Abercych
Encyclopedia
Abercych is a small village
of less than 100 houses, scattered mostly along the sides of a small lane that runs along the slopes of a valley in the north of the county of Pembrokeshire
in South West Wales
, in the parish
of Manordeifi
. It is an ancient village, the Welsh placename of which means 'the mouth of the Cuch
'. The village is rural with no industry except for a timber sawmill at the Western end of the village. It has a post office open part time, and two public houses. There are also a number of small 'cottage industries' in the village including Sacred Hoop Magazine
Abercych is on the western side of the lower part of the valley of the river Cych. The Cych is a small river, which is connected with the realm of Annwn
in the ancient Welsh tale of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed
, the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi
. There are several places on the upper reachers of the Cych that are seen as an entry point to the 'other worlds' (fairy realms), and there are some folk tales told by some local people about the magical nature of river and the valley.
The Cych ends just outside of the village where it joins the larger river Teifi
which eventually empties into the sea at the town of Cardigan
a few miles away.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of less than 100 houses, scattered mostly along the sides of a small lane that runs along the slopes of a valley in the north of the county of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
in South West Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, in the parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Manordeifi
Manordeifi
Manordeifi is a parish and community in the hundred of Kilgerran, in the northeast corner of Pembrokeshire, Wales. The population of the community was 478. Together with the community of Cilgerran, it makes up Cilgerran electoral ward....
. It is an ancient village, the Welsh placename of which means 'the mouth of the Cuch
Afon Cych
Afon Cych is a small river tributary to the River Teifi in south-west Wales. Its "official" source is at Blaencych . It flows north-westwards through a deep, wooded, secluded valley, and joins the River Teifi at Abercych . Its total length is 13 km...
'. The village is rural with no industry except for a timber sawmill at the Western end of the village. It has a post office open part time, and two public houses. There are also a number of small 'cottage industries' in the village including Sacred Hoop Magazine
Sacred Hoop Magazine
Sacred Hoop Magazine is a UK based, international magazine on the subject of Shamanism. Founded in 1993, the magazine is published four times a year in both paper and electronic formats, and is currently based in Abercych, Pembrokeshire, West Wales in the UK.The magazine was founded by Jan Morgan...
Abercych is on the western side of the lower part of the valley of the river Cych. The Cych is a small river, which is connected with the realm of Annwn
Annwn
Annwn or Annwfn was the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, or much later by Gwyn ap Nudd, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease is absent and food is ever-abundant. It later became Christianised and identified with the land of souls that had departed...
in the ancient Welsh tale of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed
Pwyll
Pwyll Pen Annwn is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and literature, the lord of Dyfed, husband of Rhiannon and father of the hero Pryderi...
, the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
. There are several places on the upper reachers of the Cych that are seen as an entry point to the 'other worlds' (fairy realms), and there are some folk tales told by some local people about the magical nature of river and the valley.
The Cych ends just outside of the village where it joins the larger river Teifi
River Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
which eventually empties into the sea at the town of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
a few miles away.