Pistyll Rhaeadr

Pistyll Rhaeadr (Welsh pronunciation: [pɪstɨ̞ɬ r̥eɨ̯adr], meaning "waterfall (of) Rhaeadr"^{[Note 1]}) is a waterfall 4 miles (6 kilometres) from the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant in Powys, Wales, and 16 miles (26 kilometres) west of Oswestry.

Pistyll Rhaeadr (Llanrhader waterfall)
Pistyll Rhaeadr. Note the natural arch in the middle.
Location	Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Powys, Wales
OS grid	SJ 0726 2951
Coordinates	52°51′17.97″N 3°22′42.74″W
Type	Plunge
Total height	240 ft (73 m)

Description

Pistyll Rhaeadr is formed by the Afon Disgynfa (disgynfa also means "waterfall") falling, in three stages, over a 240-foot (73 m)^[1] Silurian cliff-face, below which the river is known as the Afon Rhaeadr. The tallest stage is estimated at 40 metres (130 ft).^[2] It is counted as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The 19th-century author George Borrow, in his book Wild Wales, remarked of the waterfall: "What shall I liken it to? I scarcely know, unless it is to an immense skein of silk agitated and disturbed by tempestuous blasts, or to the long tail of a grey courser at furious speed. I never saw water falling so gracefully, so much like thin, beautiful threads as here."

There is car-parking space near the foot of the waterfall for people who want to explore the waterfall, with a café and a B&B alongside.

The waterfall is often referred to by the media,^[3][4] government sources,^[5] and other sources^[6] as the tallest in Wales or the tallest single drop in the United Kingdom.^[7] However, it is not a single drop, and both its single drop height and its total height are surpassed by both the Devil's Appendix and Pistyll y Llyn, as well as several other waterfalls.^[8][9]

See also

• List of waterfalls of the United Kingdom

Notes

1. i.e. the waterfall at the head of the Rhaeadr. The river name itself is from rhaeadr = "waterfall".