Llandysul,
No one can say that Menna Elfyn has not done her bit for the Welsh language. Twice imprisoned for peaceful acts of civil disobedience in support of the Celtic tongue, she has also won multiple awards for her 14 collections of poetry and is today a fellow of numerous institutions. Her poems – such as Iâ Cymru (Welsh Ice) – often touch on environmental issues and have been translated into more than 20 languages. For a 7¾-mile ramble in Elfyn’s local patch, head south-west out of Llandysul along Lewis Street and Station Road (the station is sadly long gone). Take the first footpath on the left off Heol y Dderwen to follow the disused railway line and the Afon Tyweli. After a short stretch of minor road, turn south on footpaths through woods to Bancyffordd. Head past sylvan Pencastell motte to Pentre-cwrt whose tiny community somehow supports two pubs. After the Plas Parke Inn, take the lane north, crossing the Afon Teifi and joining a footpath that gently climbs the slopes of a low hill. A minor road follows the river back to Llandysul.