Aberdyfi — Aberdovey — sits at the mouth of the Dyfi Estuary, its painted Georgian houses in a terrace above the quay, the estuary broad and tidal before it. It is one of the most attractive small coastal towns in Wales, largely unchanged since the 19th century, and the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod — the drowned city whose bells are heard beneath the waves at Aberdyfi — adds a layer of resonance to what would otherwise simply be a beautiful place. This is Experience #37 of the Snowdonia 100.
The Legend
Cantre'r Gwaelod — the Lowland Hundred — is the legendary drowned city beneath Cardigan Bay. The full coast of Wales has local versions of this legend, but Aberdyfi's is particularly persistent: old stories say that on a still night the bells of the submerged cathedral can be heard ringing from beneath the waves at the estuary mouth. The song "The Bells of Aberdovey" (1785) made the legend nationally famous. The actual basis for the legend may be the Bronze Age forests visible at low tide in parts of Cardigan Bay — evidence of a genuine prehistoric land surface now below sea level.
| Location | South of Machynlleth, on the A493 |
| Ferry | Seasonal foot ferry across the Dyfi to Ynyslas in summer |
| Sailing | Small sailing school and boat hire in summer |
| Train | Cambrian Coast Line stops at Aberdyfi |
The Quay
The quay at Aberdyfi has seen working boats since at least the 17th century — slate, wool, and later tourist traffic. Now pleasure craft predominate, but the physical infrastructure of a working harbour remains, and the quayside is one of the more satisfying places in Wales simply to sit and watch the estuary work its tides.
Experience #37 of 100 — Places category.
Independently written — Snowdon.com