Aberdaron
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ABERDARON
Pendraw’r Byd - Land’s End of Wales
Tucked
around two streams, or facing the sea, or straggling up the hills are
the buildings that give Aberdaron its character: the lime-washed
fishermen's cottages, the old post office designed by the architect of
Portmeirion, Clough Williams-Ellis, the cafes, shops, and hotels, and
the church of St Hywyn.
It's 'Aber' in Welsh and in Scottish Gaelic; in English, 'the mouth of a river'. Here, on the south coast of the Llyn. Peninsula it is the Afon Daron which flows into the bay and gives its name to the village. On each side of the river's mouth is the beach for walking on and playing on, always changing its shape with the tides and the seasons, and a promenade where you can watch the sailing boats and regattas in the bay.
There's a tributary that comes into the village near the simple, 17th century stone bridge: it's called Afon Cyll-y-felin, in English 'the river from a spring by the mill'. There are two springs marked on the OS Explorer Map (scale 1:25,000). See if you can find them!
If you look at a map you'll see that all the houses and places are in Europe's oldest living language, and indeed Welsh is the mother tongue of most of the people who live here. If you ask for translations of these names you'll find that you almost have a map in your hands. Try asking about 'Uwchmynydd' and 'Mynydd Mawr' and 'Rhiw' and 'Rhoshirwaun'.
Some of the stonework of St Hywyn's Church dates back to about 1100, and inside are two 6th century burial stones, a peaceful atmosphere, and a display about the life and work of R. S. Thomas, the leading poet in Wales writing in the English language in the 20th century, and parish priest of Aberdaron from 1967-78.
The householders in and around Aberdaron have farmed and fished here for centuries, and you'll find sheep and cattle grazing the pastures and lobsters, crabs, and mackerel to be caught in the sea. A boat will take you fishing, or on a trip around the end of the peninsula, or for a day or more to Ynys EnIli, Bardsey Island. (The Welsh is literally translated as 'the isle of the swirling currents'.) Or you can go coarse fishing on two lakes in Rhoshirwaun.
In the Middle Ages, hundreds of pilgrims found their way along the coast to Aberdaron, hoping that the weather would be fair enough for the two-mile crossing to Bardsey. In the old days three pilgrimages there were equivalent to one pilgrimage to Rome. It may be an exaggeration to claim that 20,000 saints were buried on the island, but there's good evidence that many of the early missionary-monks went there when their travelling days in their coracles were over. You can trace the outline of beehive huts on the western slopes of the hill, looking towards the setting sun, a good place to ponder on serious things. Later, an Augustinian abbey was built, whose ruins you can now visit, and the community there received King Edward I and his Court in 1284.
Bardsey just might be the place where King Arthur was buried. A large
offshore rock to the east of Aberdaron (OS 209251) is called Maen
Gwenonwy, Arthur's sister's name. Nearby is the small cove of Porth
Cadlan, the name being derived from an older Welsh word, 'Cadgamlan',
translated 'a rout in a battle'. King Arthur's final battle was fought
in Camlan' a word which is also thought to be derived from 'Cadgarnian'.
Could 'Cadlan' and 'Camlan' be one and the same? Could 'EnIli' be
'Avalon', the island of apples? Maybe it would be too romantic to expect
Merlin to ride on horse out of the morning mist!
Visit Bardsey if you can. There are daily trips in the summer, weather
permitting. In any event, make your way westwards from the village to
the end of the peninsula, where you'll see the island, and, on a very
clear day, the hills of County Wicklow in Ireland (OS 145255). A
footpath down a short valley leads to the rocks and a clamber (take
care) to see Ffynnon Fair, Mary's Well, a freshwater spring which is
covered twice a day by the sea.
It's a bird-watchers' paradise anywhere at 'finisterre', Wales' 'land's end'. Look out for the chough, emblem of the Llŷn Peninsula, as well as the kittiwakes, kestrels, puffins, stone chats, guillemots, and manx shearwaters. To hear the shearwaters at night in the early summer is an experience you'll never forget. In spring and autumn you can see flocks of migrating birds.
These days the local economy is very much dependent on tourists and pilgrims, and you will find a warm welcome in the hostelries and B&Bs, the self-catering houses and the caravan and camping sites. Once you've tasted Aberdaron you'll want to come back again and again. Many people are hooked for life!
The
area around Aberdaron is a walker's paradise. You can leave your vehicle
in the car park in the centre of the village, or use it to get to some
of the outlying places. Try the coastal path to Porth Meudwy (OS
16425.3), which is where the Bardsey boat goes from. Or go further to
the end of the peninsula at Pen-y-Cil (OS 158240), and walk back along
the lanes. Then there are delightful beaches to explore: Porth Ysgo,
past disused manganese mine workings (OS 204263), Porthoer (OS 167300),
often referred to as 'Whistling Sands', where there is a cafe in the
summer, and Porth )ago (OS 167317) further along the north coast. Two
miles north-east of Aberdaron you can find one of Europe's earliest Iron
Age settlements, Castel) Odo (OS 187285). Pottery found there has been
dated to 425BC. The hill fort is at 480 feet above sea level, and you
can still find traces of ten circular huts. A more recent attraction is
the house Plas yn Rhiw, 'the large house on the hill', (OS 237286),
owned by the National Trust. There is a garden and a shop and, in clear
weather, views across to Snowdonia.
We hope we have whetted your appetite. A warm Welsh welcome awaits you, in and around Aberdaron, the last village west on the LIŷn Peninsula. Come soon. We're open all year round!