St Michael's Church, Llanfihangel-y-Pennant

Friday was a sight-seeing day, and although I didn't travel far from Tywyn, I still managed to fit in quite a bit during the day.

I started off at Dolgoch and walked up the gorge to the upper of the three waterfalls before driving up the narrow roads to Llanfihangel-y-Pennant.

This tiny community is best known for its church, St Michael's, and its association with Mary Jones (of whom more in a moment). The church also houses the fabulous Bro Dysynni map (see extra photo), which is a patchwork quilted relief map, made by local ladies, of the Dysynni Valley.

It is an amazing piece of art but, unfortunately as it is contained in a perspex case to prevent dust and damage, doesn't photograph too well.

Mary Jones was a local girl, who in 1800 at the age of 16 walked barefoot from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala (a distance of around 26 miles) to buy a copy of the Bible in Welsh as she didn't have a copy to read at home. On arriving at the home of Rev Thomas Charles she was told that the delivery hadn't arrived and, as she had nowhere to stay, lived in the servant quarters for a few days.

Rev Charles was so taken with her determination to procure a copy of the Bible to read, he sold her three copies for the price of one. He later founded the British and Foreign Bible Society to make copies of the Bible more available to people who wanted one.

Mary walked the 26 miles home to Llanfihangel-y-Pennant and lived in the area until the age of 80. She is buried at Bryncrug.

The church has a story-board with details of Mary's life and there is a statue to her nearby, in the ruins of the home to which she moved when she married.

From Llanfihangel-y-Pennant it was a short drive to the ruins of the 13th century Welsh castle of Castell y Bere and the imposing Craig Yr Aderyn (Bird Rock). By then the rain had started and it seemed a good a time as any to return to Tywyn.