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Cwm Gwaun

Coordinates: 51°58′08″N 4°52′00″W / 51.968814°N 4.866606°W / 51.968814; -4.866606
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Cwm Gwaun
Location of Cwm Gwaun within Pembrokeshire
Population313 (2011)[1]
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townFishguard
Postcode districtSA65 9
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Pembrokeshire

Cwm Gwaun (English: Gwaun Valley) is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community is centred around Pontfaen, a parish and hamlet 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Fishguard, and includes the ancient parish of Llanychaer. In 2011, the population was 313. The valley is known for its unspoilt nature and old-world pub, and there are numerous other listed buildings.

Geography

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houses in wooded valley with green fields on the hill beyond
Cwm Gwaun

The community's area is 3,870 hectares (14.9 sq mi).[2] The Companion Guide to Wales describes Cwm Gwaun as "one of the most important meltwater channels from the last ice age to be found in the British Isles."[3] The River Gwaun rises in the Preseli Mountains near the village and its tributaries have carved heavily wooded steep, narrow side-valleys. To the northwest are hills such as Mynydd Dinas and Mynydd Melyn and the valley forms a notable wetland.[4] Trees found in the valley include sessile oak, beech, alder, rowan, ash and willow.[3] The valley is a nature walk of 5 miles (8.0 km) in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.[5] The Rough Guide to Wales (Cwm Gwaun and the inland hills) says of the community, "Cwm Gwaun, the valley of the burbling River Gwaun is one of the great surprises of Pembrokeshire – a bucolic vale of impossibly narrow lanes, surrounded by the bleak shoulders of bare mountains."[6]

New Year celebrations

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refer to caption
Cwm Gwaun Primary School

The locals continue to follow the tradition of the pre-1752 Julian calendar and celebrate New Year (Welsh: Hen Galan) on 13 January.[3][6][7] Children walk from house to house, and sing traditional Welsh language songs. In return, householders provide gifts, or calennig, of sweets and money. In 2012, it was reported that most children from the local primary school would be absent that day to take part in the celebrations.[8]

Notable landmarks

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There are 21 listed buildings in the Gwaun valley,[9] including the parish church and Dyffryn Arms. Two bridges, at Llanychaer and Picton Mill, are Grade II listed.[10][11]

The community (Pontfaen) has a primary school (Ysgol Llanychllwydog).[12]

The Gwaun Valley contains a brewery at the Kilkiffeth Farm.[13] A small hydroelectric power scheme is running at Pontfaen, whose output is sufficient to power some 70 homes.[14]

The village pub is the Grade II-listed Dyffryn Arms,[15] known locally as Bessie's and run by Bessie Davies's family since 1845.[16][17] The pub was originally called Llwyn Celyn (Holly Bush).[15] In 2011 it featured in S4C's Straeon Tafarn series.[18] In 2015 it featured in the Good Beer Guide for a 40th successive year.[19] In February 2019 it suffered a significant fire,[20] but reopened in June.[21]

Hen Galan

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white-painted pub below wooded escarpment
The Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen a Grade II listed building and the centre for Hen Galan celebrations.

The community is known for continuing celebrations of Old New Year (Welsh: Hen Galan).[22] Traditional festivities begin the night before with celebrations centered on the Dyffryn Arms.[23][24][25]

The celebration continue into the day itself with a Mari Llwyd, the making of apple charms named "perllan" and the collecting of calennig, where local children are absented from primary school to travel from house to house singing traditional Welsh language songs.[26] In return, the householders would historically give the children food to help through the winter months but in recent years the children are given sweets and money. Residents who did not welcome and reward the visitors were thought to get a "llond y tŷ o fwg" (English: a house full of smoke), meaning a year of bad luck.[27]

Worship

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There are two places of worship: the Grade II listed medieval church of St Brynach (Church in Wales),[28] which is open daily to visitors, and Jabes Baptist Chapel, one of the few remaining chapels in Wales that have an outdoor baptistry that is filled from the local river.[citation needed] The chapel was built in 1803 and restored in 1903.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Community population 2011". Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  2. ^ Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Baines, Menna (2008). The Welsh Academy encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Barnes, David (2005). The companion guide to Wales. Companion Guides. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-900639-43-9.
  4. ^ British wildlife. British Wildlife Publishing. 2006. pp. 35–36.
  5. ^ "Cwm Gwaun". BBC. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b Nevez, Catherine Le; Parker, Mike; Whitfield, Paul (2009). The Rough Guide to Wales. Rough Guides. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-84836-050-1.
  7. ^ "Happy new year, on 13 January?". 13 January 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. ^ BBC South West Wales, Gwaun Valley children mark old New Year, 13 January 2012
  9. ^ "British Listed Buildings: Cwm Gwaun". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  10. ^ Cadw. "Pont Llanychaer (Grade II) (26805)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  11. ^ Cadw. "Picton Mill Bridge (Grade II) (26811)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Pembrokeshire County Council: Ysgol Llanchllwydog". Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Microbrewery in Pembrokeshire, Wales". Gwaun Valley Brewery. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  14. ^ "'Crucial' that small renewable energy schemes are supported". County Echo. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  15. ^ a b Cadw. "Dyffryn Arms Public House (Grade II) (87708)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  16. ^ Rough Guides Ltd. (COR) (2 May 2011). Rough Guides Make the Most of Your Time in Britain: 500 Great British Experiences. Rough Guides. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-84836-685-5. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  17. ^ "Pembrokeshire County Council: Visit Pembrokeshire: Meet Bessie Davies". Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Famous Pembrokeshire pub features in S4C series". Western Telegraph. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Bessie's famous beer recognised for 40th year". Western Telegraph. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  20. ^ "'Bessie's' pub in Cwm Gwaun suffers significant fire damage". BBC News. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  21. ^ Becky Hotchin (15 July 2019). "Gwaun Valley's Dyffryn Arms, Bessie's, pub reopens". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Home/Entertainment/Mari Lwyd: Welsh folk tradition returns to Aberystwyth to celebrate Yr Hen Galan EntertainmentTown News Mari Lwyd: Welsh folk tradition returns to Aberystwyth to celebrate Yr Hen Galan". abersocial.com. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  23. ^ BBC South West Wales, Gwaun Valley children mark old New Year, 13 January 2012
  24. ^ "Hen Galan: Welsh village celebrates New Year on 13 January". BBC News. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Happy new year, on 13 January?". BBC News. 13 January 2019.
  26. ^ Hotchin, Becky (14 January 2022). "WATCH: Gwaun Valley/ Cwm Gwaun Hen Galan new year traditions". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  27. ^ White, Eryn (12 January 2023). "Hen Galan: why one Welsh community celebrates the new year on January 14". Aberystwyth University. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  28. ^ "British Listed Buildings: Church of St Brynach". Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Jabes Welsh Baptist Chapel (11109)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
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51°58′08″N 4°52′00″W / 51.968814°N 4.866606°W / 51.968814; -4.866606

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