Category Archives: Sea

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

By the time the photo* was taken in the 1960s, these walls had withstood the wild sea weather for 60 years at least and provided an apt example for the local Vicar to use when teaching the parable of the house built … Continue reading

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Slate quarrying at Aberbach (How to lose lots of money fast)

  The lovely beach at Aberbach gives some clues. There’s slate nearby and the tiny quarries in the Dinas area were probably the earliest attempts to work slate in the region; George Owen, writing in the very early 1600s referred to sites … Continue reading

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Searching for John Henry Jones and William Lloyd: the mysteries on Dinas’ war memorial

Thirteen men from Dinas are remembered on the village WWI memorial. Locally there are long memories and diligent historical research so quite a lot is known about most of these men. There are two sets of brothers, three were sailors who … Continue reading

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The Church on the Rock

The best way to get a good view of this little building is to approach by boat which is why, I suppose, we have some fishermen from Pwllgwaelod to thank for restoring the little Church after it had fallen into … Continue reading

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What the storms brought to Pwllgwaelod beach

After days of high winds and squally rain  (official weather warnings from the Met Office), I set off for the beach prepared to find plastic debris from the storm. Instead, I found the inevitable band of seaweed at the high-water mark … Continue reading

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The sadness of Dinas’ long-distance dads

In the 1890s ‘The County Echo’ worried about the many women who were left in Dinas without a man to look after them, while their husbands were at sea. Should there be a village policeman to protect them? Equally poignant, however, … Continue reading

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How to spot baby seals

Baby seals, parked on beaches at this time of the year by their mums, can be difficult to spot if you’re walking along the cliff tops. Sometimes it’s easier to see the adult seal in the water nearby; she will … Continue reading

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A Famous Visitor

Fishing boats, like the one in the foreground, were regulars in Pwllgwaelod bay at a time when the little port was known for its fine catches of herring, so the photographer’s lens was actually trained on the ship you can … Continue reading

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How do I love this county?

The coastal path is a pleasure and a delight; the sea in all seasons has an awe-inspiring beauty; the wildlife fascinates but the Preselis have a breathtaking grandeur that holds me in a spell and binds me to this part of Wales. … Continue reading

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Definitely not the Bullingdon Club ….. but what ?

These stylish young men with their buttonholes, watch-chains, gorgeous neckwear, folded hankies and smoking paraphernalia look as if they were posing for the camera on a special occasion. The photo was probably taken round about 1900 in Dinas. Could they … Continue reading

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Pwllgwaelod to Aberbach

Here are some of the wild flowers we saw on a walk to the beach at Aberbach this summer. I love Aberbach. The road that dips and climbs along the coast at this point is only single track and there … Continue reading

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The Sea Captain’s bookshelf

Anyone studying family history in the Dinas area or merely haunting the graveyards to read the tombstones will know that too many mariners died at sea. Board of Trade inquiries into maritime disasters in the 19th century showed that a ship … Continue reading

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