Mwnt

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Mwnt Church from the headland

Mwnt Church

Mwnt beach

Lime kiln at Mwnt

Mwnt is a very small community and ancient parish in south Ceredigion, Wales, on the Irish Sea coast about 7 km from Cardigan. It gets its name from the prominent steep conical hill, a landmark from much of Cardigan Bay, that rises above the beach.

It was the site of an unsuccessful invasion by Flemings in 1155, and its defeat was long afterwards celebrated on the first Sunday in January as "Sul Coch y Mwnt". It is said that the bones of the defeated invaders would occasionally be visible under the sand when uncovered by windy conditions in the early twentieth century.

The Church of the Holy Cross (Welsh: Eglwys y Grog) is an interesting example of a medieval sailor's chapel of ease. The site is said to have been used since the Age of the Saints, but the present building is probably 14th century. It has an excellent example of a 12th or 13th century font made of Preseli stone. Mwnt was a civil parish in its own right for several centuries, but before the 17th century it was a detached chapelry of the parish of Llangoedmor. Since 1934, it has been part of the parish of Y Ferwig.

The area is popular for its stunning scenery, especially the safe secluded beach. Both the church and the beach have been preserved for posterity in the custody of the National Trust. The Irish Sea off Mwnt is rich in wildlife, being a regular summer home to dolphins, seals and porpoises.

For the past 30 years, it has been the holiday retreat for National Assembly for Wales First Minister Rhodri Morgan, who said: "every one needs a holiday and this is the perfect place to relax."