Afon Col-huw

The Afon Col-huw is a very short river in Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It is an exceptionally short river, with a length of only 1 mile/1.6 kilometres long. It is formed when two rivers, the Ogney Brook and the Hoddnant converge south of Llantwit Major. Its valley, the Cwm Col-huw, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument - it was used in the Dig for Victory campaign in World War II.Ogney BrookThe Ogney Brook is one of the two rivers that join to form the Col-huw. Its total length is over 1 mile long, and it flows along the western fringes of Llantwit Major. Its source is just northwest of the town. In 1998 the brook flooded, causing significant damage to 9 properties and a pumping station.HoddnantThe Hoddnant is the larger of the Col-huw's tributaries. It is two miles long and is formed at Llanmaes, at the confluence of the Llanmaes Brook and the Boverton Brook. In days gone by, the Hoddnant's name was translated into English, and it became known as the Merryvale, or Merry Brook.Boverton BrookThe Boverton Brook is the smaller of the Hoddnant's two tributaries. It does not run through Boverton per se; by then it has merged with the Llanmaes Brook to form the Hoddnant. The Boverton Brook flooded significantly in the 1998 floods, causing damage on the 31st of October that year to 11 properties and an electricity sub-station.Llanmaes BrookThe Llanmaes Brook is the longest section of the Col-huw watercourse. Its source is over a kilometre north of Llantwit Major. The Brook flows in a southeastern direction through the town of Llanmaes, joining the Boverton Brook by a railway in northeast Boverton. Like many other small Welsh rivers, the Llanmaes Brook caused damage and flooding in the 1998 floods; in Llanmaes a total of 7 properties were disrupted, and the floodwaters also caused havoc as they flooded the properties downstream. Areas of Llanmaes are still susceptible to flooding today.