The village of Aberllefenni, comprising 16 tenanted properties and 48 acres of grazing land, has been put on the market due to the owner retiring. It belongs to Wincilate Ltd, which bought it – along with the slate quarry – in the 1950’s. The quarry was sold off earlier this year.
The agents, Dafydd Hardy, say it is “an excellent investment opportunity†at a realistic price, grossing an annual income of approximately £70,000. “This portfolio is mainly located in the historic location of Aberllefenni, set high above the Dyfi Valley in this rural area of mid-Wales†in the southern part of the Snowdonia National Park.
The portfolio consists of 9 terraced houses, 3 pairs of semi-detached houses, and a cottage said to be the oldest in the village. Only one property is currently vacant, and most have been upgraded and modernised.
They are all stone-built to house the workers at the quarry which has been operational since the 14th century. The slate was mined underground on three sites, and was the oldest continually operated slate mine in the world until operations ceased in 2003. Only dressing and finishing continues now. Aberllefenni slate is of very high quality and has a deep blue colour, making it desirable for plaques and nameplates.
On the subject of villages in Wales in the news: Swingfields festival has just ended in an unsuspecting village in south Wales. For the people not in the know, Swingfields is an annual weekend festival for ‘swingers’, or as they phrase it, followers of ‘the lifestyle’. Attendees had to have established profiles on at least two swingers websites in order to purchase tickets for the 3 days of adult fun. Locals were not amused when they realised what was going on. However, it will be somewhere else next year!