THE
LOCATION:
Approximate
Distances:
Llanon
village ½ mile northerly, Llanrhystud 3 miles northerly,
Aberaeron 4 miles south-westerly, New Quay 10½ miles
south-west, Aberystwyth 12 miles north, Tregaron 14½
miles east, Lampeter 15 miles south-east, Borth 18 miles north,
Machynlleth 29 miles north-east, Cardigan 26½ miles
south-west, Carmarthen 34 miles south, Swansea 57½
south, Cardiff 87 miles south-east.
Schools:
Llanon Primary School is
about ¾ mile northerly, Pennant Primary School is about
3 miles southerly, and Mefenydd Primary School at Llanrhystud
is about 3¼ miles northerly. Aberaeron Comprehensive
School is about 4 miles south-westerly. Aberystwyth, 12 miles
north, provides secondary schools, college of further education,
and university campuses. Universities of Wales
are located at Aberystwyth, Lampeter, Carmarthen, Swansea,
Cardiff, Newport, and Bangor.
Travel:
The property's long driveway
turns off the A487 coast road the A487
runs from Haverfordwest through Fishguard and Cardigan up
to Aberystwyth, Snowdonia and beyond. The A48/M4-Link
road can be accessed at Carmarthen, some 34 miles
southwards.
Railway
Stations: Aberystwyth
(Shrewsbury/Birmingham) and Carmarthen (Swansea/Cardiff/London).
Ferry
service to Rosslare in
Ireland can be accessed at Fishguard Harbour, 45 miles south-westerly.
Cardiff
International Airport
is about 86 miles to the south-east.
Llanon
is about half a mile northerly
from the property along the A487, an old coastal settlement
named after a chapel that was dedicated to St. Non, the mother
of St. David, who lived in Llanon as a child. The village
offers a Spar convenience store, two butchers, a baker, a
primary school, tennis courts, a playing field, a community
hall, and a petrol filling station. The Plas Morfa hotel is
nearer the seashore, with a good restaurant. The neighbouring
hamlet of Llansantffraid has a substantial
church with a 14th century tower a local landmark.
The
river Peris enters the sea at the northern side of Llansantffraid
& Llanon, and the river Cledan flows into the bay further
to the south. The area between the two rivers is known as
Morfa Esgob. Legend has it that, in medieval times, St. David
bestowed strips of this fertile coastal shelf land to poor
local people, forming a patchwork of open narrow fields known
as slangs. The pattern of slangs can still be seen at a large
conservation area within Morfa Esgob, which translates to
Bishop's Moor so it is more likely that the land was owned
by the church. Historically, this stretch of good agricultural
land bordering the sea here and up to Llanrhystud was once
noted for its abundant crops of barley, the soil being fertilised
and sweetened with either locally produced lime or seaweed.
Illegal brewing from the barley was rife in the early 19th
century. In addition to farming, seafaring and boat building
were also important during the 18th and 19th centuries, when
Llanon developed into quite a large community. There are several
listed buildings in Llanon.
The
beach here is mainly of pebble and stone with some sand at
ebb tide, and is usually very quiet. A coastal path leads
up to Llanrhystud, passing old lime kilns en route, and vantage
points offer glorious views of the sweeping coastline to Aberaeron
and New Quay and on a clear day up to the Lleyn Peninsula
and Snowdonia. The Cardigan Bay coast is famous for grey seals,
bottlenose and common dolphins, porpoises, and abundant bird
life. Inland, the countryside offers rolling hills, beautiful
scenery and picturesque villages, whilst larger towns are
within easy travelling distance, as are numerous visitor attractions.
Llanrhystud
is 3 miles northerly
from the property, set at the mouth of the River Wyre a
large village and popular seaside destination, with a general
store/post office, pub, garage, primary school, cafe, and
an old church (a listed building). Llanrhystud has an extensive
beach, suitable for swimming, surfing and sailing, with flat
sand at low tide, and the Penrhos leisure complex is on the
outskirts of town with an 18-hole Golf Course.
Fantasy
Farm Park is 3½ miles north-east of the property, with
milking demonstrations, lamb feeding, etc., and the Aberaeron
Wildlife and Leisure Park is 3½ miles southerly.
Aberaeron
is only 4 miles south-west of the property, at the mouth of
the River Aeron. With its elegant, brightly painted houses,
sparkling water and picturesque harbour, this charming Georgian
seaside town is sometimes known as the Jewel of Cardigan
Bay. Serving the rural communities of the area, the bustling
town offers good shopping and craft centres selling local
produce, plenty of pubs and eateries, primary and secondary
schools, doctors and dentist, church, leisure centre, swimming
pool, 9-hole pitch & putt golf course, regattas, concerts,
festivals, carnival, and delightful walks and cycle rides.
Aberaeron began life as a small herring-fishing village, but
gradually grew into an important ship building centre and
trading port. After the harbour was built in the early 19th
century, the Rev. Alban Gwynne constructed a new town and
it is reputed that the famous Georgian architect, John Nash,
was involved in the design. The arrival of railways in Wales
saw the decline of the sea-faring industries, and the town
developed as a popular holiday resort. Recreational craft
now use the harbour, which has good mooring facilities and
a thriving sailing club. Boat trips are available out into
the bay to view the rugged coastline and marine wildlife.
The local seashore is pebbled, with fine sand visible at low
tide, and, for surfers, Aberaeron is a point break' which
works on big southerly swells.
On
the outskirts of Aberaeron, 6½ miles south of the property,
is the delightful Llanerchaeron Estate in
the Aeron valley. Managed by the National Trust and open to
visitors in season, the estate has a fine late 18th century
mansion, also designed by John Nash, walled gardens with glass
houses, a range of historic farm buildings, and extensive
grounds offering walks and beautiful views. A traffic-free
cycleway and riverside walk runs between Aberaeron and Llanerchaeron,
passing through Panteg Woods, which are decorated with daffodils
and bluebells in springtime, where kingfishers and dippers
can be glimpsed. The Aeron is a small river that rises in
the uplands of Mynydd Bach, a wild, unspoilt moorland area
about 8 miles north-east of the property.
New
Quay is about 10½
miles south-west of the property, hugging the hills overlooking
the bay, with terraces of narrow streets, delightful houses,
and a selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. With its sheltered
harbour, surf school, life boat station, and wide, sandy beaches,
New Quay is popular for family holidays, as well as attracting
sailing and water sports enthusiasts. This old fishing village
grew with the ship building and lime making industries in
the 18th and 19th Centuries, but tourism took the lead after
their decline, although fishing still continues on a small
scale. The well known New Quay Cliff Walk climbs steeply above
the town giving fabulous, far reaching views from the top.
Regular boats leave the harbour for dolphin-watching trips,
as these delightful creatures have become quite a tourist
attraction.
Cardigan
Bay is an important environment
for a variety of marine life. The Heritage Coast between New
Quay and Tresaith was created in 1992, and the adjacent sections
of sea were designated as a Conservation Area in 1996. Even
hump back whales have been seen travelling across the bay.
Aberystwyth
is about 12 miles northerly.
Situated at the mouths of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol,
this delightful town lies between three hills and two beaches
and is surrounded by beautiful, unspoilt countryside. Regarded
as the capital of mid Wales, being the main holiday resort
and administrative centre for the west coast, the town is
home to the National Library, has a University set near the
seashore (founded 1872), and a mix of architecture with several
historic buildings. There is a wide promenade and a marina,
and Victorian/Edwardian buildings line the front. The town
has good shopping amenities, an arts centre, cinema, sports
facilities, general hospital, numerous cafes, bars and restaurants,
hotels and pubs, and the usual seaside attractions, as well
as the ruins of an ancient Welsh castle and, in the hills
nearby, the remains of an iron age fort. The leisure centre
has two swimming pools, sports hall, fitness room, health
suite, outdoor pitches, cafe and bar. There is an 18-hole
parkland Golf Course at the edge of town with sea views. The
Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway climbs Constitution Hill
from the promenade, and stunning views can be enjoyed from
the summit, where the famous Camera Obscura with its revolving
mirror is sited (a reproduction of the Victorian original).
Aberystwyth has a main line Railway Station
as well as a Coach/Bus Station. Trains run
to Machynlleth, Shrewsbury and Birmingham.
The
Vale of Rheidol Railway (a narrow gauge
steam railway) travels over 11¾ miles between
Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge, offering beautiful views across
the valley. The railway was completed in 1902 to serve the
lead mining and timber industries. The train journey takes
approximately one hour, as a height difference of some 600
feet has to be negotiated. Devil's Bridge
(about 19 miles north-east of the property) crosses the steep
woodland gorge cut by the Rheidol river, with walks to the
spectacular Mynach Falls, where the river Mynach plunges down
to join the Rheidol some 300 feet below.
The
Ystwyth Valley
lies to the east of the property and the upper valley has
lovely places to visit. Just past the hillside village of
Pontrhydygroes (17 miles away) are the Hafod Estate
and Pwllpeiran, offering scenic
walks, with craggy rivers, waterfalls, meadows and woodland,
and delightful views of the mountains. Nearby is the old mining
village of Cwmystwyth, 21 miles north-east
of the property, where the local landscape contains many remnants
of its metal mining past. The sides of the river valley are
very steep and cliff-like, with high moors stretching beyond.
Here, the B4574 road offers a charming minor route along the
valley, then crossing the vast, dramatic upland region of
Elenydd (the Green Desert of Wales) eastwards to Rhayader
(35 miles) and the Elan Valley the spectacular
lakelands of mid Wales.
Lampeter
is 15 miles south-easterly
in the lovely Teifi Valley, a traditional market town on the
border of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, providing good shops,
main post office, a leisure centre with swimming pool, cafes,
restaurants, pubs, primary and secondary schools, and university
the oldest in the country (dating back to 1822) occupying
a beautiful setting in the Cambrian Mountain foothills and
specialising in the humanities and social sciences. Lampeter's
summer events include a Food Festival, the Rhys Thomas James
Eisteddfod, the Drovers Arts Festival and a Carnival.
The
Upper Teifi Valley offers
delightful places to visit. Tregaron is
about 14½ miles easterly, a walking/cycling/fishing/bird-watching
tourist centre at the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains,
with paths and tracks for walking and riding. To the north
of Tregaron is the remarkable, red-tinted Cors Caron
Marshland Nature Reserve a haven for a wide variety
of birds, including the Red Kite. The romantic ruins of Strata
Florida Abbey are 18 miles east on the banks of
the Teifi, dating back to the 12th century, where many Welsh
princes are buried. A few miles north-east of the Abbey are
the Teifi Pools, the source of the river Teifi, which journeys
over about 70 miles down to its estuary at Cardigan. The river
forms most of the boundary between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire,
and is popular with canoeists and anglers. The Cambrian
Mountains occupy the region between the Snowdonia
and Brecon Beacons National Parks to the north and south,
the plateau generally being between 1500ft and 2500ft above
sea level empty and magnificent with the long-distance
Cambrian Way Footpath travelling the length.
Borth
is 18 miles north of the
property, beyond Aberystwyth, built on a spithead where low
tide reveals the remains of an ancient forest which flourished
here before the Ice Age caused the sea level to rise and submerge
it. Borth has three miles of golden sands, an Animalarium,
and Cors Fochno bog, a coastal salt marsh with important habitats
for a variety of wildlife. Beyond Borth are the expansive
Ynyslas sand dunes south of the Dovey (Dyfi) Estuary,
with Snowdonia National Park on the other side. Alongside
the estuary is the Cambrian Coast railway, which runs from
Aberystwyth up to Machynlleth, where a branch line hugs the
coast to Pwllheli on the beautiful Lleyn peninsula.
Machynlleth
is 29 miles north-east
of the property, the main town of the Dyfi Valley, with the
internationally renowned Centre for Alternative Technology
(CAT) a couple of miles beyond. The glorious landscapes
of Snowdonia National Park unfold to the
north of Machynlleth, encompassing mountains and moorland,
lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, forests and country parks,
golden beaches and castles.
Plynlimon
is 29 miles or so to the
north-east of the property, a wild, remote upland region with
high peaks and deep valleys, where the Rivers Rheidol and
Ystwyth rise, as well as the Rivers Wye and Severn further
to the east. The impressive Nant-y-Moch Reservoir and Dam
is at the western side of Plynlimon Fawr. A tunnel carries
the water down to the Rheidol Power Station a few miles southwards.
Carmarthen
is 34 miles southwards
in the Towy Valley , with traditional shops, bustling markets
and modern shopping amenities with well known stores, and
general hospital. The town is served by good rail links through
Swansea to Cardiff, and main roads radiate out to all regions,
including the A40, A48/M4-link, A484 and A485. The ruins of
a Roman Amphitheatre are a town attraction, and the remains
of a Norman castle built circa 1094 overlook the town and
river.
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