Cefn Mably Farm Park facing year-long closure due to floods

Cefn Mably Farm, a stone's throw from the Rhymney, and was flooded on Tuesday after the river burst its banks, sending a torrent of filthy water through the site.

"It came right through like a river," said owner Rhys Edwards of the surge of water .

"It crashed right through an animal barn.

"The whole site was under water."

Mr Edwards explained that there had been extensive damage to the farm, play area, shop and café.

"It will stop us opening for likely a whole year," he said.

The Edwards family, who own Cefn Mably Farm, have been busy cleaning up after Storm Dennis. Pictured are Alyiona and Rhys Edwards with one-year-old Tatiana and four-year-old Dasha. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

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With this week being half term, Mr Edwards explained that normal service would have seen the farm putting money in the bank to cover the quieter times of the year.

However, due to the incessant bad weather over the last few months, this has not been possible.

"It’s been a terrible winter for us," he said.

"It’s been raining all winter, it hasn’t stopped.

"We’re already down 30-40 per cent, financially.

"February half term is usually one of our busiest times of the year too. "Half term and the school holidays are how we’re here throughout the rest of the year."

He added that, despite the ongoing closures - which are likely to last well into this year - all of the farm staff still have to be paid.

Despite the financial implications, Mr Edwards said that the silver lining was that all of the animals on the farm had been saved from the surging water.

Dasha Edwards, four, with Dennis the lamb, who was born and named after the storm that flooded Cefn Mably Farm Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

South Wales Fire and Rescue service was otherwise engaged saving human lives all over the south Wales region as the water engulfed Cefn Mably Farm.

As a result, Mr Edwards and his team had to take matters into their own hands.

"Luckily, we managed to rescue all of the animals," he said.

"We were chest-high in water dragging the animals up to higher ground.

"We didn’t lose a single animal.

"The sheep have just started lambing too."

A crowdfunding page has been set up to help recoup some of the lost revenue, and to cover the cost of repairs. To make a donation, visit gofundme.com/f/cefn-mably-farm-park