Birds, Bells and Legends: A Morning in Aberdyfi

On a dull, misty morning I boarded the Cambrian Coast train towards Aberdyfi to visit the Community Clerk, Sandy Andrews. As the train passed Dovey Junction, the estuary lay quiet and grey beneath a low-hanging fog, draping the mountains. It felt as though we had slipped backwards into a prehistoric age.

Stepping off the train, I was met by a passing gentleman with his newspaper. He offered me a cheerful “Good morning,” and every person I passed followed suit. In those simple exchanges I really felt the warmth and kindness of this small community.

I went on a five minute walk towards the village, past an intriguing looking large wooden flying bird made from the trunk of a tree. I reminded myself to ask Sandy, the Community Clerk who had invited me to visit, what it is.

Soon I got to the Neuadd Dyfi, originally an old cinema but now home to a vast array of community events. Although that morning there was only Sandy and me you could see that it was a very important place for the community. She gave me a tour around the well set up and versatile venue. Sandy explained about the different events that go on here including the community drop in on a Friday, weddings, art exhibitions etc. They are also part of the Noson Allan Rural Touring Scheme and put on high-quality small-scale events for the local community.

After our tour of Neuadd Dyfi we headed further into the village towards Sandy's work place as a community clerk. I asked Sandy “What is the wooden flying bird?” She explained that the field had been given to the community and the bird had been a tree that had come down and the community council had commissioned it to become a giant bird sculpture.

I had heard people speak about the 'time and tide bell' in Aberdyfi before and took the opportunity to ask Sandy about it. Pointing back the way we had come, Sandy explained that it celebrates the submerged kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod beneath Cardigan Bay. One of only 12 unique designs installed around the UK, it rings naturally at every high tide, acting as a living timepiece. Designed by sculptor and composer Marcus Vergette, it serves as a long-term marker for sea-level rise.

After thanking her I hurried up to the quay to see if I could see it. It is located on the wharf’s wooden jetty, with an explanatory plaque at the rear of Dovey Yacht Club. I will have to try and be there at high tide to hear it ringing. The amount of times I have been through Aberdyfi and I never knew it was there.

I could see from speaking to Sandy that the council is very much part of the community and focussed its was residents and visitors alike.  This is a reoccurring theme running through the communities up and down the Cambrian Line.