Drefach, Felindre and Waungilwen were separate villages once, but as each has expanded they have become indivisible. The villages are three miles south east of Newcastle Emlyn, with Nant Bran running south west to north east between Waungilwen and Felindre, and Nant Bargod running south to north between Drefach and Felindre. On the first edition of the 25inch maps, published in 1888, Waungilwen has not yet been established. At Felindre there was a school, a post office, the Rock Cottage public house, a church dedicated to St. Barnabas (NPRN 301699) and two woollen mills - Dyffryn (NPRN 40872) and Troed-Rhiw (NPRN 40884). To the north, in Drefach, there was another public house, known as the Red Lion. Additionally there was a smithy and two chapels - Bethel Welsh Baptist chapel (NPRN 6519) and Penrhiw Unitarian chapel (NPRN 6521). By 1906, when the 2nd edition of the 25inch OS maps was published, Drefach also had two woollen mill - Meirios Mills and Bargod Mills. At Felindre, Dyffryn Woollen factory was still in operation, as was Troed Rhiw, although it had changed its name to Rhydwyrn Woollen Factory. There were also two unnamed woollen factories nearer to the village centre, as well as yet another woollen mill to the west - Dolwion. Waungilwen is now recorded as a village on the map, with two notable buildings - a row of houses known as Cross Roads Cottages, and Cilwendeg Corn Mill (NPRN 24803).
In the twenty-first century, most of the three villages' amenities are still in the Felindre area. It has a voluntary aided primary school called Penboyr, which educates around 100 children aged 3 to 11. Additionally, Felindre has a village shop and post office; a public house called John-y-Gwas and a fish and chips shop. St Barnabas' church is still open. Waungilwen remains the smallest of the three settlements and consists mainly of modern single and two storey housing. Drefach's Unitarian chapel was moved to St. Fagan's in the late twentieth century, however the Baptist chapel nearer the centre of the village remains open. Perhaps Drefach is best known as the home of the National Wool Museum (NPRN 40868).
Sources: historic and modern OS maps; google street view; Estyn report for Penboyr school, published in September 2015
M. Ryder, RCAHMW; 7th December 2018