Central Wales
Llanddewi-Brefi
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| On the main road into the village. |
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| Llanddewi-Brefi
is situated on the banks of the River Brefi, on the site of a first
century Roman settlement called Bremia, or "bubbling stream". |
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| The New Inn, our bed and breakfast, and the only store in the village on the right. |
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| Tossing back a pint at the New Inn. |
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| The church of Dewi Sant (St. David) just northeast of the small town square. The site has been associated with St. David and religious worship since the 6th century A.D. and possibly a site of a sixth century synod attended by David himself. It was a major collegiate church and center of learning by the 1300's. |
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| The church and cemetary overlook the village. |
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| The
small, round stone at lower left is a Roman monument commemorating a
cohort from the Asturias. It may have been taken from the Roman
fort named 'Bremia', an early form of the name Brefi, at nearby Llanio. The stones protruding from the wall are all that is left of the transcept. |
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| Looking toward the altar. Kneeler pads hang on the backs of the pews. |
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| The five inscribed stones inside the church were removed from the churchyard in the 1950's. They date from the seventh to the ninth centuries. The center stone reads 'Dallus Dumelus' - Bitter, or Unlucky, Dallus - and possibly dates from the sixth century. |
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| The tall stone is known as Cenlisinus Stone. It reads 'CENLISINI BT DS' (Benedicat Deus) - 'The stone of Cenlisinus, may God bless him'. |
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| Wood for these pews was donated by Queen
Adelaide, consort of King William IV as a retirement gift to her
personal physician, Sir David Davies of Gorwydd Farm, Llanddewi-Brefi, baptised in the church in 1792. |
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| Ascending to the pulpit. |
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| Cymraeg (Welsh) is still the main language outside Cardiff. |
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| Beautiful tiles line aisles and altar spaces. |
Walking the Welsh countryside around Llanddewi-Brefi
The Welsh countryside is crisscrossed by a series of public access trails which cross farms, fields and rivers. Walking in the fresh
air is considered to be indispensable for good health, and most communities have a published field guide to the trails in their areas.
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| An old Quaker cemetary lies in grove of trees, although nothing is visible in the undergrowth. |
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| and | All the houses and farms have a unique Welsh name. |
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| Talfan house. |
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| Climbing the surrounding hills on the walking paths affords some beautiful rural vistas. |
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| A beautiful stone bridge over a small stream. |
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| Many fences and hedgerows have 'kissing gates' which swing in a u-shaped enclosure to allow passage on the walking paths. |
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| A nice bench to rest on. |
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| There are definitely more sheep than people in the Llanddewi-Brefi valley! |
Some views along the River Brefi
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| Remnants of an old mill in a now dry diverted channel. |
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| This
farm was the site of the first century Roman fort and encampment.
The river Tefi provided transport to silver mines at Llanfair Clydogau
and gold mines at Pumsaint. |
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