriageways over the river together with two further structures carrying the A4042 slip roads forming a part of junction 25a of the motorway.
Newport Bridge, often known as Town Bridge, carries the B4591 immediately downstream of the second railway crossing, withNewport Castle between them.Newport City footbridge was opened in 2006 to carry both pedestrians and cyclists over the river as part of anurban regeneration project. Just downriver isGeorge Street Bridge carrying the B4237 road across, and downstream again isCity Bridge carrying the A48 dual carriageway across.Newport Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream of the many crossings of the Usk. Completed in 1906, it is one of fewer than 10such structures remaining in use across the world and, at just short of 200 metres (660 ft), is the longest of these.
There are a number of formerwatermills along the banks of the river, the majority of which were engaged in millingcorn forflour production. The uppermost mill on the Usk was that at Cwm-wysg, acorn mill of mediaeval origin at Ordnance Survey grid reference SN 849285.[11] Watergate Mill at Brecon (SO 435285) was another cornmill making use of water from the Usk, though post-mediaeval in date.[12] A couple of miles downstream was Millbrook Mill at Llanhamlach (SO 084268). This drew water via a 42m long leat from an 85m long weir spanning the width of the river.[13] Buckland Old Mill, upstream of Llangynidr (at SO 134201), is thought to have been another post-mediaeval cornmill.[14]
Three further mills sit close to the banks of the Usk between here and Crickhowell, though all draw their water from tributaries rather than the main river. Aberhoyw Mill takes water from theNant Cleisfer,[15] while Knight's Cornmill atTretower takes water via a 440-metre (1,440 ft) long leat from theRhiangoll,[16] and Usk Vale Mill at Glangrwyney draws its water from theGrwyne Fawr. The first two are post-mediaeval cornmills, the latter a nineteenth-centurypaper mill which was later converted to become a ‘sawdust mill’.[17] Forge Mill, north ofBettws Newydd at SO 355974, was still in use at the end of the nineteenth century, using a 200-metre (660 ft) long weir stretching between islands on the river to draw its water.[18] Gorrats Mill at Trostrey sits on the Usk's left bank at SO 359040.[19] The possible 16th-century Prioress Mill (SO 367022) at Rhadyr, just north of the town of Usk, was another which, whilst close to the Usk, drew its water from a tributary, in this case the Berthin Brook.[20]
In addition to these there is aleat beside the uppermost section of the river's course which is presumed to have drawn water off it at SN 816263 and transferred it via a contouring route across the moors for over 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Its northern end is hidden within 20th-century woodland south of Usk Reservoir.Archaeologists have postulated it as being of either mediaeval or even Roman origin but do not know its purpose.[21]
The River Usk has played an important role in the history ofWales and features in some local folk-tales.
Historically, the tidal reaches of the Usk have been used as a major shipping port for much of the last millennium, mostly because of its wide and deep mouth, and good navigable access from theSevern Estuary and theBristol Channel and thence access to home waters and further overseas.
Evidence of the Usk's long-standing use in transport and trade came in the form of the remains of theNewport Ship that were discovered in 2002. This ship, dated to around 1465, was most likely a trading vessel and may have sailed to Europe or even beyond.[22]
The Usk has also played a role in many local legends. The Medieval Latin textDe Ortu Waluuanii recounts a humorous tale in which an incognitoGawain pushes his uncleKing Arthur into the Usk, and is then forced to explain to his wife Gwendoloena (Guinevere) why he is so wet.[23]
Geoffrey of Monmouth writes ofCaerleon in the mid 12th century:
For it was located in a delightful spot inGlamorgan, on the River Usk, not far from theSevern Sea. Abounding in wealth more than other cities, it was suited for such a ceremony. For the noble river I have named flows along it on one side, upon which the kings and princes who would be coming from overseas could be carried by ship.
"It is not until the 13th centuryFrench prose romances thatCamelot began to supersede Caerleon, and even then, many descriptive details applied to Camelot derive from Geoffrey's earlier grand depiction of the Welsh town."[24]
The Usk valley contains many sites ofprehistorical archaeological significance and the valley has long been a trade route, settlement area and an avenue into Wales for successive invaders such as theRomans andNormans.
