Set amid some of the most beautiful countryside in West Wales, the small villages of Capel Dewi and Maesycruciau are a great choice if you’re keen to find a home offering a peaceful location but with easy access to a range of amenities. 

The larger town of Llandysul is just a short drive away, offering good schools, supermarkets and health services, while the stunning Cardigan Bay coast is about 30 minutes away, where you can try water sports ranging from surfing to sailing. 

If you’d like to receive updates on new houses for sale in Ceredigion or Carmarthenshire please get in touch with Helen or Tania and we’ll be happy to help. You can also read about some of the other towns and villages of West Wales in our location guides. 

History 

The whole of Ceredigion is steeped in history, with prehistoric, bronze-age and iron-age remains, as well as more recent history in the form of railways and woollen mills. 

Capel Dewi sits on the eastern bank of the River Clettwr, a tributary of the River Teifi, in the picturesque Clettwr Valley. The village is home to the Rock Mill, a waterwheel-powered woollen mill that was opened in 1890 and became the last commercial woollen mill in Wales – a testament to the prominent role the woollen industry played in the economic success of West Wales. Today it offers holiday accommodation.  

Also in Capel Dewi is St David’s Church, a Grade II listed building that sits at the heart of the village. 

Tourism & Recreation 

Rolling hills and a relaxed pace of life are what you’ll find when you move to this area, but you can also enjoy a wide range of activities. The historic town of Carmarthen is only about half an hour away, and from there you can take the train to London if you’re in need of big city life!  

Carmarthen itself has plenty of tourist attractions, including the striking Carmarthen Castle and the Gwili Railway, which offers a vintage train experience. The town also has a range of social clubs including Carmarthen Rugby Club, Carmarthen Football Club, and a branch of the Young Farmers. There’s also a Vue cinema here if you enjoy going to the movies. 

Away from the towns and villages you’ll find plenty of walking to be done. Both Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire have a wide choice of beautiful footpaths, or head to the coast and try walking part of the famed Ceredigion Coastal Path, which offers stunning views out over Cardigan Bay. There’s also the local beauty spot of Teifi Pool if you fancy a short stroll. 

Road cycling is also growing in popularity here, as well as mountain biking thanks to the range of routes and tracks to explore.  

If you’re a keen equestrian then this part of West Wales has a wide range of riding stables, horse trainers and studs, and there are wonderful bridleways and quiet lanes to explore. There’s also the Little Mill Equestrian Centre around 20 minutes away, near Carmarthen. 

Buy a property here and you’re also not far from some of Britain’s loveliest beaches.  Beautiful Llangrannog beach is about 30 minutes drive from these villages and is very popular with families and surfers for the relaxed vibe and friendly beach cafes such as Caffi Patio and The Beach Hut. 

Aberporth beach is also about half an hour away and has two sheltered sandy beaches, alternatively, the National Trust owned Mwnt beach is somewhere very special. You should also visit Aberaeron, a popular tourist spot thanks to its Regency style houses, harbour and beach. 

Not surprisingly, the Cardigan Bay coast is also very popular with lovers of water sports. The area is best known for its great surfing, with different beaches suited to different abilities and plenty of places to take a surf lesson. But if surfing isn’t your thing you can try water skiing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, sailing, kayaking and more.  

You’ll also find great fishing in this part of the world – both in Cardigan Bay and in the famed River Teifi. The  Llandysul Angling Association has fishing rights to over 30 miles of the River Teifi, with various permits available.  

Llandysul is also home to the Llandysul Paddlers, a specialist in adventure activities such as river swimming, canyoning, climbing and more. Their team of instructors are experts in what they do so you’ll learn from some of the best! 

Finally, if you enjoy cricket consider joining Llandysul Cricket Club, which has a number of teams, while both Llandysul and Carmarthen have leisure centres with swimming pools and a range of fitness facilities. 

Shopping 

Rural West Wales offers all sorts of shops – some of which you won’t find anywhere else! 

In Capel Dewi there’s a community run local store – Siop Dewi – which sells everything from milk and bread to cereals, chocolate and cleaning products! Capel Dewi is also the location of coin and banknote dealer R.P. & P.J. Beckett, who specialise in selling coins and notes from around the world. 

Also based near Capel Dewi is the incredible ANUNA Craft Bakery, which sells its products at a range of local markets as well as taking orders online for local pick up. Try their delicious sourdough breads and don’t miss their sourdough almond croissants! 

In Llandysul you’ll find a wider choice of shops, including a Nisa Extra, Spar and a CK Foodstore, as well as a fruit shop, a butcher, a book shop and The Arcade for stoves, fires and range cookers if you’re updating your new home. 

For financial requirements, you can head to Carmarthen where you’ll find branches of NatWest, Lloyds, TSB and Santander. Here you’ll also find a Morrisons, an Aldi and a Co-op Food store, as well as a wide range of other high street names such as Next and TK Maxx. 

Eating & Drinking 

With some fabulous local producers of delicious foods and drinks, West Wales has a growing reputation among foodies. Add to this some great restaurants, cool beach cafes and cosy local pubs and you’ll have plenty to enjoy. 

The closest restaurants to these villages are mostly in Llandysul, although you will find some in the surrounding countryside.  

The Belle Vue Inn at Llanllwni has an excellent reputation and serves freshly made food, much of which is made from fresh, local Welsh ingredients. Here you can try dishes such as Swansea oak smoked salmon with pomegranate, pan-roast Welsh fillet steak and slow-roast Welsh belly pork with Calvados apple chutney.  

In Llandysul you should head to local favourites such as Ffab Cymru; Buon Appetito; Nyth Y Robin and the Half Moon Inn, or if you fancy a night in you’ll also find a choice of takeaways including Taj and Chef China. 

Another place definitely worth visiting is The Leeky Barrel Welsh Bistro & Shop, located between Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn. On the menu here is everything from lunches of Welsh Rarebit and fresh cockles, to delicious desserts and cocktails! 

Also a short drive away is Tafarn John Y Gwas or The Red Lion in Drefach Felindre, both of which serve good food, a choice of beers and offer a friendly atmosphere. 

Healthcare 

The closest medical centre is in Llandysul, where you can register with the Llynyfran Surgery, located on Llynyfran Road. Here there is a team of doctors, nurse practitioners and practice nurses, with the centre open from 8.30am until 6pm Monday to Friday.  

Dental care is also available in Llandysul at the Cottage Dental Practice in Rhydowen, and the town also has a Lloyds Pharmacy and a Boots Pharmacy. 

If you’re moving to the area with animals, then you’ll find Tysul Vets also in Llandysul. 

We also highly recommend West Wales Chiropractors in Blaenporth – around 35 minutes from these villages – for any back problems you have. 

Schools 

Moving to the area with young children? You’ll find a choice of primary schools – one in the small village of Llanllwni, and the other in Llandysul, Ysgol Bro Teifi, which is a purpose built primary and secondary school with a wealth of facilities. Depending where you buy your new home for sale in Ceredigion will determine which school your children go to. 

If you have a child with autism or severe learning difficulties, you may be interested to find out more about Canolfan y Don in Aberporth, around 35 minutes from these villages. The school welcomes pupils up to the age of 11 and has a highly experienced team to support children. 

If you’re looking for further education options then the Coleg Sir Gâr in Carmarthen offers both academic and practical courses, including apprenticeships, adult learning and part time courses. There’s also Coleg Ceredigion in Cardigan, which offers courses in areas such as ICT, the performing arts and child development, as well as adult learning and GCSE courses. 

If you’re a keen artist then consider Carmarthen School of Art, which has courses in areas such as ceramics, illustration and fine art. 

Carmarthen also has a campus of the University of Wales Trinity St David which has a comprehensive range of subjects such as creative writing, business, healthcare and acting.  

Transport 

Moving to this rural part of West Wales gives you easy access to some of Britain’s most beautiful coast and countryside, but you will need a car to access it. While there is some public transport by bus, these villages don’t have a direct service.  

You can check various bus routes and timings on this journey planner. 

Carmarthen also has a regular rail service to London – some are direct trains, others you change at Cardiff or Swansea – adding to the appeal of this area. 

Find out more… 

Cardigan Bay Properties is an award-winning, specialist estate agent in West Wales and has helped hundreds of home buyers find their perfect property in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. If you’d like to be one of the first to hear about the latest properties coming on the market then get in touch. 

Please contact us on 01239 562 500 to discuss your plans. 

If you’re keen to find out more about the area you can also have a look on these other websites –  

• Things to Do – Click Here and Here 
• Primary schools – Click Here 
• Transport – Click Here and Here and Here 
• Property management and lettings – Click Here