From the Holiday cottages at Gilfachreda ,follow the road to Cei Bach past Wern Mill Caravan Site. 

On the left of the road past the houses, the river cuts deep into a gorge before widening as it passes St Ina's Church at Llanina and then reaches the sea. Kingfisher and Dipper have been seen on this short stretch of the river. From 'Gwynfor' and 'Trem y Mor' take the road towards Cei Bach, but go past the Cei Bach turning to the right.

You will  reach the  the ruined buildings on the left and the Llanina Mansion. Mulberry Cottages  and St Ina's Church on the right. The river Llethi is now shallower and wider, and presents an entrancing scene as it flows between high Beech trees.

The ruins have been stabilised by the local Water Company and the council. They are the remains of a Mill and a piggery ( Click here for our web page  about the ruins ) owned by the Llanina Estate.

 There is a woodland walk starting here - look for the steps going up the hill to the left of the ruined building across the road from the main car park. It leads to a newly planted open area and traverses a mature mixed woodland. Part of the track through the woods here is an old road - possibly the original road from Llanina House to New Quay.

There are car parking places among the ruins where cars may be  parked for a visit to the beautiful site of St Ina's Church. To reach the Church one must go through  the gate to the side of the main mansion gates (where Dylan Thomas stayed before moving to Newquay in 1944). Keep to the right and turn right just in front of the house and then go through the arched gate. Dogs must be kept on their leads. 

Just inside Llanina Mansion's main gate is the start of the footpath to Llanina Point. Follow this for two hundred yards through the woods until you reach the beach. 

At Llanina Point, where the little river Llethi meets the sea  there is a navigation beacon. There is an offshore 'reef' here called 'Carreg Ina' - the remains of a promontory where the original church of St Ina was located before it was claimed by the sea. This area has many rock pools (see our Marine Life page).

 The river can be easily crossed at low tide and when there has been little rainfall.

The photo far left shows the view to the east  - towards New Quay.

The other shows the view from Llanina Point to 
the west - towards Cei Bach Beach.

Whichever way you turn there is an interesting circular walk. If you turn right to Cei Bach you can return via the road back to the cottages, however, we will now turn left and continue along Traethgwyn beach towards New Quay. At low tide, you can walk all the way to New Quay along the beach, but we don't recommend walking back from New Quay along the main road as there is no pavement all the way. The bus only passes through Gilfachreda to and from New Quay twice daily now - although hourly at Llanarth (a bus timetable can be found by clicking here).

There is a footpath after about half a mile that takes you from the beach back to the road. The path emerges between the two cottages 'Majoda' and 'Fynnonfeddyg'. Note: due to recent coastal erosion, only the most active will be able to get up this path from the beach! (April 2004)

Dylan Thomas lived in the bungalow called 'Majoda'  from September 1944 to July 1945. This was a fruitful period in his writing career where he wrote many poems and scripts including 'Quite early one morning'. He also started 'under Milk Wood' while living here.

'Majoda' is number eleven on the New Quay 'Dylan Thomas Trail'. It is privately owned and not open to the public.

'Fynnonfeddyg' is just a short distance from 'Majoda'. It was once the home of Dylan's friend's Vera and William Killick. After an argument, Killick was involved in a shooting incident at 'Majoda'. At the Lampeter Assizes he was subsequently found not guilty, however Dylan and Caitlin soon moved away from New Quay after this incident. The present Spanish style house is much changed and is number twelve on the New Quay 'Dylan Thomas Trail'.