Tresaith and Mwnt

Hello again people and pooches. Joe the Cocker here after a day in Ceredigion, South West Wales. We were staying near to Cei Newydd, New Quay, on our tour of Wales. So, after a quick brekky, we set off along the coast to our first stop in Tresaith.

We parked on the edge of the coastal village and headed down the steep hill to the beach. The village is home to around 1000 inhabitants and has a pub, café and a shop. When we arrived, it was chilly with a sea mist just offshore. The beach was deserted and looked inviting. I couldn’t wait for some beach zoomies!

My human thought that the pub looked more inviting, but it was too early even for him.

The small bay is a haven for watersports such as sailing, paddleboarding, surfing, and swimming.

There was some evidence of the strong sense of Welsh Nationalism in the street art.

Zoomie time on the empty beach. A good sprint around, a dip in the water, and a roll in the sand. Now, that’s what I call a holiday.

The next activity was climbing on the rocks and mooching around the rock pools. It was a bit slippery for my dad, and he re-enacted Bambi on ice a few hilarious times.

I sensed that we were heading somewhere, and he was risking his life and limbs on the rocks. Sure enough, we were heading for a waterfall. As soon as I saw it, falling from the clifftop into the sea below, I knew he would start his awful singing. ‘Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls’ was predictably his ditty of the day. Annoying!

The River Saith comes to an abrupt end as it cascades over the cliff to create the waterfall. The water flow wasn’t so dramatic on our visit as we had been through a relatively dry period, but it is still worth a visit. At high tide, it is not accessible over the rocks but can be visited from above.

There was time for a quick pose from yours truly on the rocks as we returned to the beach. I was looking for seals or dolphins that are regularly spotted in the area. I had no luck, sadly.

As we retraced our slippery steps, the sun graced us with its presence, illuminating the beach and warming us.

The rock pools looked inviting, but they tasted funny. My human told me off for drinking the water and reminded me of the effects of drinking sea water has had on my digestive system in the past. Jet propulsion would be an apt analogy!

We climbed the hill out of the village to jump back into the car. We had a twenty minute drive to our next port of call. It was just enough time for me to grab forty winks.

As we drove along a single track and snaking coastal road, we came across a remote church on a hillside. Eglwys y Grog (Holy Cross Church) is perched above the small village of Mwnt. It is a Grade I listed building and dates back to the 13th century.

Parts of the building are believed to be on a bronze age barrow. It is also believed that people were worshipping on this site as early as the 5th century. The graveyard is the final resting place for some long-lived Mwnt residents. One in particular lived for 101 years.

I waited outside, like a ‘good boy’, allegedly while my human had a long look around the inside of the church.

My human was really impressed with how well-maintained the interior of was. He is not a religious person, but he said that the place had a special serenity about it. A peaceful respite from the high wind battering the hillside.

The oak roof is from the 15th or 16th century and appears to be in incredibly good condition. Obviously, parts have been replaced and repaired, but it’s still an impressive structure.

The door is thought to be 13th or 14th century. My human said that he wondered how many people had burst through it during the gales that this coastline experiences.

Till next time!