Abercych

Abercych

Pont Treseli carrying the B4332 over Afon Cych
Abercych
Abercych shown within Pembrokeshire
OS grid reference SN248409
Principal area
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Boncath
Postcode district SA37
Dialling code 01239
Police Dyfed-Powys
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
EU Parliament Wales
UK Parliament
Welsh Assembly

Abercych (or Abercuch, Welsh pronunciation: [ɑbərkiːx]) is a small village in the community of Manordeifi, northeast Pembrokeshire in South West Wales, located approximately half a kilometre from the tripoint of the counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The village developed from a number of small settlements along the west bank of Afon Cych, which flows into the River Teifi nearby, giving the village its name, meaning "mouth of the Cych".

The village has two pubs, one of which brews its own beer, and two chapels.

Description

Abercych is a village in the parish and community of Manordeifi, Pembrokeshire,[1] of fewer than 100 houses scattered mostly along the sides of a small lane that runs along the western slopes of the Cych valley. It is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from the nearest town, Newcastle Emlyn.

The Nags Head pub and microbrewery

The village is rural with no industry except for a timber sawmill at the western end of the village. It has a village hall[2] which hosts the Manordeifi Community Council meetings every other month,[3] and two public houses - The Penrhiw Inn and The Nag's Head; the latter has its own microbrewery.[4]

There is a number of small 'cottage industries' in the village including Sacred Hoop Magazine. Clynfyw, a 16th-century mansion rebuilt in the 18th century,[5] is a Community interest company care farm.[6]

An annual dance festival has been held in the village since 2013.[7]

History

It is an ancient settlement, the Welsh placename of which means 'the mouth of the Afon Cych', referring to where the Cych joins the River Teifi. The earliest recorded settlement was a forge, now no longer in existence. The linear nature of the present village arose from the joining up of several discrete settlements: Pont Hercws, Forge Cych, Penrhiw, Pont Treseli and Abercych itself. There were about 30 houses in the 1840s.[8]

Clynfyw

Clynfyw in 2005

Clynfyw (also recorded as Clynfiew) was owned by David Lloyd of Clements Inn, London. Lloyd sold Clynfyw to David Llewelin of Penalltcych, Clydey, in 1685. Llewelin's grandson, Owen Davies of Westminster, sold the estate in 1753 to Thomas Lewis of Llwyngrawys, Llangoedmor, Cardiganshire. The large Clynfiew collection of estate records from 1542 to 1916 is lodged at the National Library of Wales.[9]

Worship

The village has two chapels: Ramoth Baptist Chapel (built 1827), and Bryn Sion Independent Chapel (built 1831).[10][11]

Folklore

The Cych is a small river, which is connected with the realm of Annwn in the ancient Welsh tale of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. There are several places on the upper reaches of the Cych that are seen as an entry point to the 'other worlds' (fairy realms), and there are some folk tales told by some local people about the magical nature of river and the valley.

References

  1. ↑ Scourfield, Robert; Lloyd, Thomas; Orbach, Julian (2004). Pembrokeshire. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. p. 119. ISBN 0-300-10178-3.
  2. ↑ "Abercych Village Hall". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Manordeifi Community Council". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Top ten Pembrokeshire Pubs". The Guardian. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Coflein: Clynfyw". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "CIC Clynfyw Care Farm". Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Innovative festival heads to Abercych". Tivyside Advertiser. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Dyfed Archaeological Trust: Abercych". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "National Library of Wales: Clynfiew Estate Records". Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "GENUKI: Manordeifi". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Dyfed FHS: Manordeifi". Retrieved 1 April 2015.
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