- River Ely
The River Ely ( _cy. Afon Elai) is a
river inSouth Wales flowing generally south east, fromTonyrefail to thecapital city ofCardiff .The river is about 24 miles long. Its source lies in the mountains to the south of
Tonypandy , RCT rising in the eastern slopes of Mynydd Penygraig (Penygraig ) and Mynydd y Gilfach (Penrhiwfer), and the western slopes of Mynydd Dinas (Williamstown), whose eastern slopes feed theRhondda byPorth .The Ely flows through
Tonyrefail , and then through the grounds of theRoyal Glamorgan Hospital atYnysmaerdy , following the main A4119 (Tonypandy toCardiff Bay ( _cy. Bae Caerdydd)) route through the valley pass formed between Mynydd Garthmaetwg (Llantrisant Forest), to the west andLlantrisant , to the east. Flowing throughTalbot Green ( _cy. Tonysguboriau), the Ely is joined by the River Clun atPontyclun , before heading east toMiskin ( _cy. Meisgyn) and turning south once more, reaching the western edge of the rural lowlands of City and County of Cardiff ( _cy. Dinas a Sir Caerdydd) immediately south of Junction 34 of theM4 motorway . It passes the Museum of Welsh Life atSt. Fagans and then continues through residentialCardiff suburbs such asPentrebane and Caerau and Ely ( _cy. Trelai) before flowing into Cardiff Bay, byPenarth Marina .Despite it being close to these densely populated settlements, major roads like the M4 motorway, and the busy
South Wales Main Line , it still retains a rural feel.Organisms
The River Ely contains
brown trout ,rainbow trout ,perch ,chub ,eel ,grayling ,sea trout andsalmon .Ely Valley Trail
The
Countryside Council for Wales has made studies into developing a footpath/cycleway beside the river with the proposed name of "Ely Valley Trail". The intended benefits are to allow people from urban Cardiff easier access to the countryside, and for people in rural areas to have another commuting option into the city centre.
Parts of this trail are now open.
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