River Aeron

The River Aeron is a small river in Ceredigion, Wales, flowing into Cardigan Bay at Aberaeron. It rises in Llyn Eiddwen on the Mynydd Bach hills and winds through a broad valley bounded by low hills. The valley has few tributaries and supports salmon and brown trout. Eight mansions were built along the valley in the 18th and 19th centuries, with two more above it. The Aeron valley is known for its fertility and literary history. Dylan Thomas lived near the river in the 1940s and called the valley ‘the most precious place in the world’. A trail named after him follows the river from Talsarn to Aberaeron. The valley was once home to a group of country poets, including John Davies and Joseph Jenkins, who wrote for agricultural journals. The village of Ystrad Aeron was the birthplace of the bookbinder and poet John Davies, whose diary is held in the National Library of Wales. Visitors find a restored walled garden at Ty Glyn Mansion in Ciliau Aeron, now cared for by a local charity. Nearby Llanerchaeron, a restored mansion, is managed by the National Trust. A riverside walk runs between Llanerchaeron and Aberaeron. The town of Aberaeron marks the river’s entry to Cardigan Bay. The valley’s literary tradition is celebrated along the Dylan Thomas Trail, which passes landmarks such as the Ty Glyn Aeron hotel.