Pontfaen: Circular Walk, History and Hen Galan

Pontfaen offers several practical starting points for planning a trip: the Pontfaen/Tregynon circular walk, St Brynach’s Church and the annual New Year custom of Hen Galan. If you are looking for a destination for walking or local history, these topics are easy to distinguish: the walk combines a named route and duration with landscape features and a named church destination; the area’s history ranges from the church’s dedication to a recurring custom.

The Pontfaen/Tregynon circular walk

The Pontfaen/Tregynon circular walk is 5.1 miles (8.2 kilometres) long and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. The route length describes the extent of the circuit, while the time indicates its stated duration. Check local conditions before setting out. The route crosses wooded slopes and passes through a river valley, so both wooded sections and a valley passage are part of its character. St Brynach’s Church is a particularly noteworthy destination on the walk and lies uphill from the car park. For planning your day, the stated duration and the church destination provide two concrete points of reference.

St Brynach’s Church: dedication and churchyard

St Brynach’s Church is dedicated to the 6th-century missionary St Brynach. Two pillar stones bearing carved Latin crosses stand in the churchyard; they probably date from between the 6th and 9th centuries. The dedication and the stones tell different parts of the story: the dedication names the saint, while the cautious dating applies to the pillar stones. Alongside the church destination on the walk, you will find both a specific religious association and older traces whose date is only approximate.

Listed buildings and local history

Pontfaen House is also a named historic building in Pontfaen. It is a Grade II listed building and is also known as Plas Pontfaen and Pontfaen Farmouse. The Dyffryn Arms, locally also known as Bessie’s, is a listed inn of the same grade. It has been owned by the same family since 1840. This brings two distinct local associations together: the different names of Pontfaen House and the long family continuity of the Dyffryn Arms.

Hen Galan: New Year on 13 January

The residents of Pontfaen and Llanychaer celebrate Hen Galan once a year on 13 January as New Year’s Day according to the old Julian calendar, which was in use before 1752. As part of this custom, children walk through Pontfaen and Llanychaer, sing old songs with local residents and receive a Calennig, a New Year’s gift. Hen Galan thus involves both villages and combines a fixed January date with songs and a specific form of gift. If you are planning a stay with a cultural focus, the date offers a clear point of reference: the custom is specifically associated with 13 January.

The surrounding landscape

The wider regional surroundings of Pontfaen include the Gwaun Valley, a steep-sided valley shaped by meltwater from retreating glaciers during the Ice Age. The Gwaun River rises east of Pontfaen. The valley adds a geological perspective on the wider landscape to the specific local destinations, while the river’s source provides a distinct geographical connection to the area.

Discover more destinations: Llandissilio, Manorbier, Abercastle, Letterston, Rosemarket, Newgale, Houghton, Llangwm.

For the wider travel overview: Pembrokeshire.