St Dogmaels
The riverside village of St Dogmael’s is on the northern border of Pembrokeshire close to the market town of Cardigan.
St Dogmaels is significant because the Pembrokeshire coast path starts or finishes here, depending on which way you’re walking it. The village has three main attractions all in close proximity to each other, St Dogmaels Heritage Centre, St Dogmaels Abbey and Y Felin flour mill.
Picture The Heritage Centre in St Dogmaels
The Heritage Centre opened in 2008. It is built in an old coach house with a modern extension and incorporates both historical interpretation of the village and surrounding area and a cafe. The centre provides an interpretation facility with models and displays and an internationally important collection of inscribed Christian stones dating from early Celtic times between the 7th & 10th century and which pre-date The Abbey.
Picture: St Dogmaels Heritage Centre
The centre provides educational facilities for schools, colleges and archaeological researchers. It also provides a venue for St Dogmaels History Society, workshops by local artists and rolling exhibitions of arts, crafts, local history and natural history.
Picture: Outside seating area at The Heritage Centre in St Davids
St Dogmaels Abbey
St Dogmaels Abbey was founded in the twelfth century on a site occupied by a pre-Norman monastery. Parts of the church and cloister are 12th century, however, the west and north walls of the nave are 13th century and the north doorway 14th-century ornamentation. The north transept is Tudor. The footings of the chapter house can be seen to the west of the cloister, with the adjacent monk's infirmary standing almost to roof level. After the dissolution of the monastery’s, the church continued to be used for a time by the parish, and a rectory was built into the southwest corner of the cloister.
Picture: St Dogmaels Abbey
The Sagranus Stone in the church of St. Thomas the Martyr bears an inscription in the ancient Ogam Script. The Church is next to the Abbey.
Y Felin water mill.
Owned by Michael Hall, Hon. Treasurer of the Welsh Mill Society and former Chairman of the Traditional Cornmillers' Guild. This is one of only two working mills in Wales. The mill has been completely renovated with its original machinery intact, Y Felin dates back to the twelfth century and is thought to have been built by St Dogmaels Abbey. A guided tour of the mill will reveal how Michael's wonderful selection of flour is made, including Welsh organic wholemeal, seed and herb, and garlic and chive. The delightful tea room offers a mouth-watering selection of fresh home-made produce, including scones, cakes, bread and light lunches.
Picture: The Coastal Bus service picks up a coast path walker at the western end of St Dogmaels near The Ferry Inn.
Poppit Sands, a wide stretch of open sand backed by dunes is a mile west of St Dogmael’s. When the tide is out, the beach stretches for nearly a mile and almost reaches Gwbert on the other side. There’s a large car park with a café next to the beach.
Picture: Poppit Sands and the Teifi Estuary from near the youth hostel
The nearest hotels are in Cardigan but there is an Inn in nearby Felindre Farchog. B&B’s and guesthouses aren’t plentiful either but there are a few about including one in nearby Moylgrove. A camp site and touring caravan site are available at Cemaes Head near Poppit. There i