There is a well known well under Soar, it is called ffynnon Sion Morgan. I'm sure they carried water from it across the Wern to the old Dolorcan.
When we left Trefor Place I looked at the deeds and the Owner was John Lloyd, 121 Park Road, Liverpool, Shopkeeper. He must be the same family as Robert Lloyd who lived in Gwenda's shop and in 1873 Robert Evans of Aberdeunant, Joiner and Edmund Jones, Glanrafon, Farmer 1878 and it shows at that time how people came down from Llandecwyn and I'm sure if we looked at the deeds of other houses in the village the same thing happened.
There was a lot of water wheels in Talsarnau at one time. I can remember the one at Cefntrefor Isa working when we were children, there was a little lake on the side of the road, they used to block the little stream and they had enough water to turn the wheel and the machines they had in the building on the road side. There were water wheels at Ffridd Fedw, Llety, Tyddyn Sion Wyn, Plas Uchaf, Felin Eisingrug, Ffatri Bondwll, Maesyneuadd, Glyn, Caerwych, Barcdy and Tregwylan.
When I was in the traeth, setting my lines in the thirties, I met Richard Hughes the Author who was cleaning his net, as there was quite a lot of seaweed in it and he stood up and said what a lovely place the traeth was. "Look around" he said, "it is like being in a saucer with the mountains all round, what scenery and in all the countires that I have been to there is nothing like this." When I walk on the sand I look around and think of Richard Hughes and his bicycle, as he rode the sand to post his letters in Portmeirion. If you happened to be on the road from Penrhyn, before the war, you would see the farmers from Llandecwyn walking over the bridge with their basket full of butter and eggs, they were taking them to Penrhyn to the shops to exchange them for groceries. That was the way that they did a lot of their shopping, they had to pay a penny then to go over the bridge and Evan y Bont, as he was called made sure that they paid.
There was one farmer I can remember who came down to the village with his horse but no cart, only the wheels and the bar across and he would tie a sack of flour or perhaps he would be able to rope other things with the sacks. If I remember right he lived in Nantypasgen.
It was nice to see some of the sailors coming home after being away for a year or perhaps two and it was sailing ships then that went out from Porthmadog carrying slates and they would bring a load of timber back with them to Porthmadog or something else. I can remember my cousin,Wille Ellis, he went out from Porthmadog and I was told that another one that was with him turned back home from St. Tudwals and never went o sea again, but Willie Ellis carried on to be a Captain on a steamer and so did a lot from Talsarnau. When there was a circus at Barmouth or Harlech they would be coming through the village early in the morning and of course all the children would be up and when the Elephants came they would beg and people used to give them plenty of food but the lions and tigers would be in cages.
1827 - This is to certify that Robert Richard, Ty Gwyn in the Parish of Llanfihangael y Traethau is a person of good behaviour and of sober life and conversation. We the undersigned hereby recommend him to be licensed to keep a house of public entertainment in his said dwelling house. Witness our hands the 18th day of September 1827.
I thought this was of interest, I found it at Gwynfor's house Gwrach Ynys.