Llanfihangel Ganaur Glyn
There has been a settlement here on the banks of the Leri River for over two thousand years, but the name has changed over the centuries. The names of the church of St Mihangel, the castle of Gwalter of the Norman period and the location of the village at the “mouth of the valley” are used. The name “Llandre” was first used in 1760.
The railway, built in 1864, increased the importance of the village as a gathering place for sheep and cattle. For a short period (1897-1899), the small Hafan line brought minerals to Landre from mines in the hills above Talibont.
There has always been a close connection between this village and the sea, and for centuries Port’s sailors, as they did not have a church there, were buried in the Llanfihangel Cemetery in Genaur Glina.
Glandifi
Below these bends of the Ddyfi River the estuary begins. Sailors waited here for the tide to carry them up the river to the port of Derwenlas. To this day, salmon and bream are caught here. Beside the river is a small hill on which once stood a castle built in 1156 by Rhys ap Griffith, the powerful ruler of south-east Wales, to prevent threats to his lands. The rushing rivers Einion, Kimerau, Melindwr and Llyfnant flow into the river: they used to provide energy for lead processing and the smelting of silver and iron.
Llanbrinmayr
Three valleys meet near Llanbrinmayr, where the Ian and Cleggir rivers flow into the River Twimin, one of the main tributaries of the River Dyfi. After the construction of the postal lane and railway in the 19th century, Llanbrinmayr grew to what it is today; before that Llan, about two miles away, was the main village. Agriculture is an important part of the area’s economy, but over the decades the landscape has changed: coniferous trees and wind farms have replaced some of the open moorland in the hills. The Llanbrinmire native has Myfanwy, Sosban Fach and other popular 19th century songs to thank for the lyrics. Richard Davies took the poetic name Mynyddog after Newydd Mynyddog Peak above the village. Reformer Samuel Roberts, St Fagans Museum founder Yorvert S Pete and writer Eyrugh Wynne also grew up here.
Mahinlet
Mahinlet is the heart of the Dyfi Biosphere area. It is the natural centre of the valley’s economy and a market has been held here every Wednesday for seven hundred years or more. Machinlleth’s great hour came in 1404 when it became the capital of independent Wales under Owain Glyndur – its Seneddee can be seen on Mangwyn Road. The town was transformed in the 1860s and 1870s with the advent of the railway, which connected the town to the magnificent Ceredigion Bay coast as well as to the Midlands. During the same period the old town hall was demolished and a clock was erected in its place as a ‘birthday present’ to a member of the Plas family. The estate belonged to a nobleman of England, the Marquis of Londonderry, but is now owned by the town and is open to all. A little north of here two rivers, the Dulas, flow into the River Defy. Since 1929 locals can get a licence to fish in the river, but before that the Plas family owned the rights and fishing was commonplace. Since the 1970s the area has become known as a home for people and companies with an innovative approach to the environment. The town is known for its sense of community and attracts lively events, including a comedy festival held every spring.
Llanginfelin
The Otter Trail is a special way of exploring the habitat of the Clethur River, which looks like a small rainforest in the middle of the landscape of this community. Llanginfelin was once a bustling silver and lead mining area. It is being revitalised by investment in a community-run shop and café and other initiatives.