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Coordinates: 52°22′36″N 3°51′00″W / 52.3768°N 3.8500°W / 52.3768; -3.8500
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{{Short description|Village in Ceredigion, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox UK place
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[[File:Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Arms Hotel.jpeg|thumb|Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Arms Hotel before the construction of the third bridge, c.1860]]
| official_name = Devil's Bridge
| welsh_name = Pontarfynach
| country = Wales
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| coordinates = {{coord|52.3768|N|3.8500|W|region:GB|display=title}}
| os_grid_reference =
| post_town =
| postcode_area =
| postcode_district =
| dial_code =
| community_wales = Pontarfynach
| unitary_wales = [[Ceredigion]]
| hide_services =
| population = 455
| population_ref = (2011 census)
| area_total_km2 =
| static_image = Former Post Office Stores, Devil’s Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 4453943.jpg
| static_image_caption =
| website =
| module= [[File:Wales Ceredigion Community Pontarfynach map.svg|240px]]<br />Map of the Pontarfynach community
}}
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'''Devil's Bridge''' ({{langx|cy|'''Pontarfynach'''}}, lit. "The bridge on the Mynach") is a village and [[Community (Wales)|community]] in [[Ceredigion]], Wales. Above the [[Afon Mynach|River Mynach]] on the edge of the village is a series of three stacked bridges, constructed hundreds of years apart, from which the village gets its [[English language|English]] name.
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[[File:Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Arms Hotel.jpeg|thumb|Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Arms Hotel before the construction of the third bridge, {{circa|1860}}]]
[[File:A view from the Devils Bridge, in Cardiganshire.jpeg|thumb|upright|View from the Devil's Bridge, 1781]]
[[File:A view from the Devils Bridge, in Cardiganshire.jpeg|thumb|upright|View from the Devil's Bridge, 1781]]
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The village is on the A4120 road, about {{convert|10|mi}} east of [[Aberystwyth]].

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The population of Pontarfynach community at the [[United Kingdom Census|2011 census]] was 455.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127632&c=SY23+4RD&d=16&e=62&g=6491524&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1431519564662&enc=1|title= Community population 2011|access-date= 13 May 2015|archive-date= 18 May 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091301/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127632&c=SY23+4RD&d=16&e=62&g=6491524&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1431519564662&enc=1|url-status= live}}</ref> The mid-2016 estimate suggests that the population had dropped slightly to 429.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://citypopulation.de/php/uk-parishes-wales.php?adm2id=W04000397 |title= PONTARFYNACH Population |website= citypopulation.de |access-date= 4 August 2018 |archive-date= 4 August 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201426/https://citypopulation.de/php/uk-parishes-wales.php?adm2id=W04000397 |url-status= live }}</ref>

== The bridges ==

[[File:Three Bridges of Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion.jpg|thumb|upright|The three bridges, looking downstream]]
[[File:Three Bridges of Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion.jpg|thumb|upright|The three bridges, looking downstream]]
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[[File:Hafod Arms Hotel.jpg|thumb|Hafod Arms Hotel, originally a smaller lodge built by [[Thomas Johnes]]]]
[[File:VoRR Devil's Bridge station.jpg|thumb|[[Devil's Bridge railway station|Devil's Bridge station]]]]


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The village is best known for the three bridges that span the [[Afon Mynach]], a [[tributary]] of the [[River Rheidol|Rheidol]]. The bridge is unique in that three separate bridges are coexistent, each one built upon the previous bridge. The previous structures were not demolished.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amusing Planet – The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach|url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804203637/https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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'''Devil's Bridge''' ({{lang-cy|Pontarfynach}}, lit. "The bridge on the Mynach") is a village and [[Community (Wales)|community]] in [[Ceredigion]], Wales. Above the [[Afon Mynach|River Mynach]] on the edge of the village is the unusual road bridge from which the village gets its [[English language|English]] name.


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The river has been bridged since at least the 12th century, with a wooden bridge built {{circa|1075–1200}}. According to legend, it was built after an old woman lost her cow and saw it grazing on the other side of the river. The [[Devil]] appeared and agreed to build a bridge in return for the [[soul]] of the first living thing to cross it. When the bridge was finished, the old woman threw a crust of bread over the river, which her dog crossed the bridge to retrieve, thus becoming the first living thing to cross it.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reminiscences of a Gentlewoman of the Last Century: Letters of Catherine Hutton|first=Catherine|last=Hutton|author-link=Catherine Hutton|year=1891|url=https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesag00huttgoog|pages=[https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesag00huttgoog/page/n60 48]–49|publisher=Cornish}}</ref> The devil was left with only the soul of the dog.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amusing Planet – The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach|url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804203637/https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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The village is on the A4120 road, about {{convert|10|mi}} east of [[Aberystwyth]].

The lowest arch of the current bridge is ancient, possibly [[medieval]].<ref name=historypoints/> It is a stone arch, and the oldest part of the structure that is still standing.

In 1753, the bridge was repaired, and a second stone arch was added when the original bridge was thought to be unstable. The builders used the original bridge to support [[scaffolding]] during construction and added a second arch.<ref name=historypoints/>

In 1901, an iron bridge was erected above the older arches, and eliminated the slope in the roadway. In 1971, the steelwork and railings were repaired and the bridge was strengthened.<ref>{{cite web|title=Engineering Timelines,Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion|url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=283|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200859/http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=283|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=historypoints>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=devils-bridge-aberystwyth |work=History Points |access-date=4 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170304/http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=devils-bridge-aberystwyth |url-status=live }}</ref>

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The bridge is at a point where the [[Afon Mynach|River Mynach]] drops {{convert|90|m|ft|-1}} in five steps<ref>{{cite web |title=Mid Wales 2008 |url=http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/holidays/MidWales2008/ |work=CavingUK |access-date=9 September 2009 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720124257/http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/holidays/MidWales2008/ |url-status=live }}</ref> down a steep and narrow [[ravine]] before it meets the River Rheidol.<ref name=Goudie70>{{Citation |last1=Goudie |first1=Andrew |last2=Gardner |first2=Rita |author2-link=Rita Gardner (academic) |title=Discovering Landscape in England & Wales |chapter=24 – Piracy at the Devil's Bridge |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IaPnCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 |pages=70–71 |publisher=Springer |year=1992 |isbn=978-0412478505 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=24 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024165250/https://books.google.com/books?id=IaPnCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The set of stone steps, known as [[Jacob's Ladder]], a circular walk for tourists, leads down to a modern metal bridge below the waterfalls.<ref>{{cite web |title=World of Waterfalls - Mynach Falls (Devil's Bridge) |url=https://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/europe-mynach-falls.html |access-date=4 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201804/https://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/europe-mynach-falls.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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==History==
The name in 1629 was {{lang|cy|Pont ar Vynach}} or {{lang|cy|Pontarfynach}}, meaning "Bridge over the Mynach". The word {{lang|cy|mynach}} is Welsh for monk; one theory is that the river got its name from the fact that it was near land owned by a monastery. The first mention of the structure using the English name Devil's Bridge, in historical records, is from 1734.<ref name="historypoints"/>

The bridges that the village is named after were Grade II [[Listed building|Listed]] on 21 January 1964, "as a remarkable succession of three superimposed bridges, one of the best known picturesque sites in Wales" and the listing was updated in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=British Listed Buildings, Devil's Bridge / Pont ar Fynach|url=https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300009870-devils-bridge-pont-ar-fynach-pontarfynach#.W2W-uFVKipo|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804202102/https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300009870-devils-bridge-pont-ar-fynach-pontarfynach#.W2W-uFVKipo|url-status=live}}</ref>

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==Tourism and notable sites==


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[[File:Hafod Arms Hotel.jpg|thumb|Hafod Arms Hotel, originally a smaller lodge built by Thomas Johnes]]
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The population of Pontarfynach community at the [[United Kingdom Census|2011 census]] was 455.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127632&c=SY23+4RD&d= 16&e=62&g=6491524&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1431519564662&enc=1|title=Community population 2011|accessdate=13 May 2015}}</ref> The mid-2016 estimate suggests that the population had dropped slightly to 429.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://citypopulation.de/php/uk-parishes-wales.php?adm2id=W04000397 |title= PONTARFYNACH Population |website= citypopulation.de |accessdate=4 August 2018 }}</ref>


Devil's Bridge has been a tourist attraction for centuries. Records indicate that tourists were coming to this area by the mid 1700s and that an inn or hotel has existed nearby since before 1796.
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== History ==
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The village is best known for the bridge that spans the [[Afon Mynach]], a [[tributary]] of the [[River Rheidol|Rheidol]]. The bridge is unique in that three separate bridges are coexistent, each one built upon the previous bridge. The previous structures were not demolished.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amusing Planet - The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach|url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


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The area was once part of the [[Hafod Uchtryd|Hafod Estate]], owned by [[Thomas Johnes]] who built a small hunting lodge on the estate which was eventually expanded into an inn. The building burned down and was rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|work=The Guardian|date=September 2017|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201109/https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|url-status=live}}</ref> Significant renovations were completed in 1837–1839 and in the 1860s. After several expansions and upgrades, it has been operated as the ''Hafod Hotel'', using this name since the 1860s. In 2017, new owners had arranged for a survey in preparation for a major renovation; they intended to maintain much of the historical character of the building.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales |date=4 May 2015 |access-date=4 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200823/https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|work=Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale|date=12 July 2016|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170157/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|url-status=live}}</ref> Some interior renovation work had been completed by September 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|work=The Guardian|date=September 2017|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201109/https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|url-status=live}}</ref>
The most recently built, in 1901, is an iron bridge which was erected above the older arches. The original bridge is medieval and the second one, a stone structure, built in 1753 and upgraded in 1777 and in 1814, was erected when the original bridge was thought to be unstable. The builders of the 1753 structure used the original bridge (circa 1075–1200) to support [[scaffolding]] during construction and added a second arch. The 1901 structure eliminated the slope in the roadway. In 1971, the steelwork and railings were repaired and the bridge was strengthened. The structure was Grade II Listed on 21 January 1964, "as a remarkable succession of three superimposed bridges, one of the best known picturesque sites in Wales" and the listing was updated in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Engineering Timelines,Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion |url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=283|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=devils-bridge-aberystwyth |work=History Points |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=British Listed Buildings, Devil's Bridge / Pont ar Fynach |url=https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300009870-devils-bridge-pont-ar-fynach-pontarfynach#.W2W-uFVKipo|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


The name in 1629 was Pont ar Vynach or Pontarfynach, meaning Bridge over the Mynach. The word Mynach is Welsh for monk; one theory is that the river got its name from the fact that it was near land owned by a monastery. The first mention of the structure using the English name Devil's Bridge, in historical records, is from 1734.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=devils-bridge-aberystwyth |work=History Points |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>
The artist [[J. M. W. Turner]] sketched the bridge; this work is at the [[Tate]] Gallery, London. He also produced two watercolours of the area in 1795. In 1824, [[William Wordsworth]] published a poem, ''To the Torrent at the Devil’s Bridge, North Wales''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales |date=4 May 2015 |access-date=4 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200823/https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


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The celebrated English author [[George Borrow]] wrote ''Wild Wales'' (1854), which includes a lively, humorous account of his visit to Pontarfynach. The George Borrow Hotel, a 17th-century inn where he reputedly stayed, is nearby; it is located between Devil's Bridge and Pontrhydygroeis Hafod Uchtryd.<ref>{{cite web|title=Discover Ceredigion Region|url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/where/towns/Pages/Devils-Bridge.aspx|work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200802/http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/where/towns/Pages/Devils-Bridge.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
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The bridge is at a point where the [[Afon Mynach|River Mynach]] drops {{convert|90|m|ft|-1}} in five steps<ref>{{cite web |title=Mid Wales 2008 |url=http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/holidays/MidWales2008/ |work=CavingUK |accessdate=9 September 2009}}</ref> down a steep and narrow [[ravine]] before it meets the River Rheidol.<ref name=Goudie70>{{Citation |last1=Goudie |first1=Andrew |last2=Gardner |first2=Rita |author2-link=Rita Gardner (academic) |title=Discovering Landscape in England & Wales |chapter=24 - Piracy at the Devil's Bridge |chapter-url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IaPnCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false |pages=70–71 |publisher=Springer |year=1992 |isbn=978-0412478505}}</ref> The set of stone steps, still open to tourists, leads down to the lowest bridge at the waterfall; it is known as Jacob's Ladder.<ref>{{cite web |title=World of Waterfalls - Mynach Falls (Devil's Bridge) |url=https://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/europe-mynach-falls.html |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


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Tourism to the area increased after the bridge and the Hafod building were featured in the [[Hinterland (TV series)|''Hinterland'' TV series]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge|url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/filmtv/Pages/Hinterland.aspx|work=Discover Ceredigion, Y Gwyll / Hinterland|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170210/http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/filmtv/Pages/Hinterland.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> which has been broadcast in numerous countries. The hotel was presented, using flashbacks, as a children's home that had been closed down and turned into a guest house.<ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge|url=https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g2085308-d2098417-r208356869-Devil_s_Bridge_Falls-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|work=[[TripAdvisor]]|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200901/https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g2085308-d2098417-r208356869-Devil_s_Bridge_Falls-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some tourists also enjoy the nearby nature trail, waterfalls and the historic steam railway.<ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|work=Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale|date=12 July 2016|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170157/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge Falls|url=http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170134/http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> Other places of interest and attractions are located a short drive from the area, some in Aberystwyth.<ref>{{cite web|title=Things to do in Devil's Bridge|url=http://thehafod.co.uk/things-do/|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804200909/http://thehafod.co.uk/things-do/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=5 Best Things to do in Devil's Bridge|url=https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g2085308-Activities-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170318/https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g2085308-Activities-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=About Devil's Bridge|date=6 December 2016|url=http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/about-devils-bridge/|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201806/http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/about-devils-bridge/|url-status=live}}</ref>
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According to legend, the original bridge was built after an old woman lost her cow and saw it grazing on the other side of the river. The [[Devil]] appeared and agreed to build a bridge in return for the [[soul]] of the first living thing to cross it. When the bridge was finished, the old woman threw a crust of bread over the river, which her dog crossed the bridge to retrieve, thus becoming the first living thing to cross it.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reminiscences of a Gentlewoman of the Last Century: Letters of Catherine Hutton|first=Catherine|last=Hutton|author-link=Catherine Hutton|year=1891|url=https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesag00huttgoog|pages=[https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesag00huttgoog/page/n60 48]–49}}</ref> The devil was left with only the soul of the dog.<ref>{{cite web |title=Amusing Planet - The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach|url=https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/02/the-triple-bridge-of-pontarfynach.html|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


[[Mary Lloyd Jones]] (born 1934), a Welsh painter and printmaker based in Aberystwyth was born in Devil's Bridge.
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==Tourism and notable sites associated with Devil's Bridge==
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Devil's Bridge has been a tourist attraction for centuries. Records indicate that tourists were coming to this area by the mid 1700s and that an inn or hotel has existed nearby since before 1796. The area was once part of the [[Hafod Uchtryd|Hafod Estate]], owned by [[Thomas Johnes]] who built a small hunting lodge on the estate which was eventually expanded into an inn. The building burned down and was rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|work=The Guardian|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref> Significant renovations were completed in 1837-1839 and in the 1860s. After several expansions and upgrades, it has been operated as the Hafod Hotel, using this name since the 1860s. In 2017, new owners had arranged for a survey in preparation for a major renovation; they intended to maintain much of the historical character of the building.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|work=Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref> Some interior renovation work had been completed by September 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/sep/01/hafod-hotel-devils-bridge-aberystwyth-review-steam-train|work=The Guardian|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


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The address for the Devil's Bridge area is Woodlands (referring to the caravan park where free parking is available), Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 3JW. The bridge is on the A4120, with sign posts providing guidance from the village centre.<ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Bridge Falls|url=https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=4665|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804202345/https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=4665|url-status=live}}</ref>
The artist [[J. M. W. Turner]] sketched the bridge; this work is at the [[Tate]] Gallery, London. He also produced two watercolours of the area in 1795. In 1824, [[William Wordsworth]] published a poem, ''To the Torrent at the Devil’s Bridge, North Wales''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://sublimewales.wordpress.com/places/devils-bridge-near-aberystwyth/ |work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


==Transport==
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The celebrated English author [[George Borrow]] wrote ''Wild Wales'' (1854), which includes a lively, humorous account of his visit to Pontarfynach. The George Borrow Hotel, a 17th-century inn where he reputedly stayed, is nearby. Between Devil's Bridge and Pontrhydygroeis Hafod Uchtryd, or Hafod where the hotel is located.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discover Ceredigion Region|url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/where/towns/Pages/Devils-Bridge.aspx|work=Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


Devil's Bridge is the location of [[Devil's Bridge railway station]], the upper terminus of the historic narrow-gauge [[Vale of Rheidol Railway]], which opened between [[Aberystwyth]] and Devil's Bridge in 1902.
[[File:VoRR Devil's Bridge station.jpg|thumb|alt=Devil's Bridge railway station|Devil's Bridge station]]


[[Devil's Bridge railway station]] is the upper terminus of the historic narrow-gauge [[Vale of Rheidol Railway]], which opened between [[Aberystwyth railway station|Aberystwyth]] and Devil's Bridge in 1902.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetable |work=Rheidol Railway |date=2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |url=https://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/timetable/ |quote= |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826083949/https://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/timetable/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Tourism to the area increased after the bridge and the Hafod building were featured in the [[Hinterland (TV series)|''Hinterland'' TV series]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/filmtv/Pages/Hinterland.aspx|work=Discover Ceredigion, Y Gwyll / Hinterland|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref> which has been broadcast in numerous countries. The hotel was presented, using flashbacks, as a children's home that had been closed down and turned into a guest house.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g2085308-d2098417-r208356869-Devil_s_Bridge_Falls-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|work=[[TripAdvisor]]|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref> Some tourists also enjoy the nearby nature trail, waterfalls and the historic steam railway.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/hinterland-hotel-undergo-complete-revamp-11600933|work=Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale |accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge Falls |url=http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref> Other places of interest and attractions are located a short drive from the area, some in Aberystwyth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Things to do in Devil's Bridge|url=http://thehafod.co.uk/things-do/|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=5 Best Things to do in Devil's Bridge|url=https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g2085308-Activities-Devil_s_Bridge_Pontarfynach_Ceredigion_Wales.html|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About Devil's Bridge|url=http://devilsbridgefalls.co.uk/about-devils-bridge/|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


The village is served by one bus route, the 522, which runs between [[Tregaron]] and [[Aberystwyth]]; there is one service daily in each direction on weekdays and it is operated by Mid Wales Travel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stops in Devil's Bridge |work=Bus Times |date=2023 |access-date=26 August 2023 |url=https://bustimes.org/localities/devils-bridge |quote= |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826083949/https://bustimes.org/localities/devils-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>
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The address for the Devil's Bridge area is Woodlands (referring to the caravan park where free parking for tourists' automobiles is available), Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 3JW. The bridge is on the A4120, with sign posts providing guidance from the village centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devil's Bridge Falls|url=https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=4665|accessdate=4 August 2018}}</ref>


==Popular culture==
==Popular culture==
Devil's Bridge and the hotel building are featured prominently in the opening two episodes of the first series of the 2013 Welsh-language crime noir, ''[[Y Gwyll]]''<ref>Ceri Radford (28 April 2014) [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10793152/Hinterland-BBC-Four-review-a-corker.html "Hinterland, BBC Four, review: 'a corker'"], ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved 14 April 2017.</ref> (literally "Darkness", titled in English "Devil's Bridge" and "Night Music"), shown on [[S4C]] and subsequently on [[BBC4]] as ''Hinterland''. Both are featured again in series 3 of the programme. The three series are streamed on [[Netflix]] in Canada and the US and also in Japan, Taiwan, India, South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Devil's Bridge and the hotel building are featured prominently in the opening two episodes of the first series of the 2013 Welsh-language crime noir, {{lang|cy|[[Y Gwyll]]}}<ref>Ceri Radford (28 April 2014) [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10793152/Hinterland-BBC-Four-review-a-corker.html "Hinterland, BBC Four, review: 'a corker'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804170241/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10793152/Hinterland-BBC-Four-review-a-corker.html |date=4 August 2018 }}, ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 14 April 2017.</ref> (episodes titled in English "Devil's Bridge" and "Night Music"), shown on [[S4C]] and subsequently on [[BBC4]] as ''Hinterland''. Both are featured again in series 3 of the programme. The three series are streamed on [[Netflix]] in Canada and the US and also in Japan, Taiwan, India, South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.


==See also==
==See also==
Line 49: Line 89:


== External links ==
== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Pontarfynach (community)}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Devil's Bridge}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Devil's Bridge}}
*[http://tourism.ceredigion.gov.uk/saesneg/dbridge.htm Devil's Bridge, famous thrice over.]
*[http://tourism.ceredigion.gov.uk/saesneg/dbridge.htm Devil's Bridge, famous thrice over.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051108182635/http://tourism.ceredigion.gov.uk/saesneg/dbridge.htm |date=8 November 2005 }}
*[https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3090048 Photos of Devil's Bridge and surrounding area]
*[https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3090048 Photos of Devil's Bridge and surrounding area]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS_CGcebr98 Video footage of the Devil's Bridge and Afon Mynach Gorge]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS_CGcebr98 Video footage of the Devil's Bridge and Afon Mynach Gorge]
*{{gbmapping|SN740770}}
*{{gbmapping|SN740770}}
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{{coord|52.3768|N|3.8500|W|region:GB|display=title}}


{{ceredigion}}
{{ceredigion}}

Latest revision as of 18:24, 7 November 2024

Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge is located in Ceredigion
Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge
Location within Ceredigion
Population455 (2011 census)
Community
  • Pontarfynach
Principal area
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
List of places
UK
Wales
Ceredigion

52°22′36″N 3°51′00″W / 52.3768°N 3.8500°W / 52.3768; -3.8500


Map of the Pontarfynach community

Devil's Bridge (Welsh: Pontarfynach, lit. "The bridge on the Mynach") is a village and community in Ceredigion, Wales. Above the River Mynach on the edge of the village is a series of three stacked bridges, constructed hundreds of years apart, from which the village gets its English name.

Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Arms Hotel before the construction of the third bridge, c. 1860
View from the Devil's Bridge, 1781

The village is on the A4120 road, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Aberystwyth.

The population of Pontarfynach community at the 2011 census was 455.[1] The mid-2016 estimate suggests that the population had dropped slightly to 429.[2]

The bridges

[edit]
The three bridges, looking downstream

The village is best known for the three bridges that span the Afon Mynach, a tributary of the Rheidol. The bridge is unique in that three separate bridges are coexistent, each one built upon the previous bridge. The previous structures were not demolished.[3]

The river has been bridged since at least the 12th century, with a wooden bridge built c. 1075–1200. According to legend, it was built after an old woman lost her cow and saw it grazing on the other side of the river. The Devil appeared and agreed to build a bridge in return for the soul of the first living thing to cross it. When the bridge was finished, the old woman threw a crust of bread over the river, which her dog crossed the bridge to retrieve, thus becoming the first living thing to cross it.[4] The devil was left with only the soul of the dog.[5]

The lowest arch of the current bridge is ancient, possibly medieval.[6] It is a stone arch, and the oldest part of the structure that is still standing.

In 1753, the bridge was repaired, and a second stone arch was added when the original bridge was thought to be unstable. The builders used the original bridge to support scaffolding during construction and added a second arch.[6]

In 1901, an iron bridge was erected above the older arches, and eliminated the slope in the roadway. In 1971, the steelwork and railings were repaired and the bridge was strengthened.[7][6]

The bridge is at a point where the River Mynach drops 90 metres (300 ft) in five steps[8] down a steep and narrow ravine before it meets the River Rheidol.[9] The set of stone steps, known as Jacob's Ladder, a circular walk for tourists, leads down to a modern metal bridge below the waterfalls.[10]

History

[edit]

The name in 1629 was Pont ar Vynach or Pontarfynach, meaning "Bridge over the Mynach". The word mynach is Welsh for monk; one theory is that the river got its name from the fact that it was near land owned by a monastery. The first mention of the structure using the English name Devil's Bridge, in historical records, is from 1734.[6]

The bridges that the village is named after were Grade II Listed on 21 January 1964, "as a remarkable succession of three superimposed bridges, one of the best known picturesque sites in Wales" and the listing was updated in 2005.[11]

Tourism and notable sites

[edit]
Hafod Arms Hotel, originally a smaller lodge built by Thomas Johnes

Devil's Bridge has been a tourist attraction for centuries. Records indicate that tourists were coming to this area by the mid 1700s and that an inn or hotel has existed nearby since before 1796.

The area was once part of the Hafod Estate, owned by Thomas Johnes who built a small hunting lodge on the estate which was eventually expanded into an inn. The building burned down and was rebuilt.[12] Significant renovations were completed in 1837–1839 and in the 1860s. After several expansions and upgrades, it has been operated as the Hafod Hotel, using this name since the 1860s. In 2017, new owners had arranged for a survey in preparation for a major renovation; they intended to maintain much of the historical character of the building.[13][14] Some interior renovation work had been completed by September 2017.[15]

The artist J. M. W. Turner sketched the bridge; this work is at the Tate Gallery, London. He also produced two watercolours of the area in 1795. In 1824, William Wordsworth published a poem, To the Torrent at the Devil’s Bridge, North Wales.[16]

The celebrated English author George Borrow wrote Wild Wales (1854), which includes a lively, humorous account of his visit to Pontarfynach. The George Borrow Hotel, a 17th-century inn where he reputedly stayed, is nearby; it is located between Devil's Bridge and Pontrhydygroeis Hafod Uchtryd.[17]

Tourism to the area increased after the bridge and the Hafod building were featured in the Hinterland TV series,[18] which has been broadcast in numerous countries. The hotel was presented, using flashbacks, as a children's home that had been closed down and turned into a guest house.[19] Some tourists also enjoy the nearby nature trail, waterfalls and the historic steam railway.[20][21] Other places of interest and attractions are located a short drive from the area, some in Aberystwyth.[22][23][24]

Mary Lloyd Jones (born 1934), a Welsh painter and printmaker based in Aberystwyth was born in Devil's Bridge.

The address for the Devil's Bridge area is Woodlands (referring to the caravan park where free parking is available), Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 3JW. The bridge is on the A4120, with sign posts providing guidance from the village centre.[25]

Transport

[edit]
Devil's Bridge railway station
Devil's Bridge station

Devil's Bridge railway station is the upper terminus of the historic narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway, which opened between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in 1902.[26]

The village is served by one bus route, the 522, which runs between Tregaron and Aberystwyth; there is one service daily in each direction on weekdays and it is operated by Mid Wales Travel.[27]

[edit]

Devil's Bridge and the hotel building are featured prominently in the opening two episodes of the first series of the 2013 Welsh-language crime noir, Y Gwyll[28] (episodes titled in English "Devil's Bridge" and "Night Music"), shown on S4C and subsequently on BBC4 as Hinterland. Both are featured again in series 3 of the programme. The three series are streamed on Netflix in Canada and the US and also in Japan, Taiwan, India, South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Community population 2011". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  2. ^ "PONTARFYNACH Population". citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Amusing Planet – The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. ^ Hutton, Catherine (1891). Reminiscences of a Gentlewoman of the Last Century: Letters of Catherine Hutton. Cornish. pp. 48–49.
  5. ^ "Amusing Planet – The Triple Bridge of Pontarfynach". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Devil's Bridge". History Points. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Engineering Timelines,Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Mid Wales 2008". CavingUK. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  9. ^ Goudie, Andrew; Gardner, Rita (1992), "24 – Piracy at the Devil's Bridge", Discovering Landscape in England & Wales, Springer, pp. 70–71, ISBN 978-0412478505, archived from the original on 24 October 2023, retrieved 23 September 2020
  10. ^ "World of Waterfalls - Mynach Falls (Devil's Bridge)". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  11. ^ "British Listed Buildings, Devil's Bridge / Pont ar Fynach". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  12. ^ "The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review". The Guardian. September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Devil's Bridge". Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Devil's Bridge". Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale. 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  15. ^ "The Hafod Hotel, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion: review". The Guardian. September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Devil's Bridge". Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Discover Ceredigion Region". Sublime Wales, Early Tourists in Wales. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Devil's Bridge". Discover Ceredigion, Y Gwyll / Hinterland. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Devil's Bridge". TripAdvisor. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Devil's Bridge". Wales Online, 'Hinterland' hotel to undergo a complete revamp following sale. 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Devil's Bridge Falls". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Things to do in Devil's Bridge". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  23. ^ "5 Best Things to do in Devil's Bridge". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  24. ^ "About Devil's Bridge". 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Devil's Bridge Falls". Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  26. ^ "Timetable". Rheidol Railway. 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  27. ^ "Stops in Devil's Bridge". Bus Times. 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  28. ^ Ceri Radford (28 April 2014) "Hinterland, BBC Four, review: 'a corker'" Archived 4 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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