Debris at River Dee beauty spot slammed as 'eyesore'

FALLEN TREES AND BRANCHES FORMING 'ISLANDS' AT HORSESHOE FALLS

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE

Fallen trees and branches are collecting downstream, main. Below, one of two wooden diverters preventing debris from entering the canal, and visitors on the river bank

(PICTURES: GRAHAM DAVIES AND GARETH JAMES/WIKI)

THE state of a popular beauty spot on the River Dee has been blasted as an “eyesore” by appalled visitors.

Trees, branches and litter washed down the river have become mired at Llangollen’s Horseshoe Falls creating “islands” of woody debris.

The graceful curve of Thomas Telford’s 140-metre weir draws more than 100,000 visitors each year. There have been complaints the Denbighshire attraction is suffering over-tourism and now some visitors are wondering if it’s worth the effort.

Recent photos show great mounds of debris stranded just downstream of the weir. On Tripadvisor, a recent visitor said Horseshoe Falls was a “beautiful place spoiled by debris”

Another added: “Was very disappointed to see the falls was littered with winter debris that surely should have been cleared away. At one place a whole tree was wedged across.”

With more material piling up, the issue was flagged on social media this week. Voicing alarm, a local man worried the site would become “unrecognisable, buried under a mountain of fallen trees”.

A woman told the Daily Post: “They want to create a national park incorporating places like Horseshoe Falls.

“But I’m not sure people will want to come if they can’t see it properly. It’s a beauty spot which used to have a lovely clear pool below the weir - now it's littered with debris islands in the river.