Trefeurig

The community boundary encompasses the areas of Penrhyn-coch, Salem, Pen-bont Rhydybeddau, Cwmsymlog, Cwmerfyn, Banc-y-darren, Cefn-llwyd, and Capel Madog.

The community's lowest point lies in the west, and is less than 20m above sea level. This is the point where the Peithyll and Clarach streams meet at Pont Rhyd-hir, and the railway bridge on the A487. The boundary runs along the Nant Clarach for a short distance before climbing through Gogerddan forest, then along the middle below Broncastellan Fort, until reaching the road from Bow Street to Pont-goch.

The boundary continues along Bow Street until turning at Elgar's Farm and travelling along the stream past the old Elgar and Mynyddgorddu mines, and through the old mine reservoir. The border then turns south over Troedrhiwseiri Bank until it reaches the Afon Stewi.

It is at the east, over Garn Bank near Caer Pen y Castell, where the community reaches its highest elevation of 437m above sea level, just north of the summit.

The boundary passes through a forest owned by Natural Resources Wales until reaching the shore of Syfydrin Lake at the eastern end of the community. There it heads south across the moorland until it reaches Ponterwyd Road just west of the Buwch a'r Llo (Cow and Calf) Standing Stones.

It follows the road until reaching Blaenmelindwr Lake and then follows the lane past Llyn Rhosgoch to the front of Cwmerfyn. It follows the southern slopes of the valley towards the sea until reaching the road from Cwmerfyn to Capel Madog. It then climbs past Ysgubornewydd, turning west above the Madog Valley until crossing the road to Pen-llwyn, then crosses the River Peithyll and meets the road to Capel Dewi, Aberystwyth near the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences Ionosphere Research Station.

The border leaves the Pen-llwyn road just before reaching Capel Dewi, and follows the Peithyll River through the small wood of Pwll Crwn to the edge of Pont Rhyd-hir.[3]

The community of Trefeurig is bordered by 5 communities, Tirymynach, Ceulanmaesmawr, Blaenrheidol, Melindwr, and Vaynor.

The land at the eastern end of the community, on the outskirts of Elenydd, is largely heathland and mountainous in character. It is mostly open ground except for the pine forests, which were planted by the Forestry Commission starting in the 1930s. Three reservoirs lie on the high ground, Llyn Pantrhydyrebolion (also known as 'Llyn Pendam'), Llyn Blaenmelindwr and Llyn Rhosgoch. The three reservoirs and Pen-Cefn reservoir were built to supply water to the mines. The Angling Association administers the fishing rights on the Rhosgoch and Blaenmelindwr lakes.[4]

As well as the Natural Resources Wales forests, the majority of which are pine, Trefeurig has broadleaved and mixed forests, mostly on steep slopes and on the river banks. Ice Age glaciers deposited shingle on the flat valley floor in the lowlands, and a layer of clay. The remainder of the land is improved pasture, used for grazing sheep and cattle. Some of the land is used in IBERS experiments. Lowland hedges divide the fields in the lowlands, as well as wire fences and some stonewalls in upland areas.[5]

There are five Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Trefeurig. Three of them, Cwmsymlog, Mwyngloddfa Cwmystwyth, and Mwyngloddfa Llechweddhelyg, are in the grounds of the old mine workings. Much of the mine waste was cleared during the 1990s, but some waste still remains, especially at Cwmsymlog. Unusual plants and lichens grow on these sites, consisting of species which can tolerate high levels of metals in the ground.

Banc Llety-spence SSSI is a rare dry heath habitat in Ceredigion. Gwaun Troed-rhiw-seiri and Llyn Mynydd-gorddu by contrast are of interest instead for the rare marshy grassland in the area. SSSIs are typically located on private land, but unusually there is public access at Cwmsymlog.[6]

The community includes the following villages:

• Penrhyn-coch
• Pen-bont-rhyd-y-beddau
• Salem
• Llwyn Prysg
• Pen-rhiw-newydd
• Cwmsymlog
• Cwmerfyn
• Banc-y-Darren
• Cefn Llwyd

There are 5 churches in the community, namely St John's Church (Church in Wales), Horeb Church (Baptist Union of Wales), Salem Church (Congregational Federation in Wales), Siloa Church, Cwmerfyn Church (Independent), Capel Madoc (Calvinistic Methodist). There is a community primary school in Penrhyncoch, as well as Neuadd, a football club that plays on Baker Field and has a social club, a children's playground, and a playground. Pen-bont-rhyd-y-beddau also has a playground. Natural Resources Wales has installed car parks and footpaths in the forests at Gogerddan and Round Pond. They have also installed car parks and cycle and walking trails on the grounds around the lakes in the west of the community.[7]

The Gogerddan Weather Monitoring Station opened in 1953, near to the present day site of IBERS. An Eisteddfod and Show are held annually at Penrhyncoch Hall.

Chimney of the old Cwmsymlog mine

The rocks in Trefeurig have been dated to the early Silurian period, including mudstones and silt.[8]

Several rock bends occurred from the Devonian to the Permian eras, which caused faults to appear in the rock. The faults became filled with hot fluid pressed through the cracks from the ground below. These faults are now filled by quartz, with some amounts of lead, silver, zinc, and copper. The percentage of minerals differs from vein to vein. The Cwmsymlog vein is relatively heavy in silver[9] and the Daren vein is relatively heavy in copper.[10][11]

At the 2011 census the position was as follows:[22]

• Dafydd ap Gwilym - poet. Born in Brogynin on the banks of the River Stewi. Many local place-names appear in his poems, such as Cwmbwa and Gogerddan.[12]
• Lewis Morris - hydrographer, writer, scholar. Moved to Trefeurig upon appointment as Crown Steward of Mid Wales Mines. He lived in Cwmsymlog, later moving between 1746 to Gelffadog as well as Penrhyn-coch in 1757.
• Sir Carbery Pryse - Resided at Gogerddan, and owned a number of mines.[12]
• David Jenkins - librarian, author. Lived at Penrhyn-coch since childhood.
• Niall Griffiths - author.[23] Chose to move to Penrhyn-coch.
• Linda Griffiths - singer.
• Daniel Huws - scholar.

• Sleep Furiously (2007)[24]
• Hinterland (Y Gwyll) (2013)

• Jenkins, David (1992). Bro Dafydd ap Gwilym. Ceredigion Book Society.
• Davies, Elfed and Davies, Brian (2012). Salem Soldier. Y Lolfa Cyf.