Travel Guide St. Dogmaels (Llandudoch)

Dogmaël, who lived around 400 B.C., is said to have been the grandson of the chief Ceredig, from whom the name Ceredigion is derived. The ruins of a medieval abbey and a Celtic cross with inscriptions in ogham, the ancient Irish alphabet, bear witness to the area's ancient spiritual past. In fact, despite the passage of centuries, the monks' legacy still lives on in the village! These fishermen and horticulturists passed on a special fishing technique, the Sân, which is still used today. Fish are caught using a net stretched over a frame to give it the shape of a bow. The fish emerge intact, having not been dragged or shaken through the net. The blessing of fishermen and boats also continues on the Blessing Stone site, another practice introduced to the village by the monks, following an even older pagan belief! And in terms of arboriculture, the monks also introduced three new varieties of apple, which can still be found today, under the names : Afal Pren Glas, Afal Pren Caled and Afal Pig Aderyn. In the far north of the county, the village, built on the banks of the River Teifi, is the subject of relatively confidential tourism. It's a pleasure to join in with its leisurely pace and enchanting natural setting. There are a few good restaurants, a picturesque working mill and lovely walks in the surrounding woods or along the estuary to the long white beach of Poppit Sands... An ideal place for a day's strolling, where you just take the time to live.