I'm staying in beautiful Solva. Does anyone know what the origin of the name is? I realise it's Solfach, but what does the Sol bit mean?
@griffinkate I don't know, but I have vivid memories of visiting a butterfly museum there when I was maybe 9 or 10. I wonder if it's still there?
@jaz I wonder! Haven't heard anything about a butterfly place. Was it a butterfly house with living butterflies flying around?
@griffinkate No they were all pinned and framed in these cool boxes hung on the wall with the name and some info. I particularly remember a massive one that looked like an owl when its wings were spread out.
@jaz Oh no, I feel sad about the butterflies being dead! They're at their best fluttering around but I guess the Victorians didn't see things that way.
@griffinkate The sol part of the name is related to the modern Welsh words salw and sâl and means poor. So Solfach means poor, not very fertile land.
@Carreglwyd Thank you very much!
@griffinkate GPC gives 'sun' as one meaning;
'singing school, usually organized by a chapel' as another
@huwaptwdwr Thank you for this. I am hearing so many alternative explanations!