Llwybr Cadfan: Landmarks & Ancient Sites
16 August - 20 December 2025
"Cof y Cerrig" Memory of the Stones
This collection of hand-built vessels have been shaped through the slow, meditative process of coiling, using stoneware and raku clay. Each piece responds to the ancient carved stones of North Wales: the St Cadfan Stone at Tywyn Church; the wall at St Tanwg’s Church; and the Llanaber Stone at St Mary & St Bodfan Church; where some of the earliest traces of Welsh language are etched into weathered surfaces.
The vessels embody the elements: air, fire, water, and earth. Air is captured through naked raku, where smoke traces ghostlike symbols onto smooth, burnished clay. Fire reveals itself in pit-fired forms, their carved surfaces scorched with flame and shadow. Water takes the form of large stoneware pieces, with sand collected from Benar Beach inserted into the clay and then glazed in a deep sea-blue matte glaze. Earth emerges in vessels inscribed with ancient patterns, featuring sand inclusions and glazed in tones that echo land and stone.
These vessels are quiet explorations of impermanence and legacy. Smoke, flame, and glaze build up on the surface like layers of memory. The clay holds memory, drawn from stone, marked by fire and time alike.The Llwybr Cadfan is a contemporary pilgrimage route formally recognised by the Diocese of Bangor last year and follows the footsteps of St Cadfan. The gallery joined in at the official launch in September 2024 at St Cadfan's Church in Tywyn to showcase some of the artists taking part in the exhibition later this year and celebrate the launch of this wonderful journey. The pilgrimage route goes from St Cadfan’s Church in Tywyn to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island). The walk covers about 128 miles and it has been split into 12 sections that can be easily walked in a day. You can find out more about the route here.
Oriel Tŷ Meirion is near the pilgrimage route in Dyffryn Ardudwy, which features in day 4 of the route. The entire route encompasses ancient churches, local history, stunning scenery including beaches, ancient forests, hills, villages, towns with breathtaking views along the way. The pilgrimage offers the space and time to explore an ancient journey through a modern iteration whether completing the full pilgrimage or just a small section. Cadfan himself is thought to be sixth-century Celtic missionary and believed to be the first abbot. The route and landscape lend itself to many landmarks and ancient sites for the pilgrim.