| Cenarth - on the River
Teifi
Cenarth is a charming little
community straddling the river Teifi between Cardigan and
Newcastle Emlyn. Here, the River Teifi has made its way through
the hard rocks to produce a spectacular series of waterfalls.
There has been a Mill at Cenarth at least since the 13th century
when Cenarth Mill came into the possession of Edward I when he became Lord of the Manor of Cenarth.
There is evidence of another mill that was possibly destroyed during Glyndwr's campaigns in the early 1400s.
The Teifi has always been famous
for its Salmon, and it is recorded that over one hundred Salmon
have been taken in a single morning as they attempted to leap the
falls on their way up river to spawn.
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From the Bridge |
Swan Family |
Under the Bridge |
The dominant feature of the village is the bridge. Built in
1787 and designed by William Edwards and his son David, the bridge
features a series of circular holes that serve to maintain
strength while reducing the weight of the structure. Edwards
devised this architectural solution after his original bridge at
Pontypridd collapsed as its footing could not support the weight
of the bridge. He rebuilt the bridge at Pontypridd with his
trademark circular holes where it still stands today. When it was
built, the bridge at Pontypridd was the longest single span
bridge in the world.
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Teifi Pool at Cenarth |
The Bridge |
Hole in the Bridge |
Coracles were once used all over Britain, but their
use only continues today in a very few locations, of which Cenarth
is one. They can be seen on the Teifi, the Towy and the Taf where
they are used for net fishing, the net being held between two
coracles which drift down with the current, taking a Salmon or
Sewin during the open season. The Coracle Museum at Cenarth has a
display showing how coracles are made and used with examples of
coracles from around the world.
The coracles are traditionally made of strips or laths of Willow
or Ash which are then covered with calico or canvas which has been
impregnated with pitch and tar or, in recent years, bitumastic
paint. Coracles weigh between 25 and 40 pounds and can be carried
on the shoulders of the coracle man. Fishermen would commonly walk
five or ten miles upstream miles before drifting back down with
the current.
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Salmon Leap and Water Mill
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The Falls
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Teifi above the Falls
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