About Tegryn
Tegryn, Pembrokeshire is a small village, high in the Preseli hills situated in the North of Pembrokeshire West Wales. The village is built on the upper slopes of Frenni Fawr {the 3rd highest peak in the range , as a result of which we have magnificent views in all directions. On the down-side however, there is nothing to protect us from the gales blowing inland from the Irish sea {when I first moved here I was shocked to see rain, snow, and hail falling sideways - but now it seems quite normal !. Tegryn is also notorious for mist. Having said all that, I have to say that on a clear and bright summer day our village and its surrounding area is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. See for yourself on our picture page.
Being a small rural community, we are lucky to have a Pub, Post Office, two Garages, Chapel and a newly formed area Primary School in the village. Our bus service consists of one trip per week to and from Cardigan, and one per month to and from Carmarthen, so anyone without a car or motorbike is faced with a four-mile walk {all downhill} to the nearest bus route. This is no great problem for a reasonably fit person, BUT, the return trip {heavily laden with shopping} is, of course, all UPHILL. Fortunately, there is a great sense of community here and it is usually fairly easy to find someone willing to provide transport.
If you want to find us on a map, follow the A478 road from Cardigan to Crymych, then follow the first turn to the left and then take the first turn on the right. This brings you to a T-junction where a right turn leads into Tegryn. Now that may seem easy at the first glance, but if you are a town dweller and are thinking of visiting us, beware - we have road hazards here that you may never have encountered before ! Here are some examples :- a herd of cattle on the way to pasture or milking; two farmers {or their wives} who, going in opposite directions, have stopped their cars side by side in the middle of the road while they have a long conversation; farm machinery on the way from one field to another. The most common hazard, though, is sheep - no matter how well the farmers maintain their fences, they still manage to escape and appear to be convinced that the roadside grass is much tastier than the grass in their home field.
The population is mainly Welsh-speaking, with a few ex-Londoners and Yorkshiremen.
Obviously, with few amenities, much of the social life of the village revolves around our pub, The Butchers Arms, and you will find more information about "the Butchers" on its own page on this site. We have four darts teams {2 ladies' and 2 men's} and two pool teams, all doing fairly well in their respective leagues, and a very active Women's Institute branch which meets at nearby Bwlchygroes. We also have a pony club.
Anyone thinking of taking a holiday in the Celtic heart of west Wales would find that the Tegryn area makes a perfect base for exploring, whatever your interests may be. The countryside is beautiful, the people friendly, tourist information is available everywhere, we have attractions to suit everyone, and accommodation prices are reasonable.
Obviously the next item on the agenda is to tell you more about the attractions that I mentioned in the last paragraph, so here we go :- Do you like traditional seaside resorts ? Tenby could be the place for you. It has sea, sand, small caves on the beach, the old walled town, a theatre/entertainment complex, plenty of shops, and a horse-drawn open carriage to take you on a tour of the old town. If you just want sea and sand with no frills, then almost anywhere on the Pembrokeshire/Ceredigion coastline would be fine. Among my personal favourites are the small beaches at Dinas, Newport, Mwnt and Newgale, although Aberporth and Aberaeron are well worth a visit. You're interested in wildlife? The Welsh Wildlife and Birds of prey Centres are at Cilgerran [about six miles from Tegryn], and there in an impressive Marine Life Centre at St. Davids. While I'm on the subject of St Davids which is Britain's smallest cathedral city, I would recommend a look at the cathedral and national shrine of our Welsh patron saint. To stay with the subject of churches, the Catholic shrine of Our Lady of the Taper is at Cardigan about 8 miles from Tegryn, and the whole area is rich in ancient, tiny stone-built churches.
The word ancient brings us neatly to the next subject - history. Almost every illustrated book or pamphlet about Wales has a picture of the Pentre Ifan stones, the remains of a prehistoric burial chamber, and they are about eight miles from Tegryn, not far from the Castell Henllys project which is an absolute must for students of ancient Celtic culture. Following the initial discovery of Celtic remains, excavations revealed the existence of a complete fortified village, and as each stage is completed that area is rebuilt and furnished as it would have been originally. Even the sheep, cattle and pigs are of ancient breeds. The guides - all experts in their subject - dress in authentic costumes, and convey perfectly the "feel" of life at Castell Henllys more than 2000 years ago. The site also has a riverside walk which features a variety of wood-sculptures.
The whole area is littered with standing stones, cairns and tumuli, as well as castles by the dozen, ranging from the twin towers of Cilgerran castle in its impressive setting above the Teifi gorge to the Regency splendor of Picton castle {turn left off the A40 between Whitland and Haverfordwest} still occupied by the same family who have owned it for generations.
Perhaps it's because I've reached that age when the mere thought of modern fairground rides tends to loosen the bowels, that I have forgotten to mention attractions for younger people. Apart from the usual seaside things at Tenby and Aberystwyth, we have the Oakwood theme park with some of the most exiting rides in the U.K., and the Canaston Centre with its Crystal Maze {based on the TV series} and bowling alley. These are both signposted on the left on the A40 between Whitland and Haverfordwest.
Hopefully the above will have given you some idea of what West Wales is all about, and encouraged you to come and visit us, despite the fact that I have left out dozens of museums, farm attractions, and craft workshops, as well as Dylan Thomas's house and Pendine Sands where so many land speed records were set. If you decide to visit us after visiting the Tegryn website and would like a chat, please ask in the Butcher's Arms if Rod or Keith are about - we'd like to hear your reactions to [and suggestions for] the Tegryn village website.
For the present, we'll leave you with the words of the ancient Pictish/Celtic toast and blessing :-
To your house may the Creator bring Peace.
To those within may He bring health, happiness, love and good fortune, all the days of your lives.