It is sometimes referred to as the "Land's End of
North Wales" or, in Welsh, ''Pendraw'r Byd'' (roughly "far end of the world"). Aberdaron was the last place on the route for rest and refreshment and pilgrims often had to wait weeks in the village for a chance to cross the treacherous waters of Bardsey Sound (). Above the village, on the Afon Daron, stands
Bodwrdda, an early 16th-century stone-built house, which had a
fulling mill adjacent; two large brick-built wings were added later, giving an imposing three-storey facade containing 17th-century windows. To the south, Penrhyn Mawr is a substantial late-18th-century gable-fronted farmhouse. which was opened in 2014.
Bardsey Island Bardsey Island, off the mainland, was inhabited in
Neolithic times, and traces of
hut circles remain. During the 5th century, the island became a refuge for persecuted Christians and a small
Celtic monastery existed.
Saint Cadfan arrived from
Brittany in 516 and, under his guidance, St Mary's Abbey was built. For centuries, the island was important as "the holy place of burial for all the bravest and best in the land". Bards called it "the land of indulgences, absolution and pardon, the road to Heaven and the gate to Paradise", In 1188, the abbey was still a Celtic institution but, by 1212 it belonged to the
Augustinians. although only ruins of the old abbey's 13th-century bell tower remain today. A
Celtic cross amidst the ruins commemorates the 20,000 saints reputed to be buried on the island. The island was declared a
national nature reserve in 1986 and is part of Aberdaron Coast and Bardsey Island Special Protection Area. It is now a favourite
bird-watching location, on the migration routes of thousands of birds. Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory (), founded in 1953, nets and rings 8,000 birds each year to understand their migration patterns. Bardsey Island Trust bought the island in 1979 When, in 2000, the trust advertised for a tenant for the sheep farm on the island, they had 1,100 applications. The tenancy is now held by the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and the land is managed to maintain the natural habitat.
Oats,
turnips and
swedes are grown;
goats,
ducks,
geese and
chickens kept; and there is a mixed flock of
sheep and
Welsh Black cattle. The
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has been working on
cetaceans in the region. Several species, most notably
bottlenose dolphins, can be observed from the shores.
Llanfaelrhys Porth Ysgo, owned by the National Trust, is reached by a steep slope from
Llanfaelrhys, east of Aberdaron, past a disused manganese mine in Nant y Gadwen. Where the path from Ysgo reaches the beach, a waterfall, Pistyll y Gaseg, tumbles over the cliff. At the eastern end of the bay is Porth Alwm, where the stream from Nant y Gadwen flows into the sea. The south-facing beach is composed of fine, firm sand. To the west,
King Arthur's last battle against his arch enemy,
Mordred, was supposedly fought in the fields around Porth Cadlan. Offshore lies a rock, Maen Gwenonwy, named after Arthur's sister. Lladron Maelrhys are two large stones on the border between Llanfaelrhys and Y Rhiw. It is claimed that, years ago, thieves broke into St Maelrhys Church, intent on stealing money. Caught in the act, they fled for their lives but were caught as they approached Y Rhiw, and killed on the spot; the stones mark their burial place. Another version claims that, as they crossed the parish boundary, they were turned to stone for their sacrilege.
Porthor Porthor () is a
cove north of Aberdaron that has smooth white sand; when dry, the sand whistles or squeaks, underfoot. The crescent-shaped beach is backed by steep cliffs of relatively hard rock, from which the cove has been sculpted by the rough seas. The bay is the centre of a National Trust estate comprising of shoreline, headland and farmland; it includes Mynydd Carreg and Mynydd Anelog. On the hill summits that dot the headlands are
heather and
gorse, shaped by the prevailing wind;
thrift and wild
thyme thrive on the acidic soil. The cliffs are a stronghold of the
chough, and a nesting place for
razorbills and
guillemots. On the lower rocks, in reach of the waves, are plentiful
lichens,
seaweeds,
sponges,
limpets and
barnacles. To the south are Dinas Bach and Dinas Mawr, twin peninsulas formed from weathered
pillow lavas 600 million years old, thought to have been early fortified sites from the
Iron Age.
Kittiwakes,
cormorants and
shags can be seen on the cliffs, while farm birds such as the
yellowhammer frequent the gorse. It provided fuel from peat cuttings, pasture for animals and accommodated squatters, mainly fishermen, who had encroached on the common with the tacit acceptance of the community. An
inclosure act was drawn up in 1802, designed to remove all squatters who had been there less than 20 years. Resistance to the evictions was fierce and was only suppressed by a contingent of
dragoons. The act was finally applied in 1814; new roads were built across the moor; boundaries were established; allotments allocated; and wetland reclaimed. Castell Odo, on Mynydd Ystum, is one of Europe's earliest Iron Age Settlements, standing above sea level. The
hillfort, in diameter, has visible traces of eight circular huts; pottery found on the site dates from 425 BC. To the east of the village, Felin Uchaf is an educational centre exploring ways of living and working in partnership with the environment. Developed on a redundant farm, it provides residential courses in rural skills and sustainable agriculture. A traditional Iron Age roundhouse has been built on the site.
Uwchmynydd Uwchmynydd, south-west of Aberdaron, has a long history of human settlement.
Mesolithic flints have been found in the area and a Neolithic stone axe was discovered on Mynydd Mawr. Hut circles are visible on the summits and part of a
Roman anchor was recovered off Trwyn Bychestyn. The former
Coastguard lookout point, manned for almost 80 years before becoming redundant in 1990, provides views over Bardsey Sound to the island. The hut contains an exhibition to the natural history of the area and a mural created by local children. The headland at Braich y Pwll is the only known location on the British mainland of the
spotted rock rose, which produces bright yellow petals that last only one day. where it was customary for pilgrims to invoke the protection of the
Virgin Mary before making the dangerous crossing to Bardsey Island. At the foot of Mynydd Mawr is Ffynnon Fair (), the last stop for pilgrims crossing to the island; the well is a freshwater spring which is covered twice daily by the sea, emerging from the ebbing tide with crystal clear water. The traditional embarkation point for pilgrims crossing to Bardsey Island was at Porth Meudwy (), now a
lobster fishing cove. Further south is Porth y Pistyll, which has good views of Ynysoedd Gwylanod, home to puffin and guillemot colonies; and Pen y Cil, where the
Precambrian pillow lavas are exposed, revealing how they have been contorted over time.
Y Rhiw The mountain-top hamlet of Y Rhiw is to the east. There are fine views of
Llŷn towards
Snowdonia. On the slopes of Mynydd Rhiw is a late
Stone Age burial chamber, and Neolithic quarries. Nearby on Mynydd y Graig are three
hillforts, several hut circles and terraced fields that are thought to date from the late Iron Age;
Plas yn Rhiw, owned by the National Trust, is an early 17th-century house that was restored by the Keating sisters in 1939, with advice from
Clough Williams-Ellis. It is believed that the house is on or near the site of an earlier defended house, built by Meirion Goch in the 10th century to prevent incursions by
Vikings into Porth Neigwl. Bwlch y Garreg Wen at Y Rhiw, built in 1731, is a
croglofft cottage, a type of agricultural worker's house found in
Llŷn. ==Transport==