geological and biological importance. It is protected by law. The site has an area of 778.18 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales. Hydrology The catchment of the river is estimated to be yielding an average flow at Glan Teifi, just upstream of Llechryd Bridge, of 29.126 m³/s. The maximum recorded flow between 1959 and 2011 was 373.6 m³/s on 18 October 1987. The average annual rainfall varies from in the upper catchment to in the lower catchment, which is higher than the average for United Kingdom at . Culture and history The Teifi valley has been inhabited since pre-history. There are many remains of Iron Age and Stone Age man including cromlechs (burial chambers) and standing stones. The remains of a medieval abbey stand at Strata Florida with some excellent examples of encaustic tiles on the floors. The river flows near to the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, its predecessor, the University of Wales, Lampeter (est. 1822) having been the oldest university established in Wales. The river forms the southern boundary of the hamlet of Pen-y-wenallt. Between Cenarth and Cardigan, there is an ancient tradition of fishing and travel using coracles – very simple light-weight boats made of bent sticks covered with waterproofed hide or skins. These are paddled by a single oar used at the front of the craft which requires great skill. The principal use for coracles is for salmon fishing using nets. This form of fishing is now very tightly controlled and the right to fish in this way is passed down from father to son. There is also an age-old tradition of illegal salmon and sea-trout fishing in the lower Teifi. In 1188 Giraldus Cambrensis observed what is thought to have been the last colony of European beaver in England or Wales on the Teifi. See also Cardigan Castle Cenarth Falls Cilgerran Castle Coedmor National Nature Reserve Teifi Valley Railway References Teifi Teifi Teifi Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Ceredigion Teifi