| River Taff (Afon Taf) | |
| River | |
| Countries | United Kingdom, Wales |
|---|---|
| Region | South Wales |
| County | Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cardiff |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Afon Bargoed Taf |
| - right | Afon Cynon, Rhondda River |
| Cities | Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris, Pontypridd, Cardiff |
| Source | |
| - location | Cefn-Coed-y-Cymer, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
| Length | 64.0 km (40 mi) |
The River Taff (Welsh: Afon Taf) is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan (Little Taff) and the Taf Fawr (Big Taff) — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil. The river supports a number of migratory fish, including salmon, sea trout, and eel.
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From its confluence at Cefn-Coed-y-Cymer, the river flows south, passing several towns. It picks up a few tributaries, such as the River Cynon, River Rhondda, Bargoed Taf and Nant Clydach. It flows underneath the M4 Motorway, before turning southeastward and flowing through the Cardiff suburbs of Radyr, Whitchurch, Llandaff, Pontcanna, the city centre and Grangetown, before emptying into Cardiff Bay, near to the mouth of the River Ely.
In the early 1840s the South Wales Railway was trying to find a suitable site for a railway station, but the area that is now Cardiff Central railway station was prone to flooding. At this point the main route of the Taff was around Cardiff Castle and down what is now Westgate Street, with the lands where Cardiff Arms Park and the Millennium Stadium are now sited tidal flats which were prone to flood.
It was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's solution to divert the Taff to the west, creating a larger and safer site for the station. The station was opened by the South Wales Railway in 1850.[1]
The Taf Fawr rises below Corn Du, south-west of Pen y Fan and flows south through Beacons Reservoir, Cantref Reservoir and Llwyn-on Reservoir.
The Taff Fechan rises immediately to the south of Pen y Fan and runs southwards through the two Neuadd Reservoirs, Pentwyn Reservoir and finally Pontsticill reservoir before descending into a wooded gorge and flowing south-westwards around the Gurnos estate. To the south of Cefn-coed-y-cymmer, the Taf Fechan and Taf Fawr merge at the wooded confluence that gives Cefn-coed-y-cymmer its name.
Underneath Cefn Viaduct, the Nant Ffrwd, a tributary that runs eastward in a deep wooded gorge before flowing into the Taf Faw above the confluence with the Taf Fechan , emerges into the river from a deep, narrow gorge.
The Taff continues south through the centre of Merthyr Tydfil, where it is joined by the Nant Morlais which emerges at Abermorlais from a culvert in the east bank. Just south of Merthyr weir, the Nant Rhydycar joins.
South of Merthyr, the Taff begins to meander its way between Pentrebach and Abercanaid and through Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Vale and Aberfan towards Quakers Yard. Here, the Taff Bargoed and then down into Abercynon in the Cynon Valley where the Afon Cynon merge with the Taff and, slightly further downstream the Nant Clydach joins.[2] At Pontypridd it is joined by the Afon Rhondda. From Pontypridd, it runs roughly south, through Taff's Well and Radyr, before arriving at the northern boundary of the city of Cardiff in Llandaff.
In Cardiff, the natural course of the river was changed during the 19th century; from Cardiff Castle it now follows an artificial riverbed west of where it previously flowed, now following a path through Bute Park and next to the Cardiff Arms Park and the former National Stadium, now the Millennium Stadium, and into Cardiff Bay, which has now become an artificial lake due to the construction of a barrage across the mouth of this river and the River Ely It then flows out into the Severn estuary.
The term "Taffy", used as a nickname for people from Cardiff and by extension from anywhere in Wales, is sometimes thought to originate from the name of the river. It may be seen as slightly derogatory. Alternatively, however, the term may have originated from "Dafydd" (David) which is a popular Welsh first name.