Aberystwyth
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Aberystwyth is a historic market town
, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion
, Wales
. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence
of the rivers Ystwyth
and Rheidol.
Since the late 19th century, Aberystwyth has also been a major Welsh educational centre, with the establishment of a university college there in 1872. The town's population was officially 15,935 in the 29 April 2001 census or 16,928 if local-government wards are tallied. During nine months of the year, there is an influx of students—to a total number of 8841 at July 2009, but there is no reliable measure of the number of those students whose family residence is outside Aberystwyth.
The town
is situated near the confluence
of the rivers Ystwyth
and Rheidol, on the west coast of Wales. Although the name may seem to suggest otherwise, only the River Rheidol passes through the town; following the reconstruction of the harbour, the River Ystwyth skirts the town.
Aberystwyth has a pier
and a fine seafront which stretches from Constitution Hill
at the north end of the Promenade to the mouth of the harbour at the south, taking in two separate beach stretches divided by the castle. Today it is essentially made up by a number of different areas: Aberystwyth town, Llanbadarn Fawr, Waunfawr, Penparcau, Llanbadarn and Trefechan, with Penparcau being the most populous.
Aberystwyth is an isolated town, considering the population density of the United Kingdom. The nearest substantial settlements are located at least 1 hour 45 minutes' drive away: Swansea
, to the south, is 70 miles (112.7 km) away; Shrewsbury
, in Shropshire
, England, to the east, is 75 mile away; and Wrexham
, to the north-east, is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) away. The Welsh capital, Cardiff
, is over 100 miles (160.9 km) away. London
is 210 miles (338 km) distant from Aberystwyth.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfb) similar to almost all of the United Kingdom. This is particularly pronounced due to its west coast location facing the Irish Sea. Air undergoes little land moderation and so temperatures closely reflect the sea temperature when winds are coming from the predominant onshore (westerly) direction. The nearest Met Office weather station is Gogerddan, 3 miles to the northeast, and at a similar elevation.
The absolute maximum temperature is 34.6 °C (94.3 °F), set during July 2006. This is also the July record maximum for all of Wales, suggesting that the area's low lying situation, aided by a possible fohn effect when winds are offshore can act to achieve high temperatures on occasion. Typically the warmest day will average 28 °C (82.4 °F) and 5.6 days will achieve a maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above.
The absolute minimum temperature is -13.5 C, set in January 2010. Typically 39.8 days will register an air frost.
Rainfall average's 1112mm a year, with over 1mm recorded on 161 days. All averages refer to the 1971-00 period.
and South Wales
. Constitution Hill is scaled by the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway giving access to fine views and other attractions at the top, while much of the finest scenery in Mid Wales
lies within easy reach of the town. This includes the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains
, whose valleys contain forest
s and meadow
s which have changed little in centuries. A convenient way of reaching the interior is by the preserved narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway
.
Although the town is relatively modern, it contains a number of historic buildings, including the remains of the castle
and the Old College of Aberystwyth University nearby. The Old College was originally intended to be a hotel but, due to a lack of funds, the shell of the building was sold to the university. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth from Penglais Hill to the east of the town centre. The terminus
for the standard-gauge railway is also very impressive, having been built in 1924 in the typical style of the period. Generally, the architecture is a mix of Gothic
, Classical Revival and Victorian
.
The town is generally regarded as the capital of Mid Wales
and several institutions have regional or national offices there. Perhaps the most important of the public bodies located in Aberystwyth is the National Library of Wales
. The library also incorporates the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, one of six British regional film archives. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
, which maintains and curates the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), providing the public with information about the built heritage of Wales. Aberystwyth is also the home to the national offices of UCAC and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg and the site of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. The Welsh Books Council
and the offices of the standard historical dictionary of Welsh, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
, are also located in Aberystwyth.
Age the area of Tan-y-Bwlch at the foot of Pen Dinas (Penparcau
) was used as a flint knapping floor for hunter gatherers making weapons from flint that was deposited as the ice retreated.
(or more correctly 'Dinas Maelor'), a hill in Penparcau
overlooking Aberystwyth, indicates that the site was inhabited before 700 BC. On a hill south of the present town, across the River Ystwyth, are the remains of a medieval ringfort
believed to be the castle from which Princess Nest was abducted. This rare survival is now on private land and can only be accessed by arrangement.
(grandfather of Richard de Clare
, known as Strongbow, the Cambro-Norman
lord notable for his leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland
). Gilbert Fitz Richard was granted lands and the lordship of Cardigan
by Henry I
, including Cardigan Castle
. The fortress built in Aberystwyth was located about a mile and a half south of today's town, on a hill over the south bank of the Ystwyth River. Edward I
replaced Strongbow's castle in 1277, after its destruction by the Welsh. His castle was, however, built in a different location, at the current Castle Hill, the high point of the town. Between the years 1404 and 1408 Aberystwyth Castle
was in the hands of Owain Glyndŵr
but finally surrendered to Prince Harry (the future King Henry V of England
). Shortly after this, the town was incorporated under the title of Ville de Lampadarn (the ancient name of the place being Llanbadarn Gaerog or the fortified Llanbadarn, to distinguish it from Llanbadarn Fawr
, the village one mile (1.6 km) inland. It is thus styled in a Royal charter
granted by Henry VIII
but, by Elizabeth I's
time, the town was invariably named Aberystwyth in all documents.
period, probably dying during the Parliamentarian siege and is now housed in the Ceredigion Museum
in the town. His image is featured in one of nine mosaics created to adorn the castle's walls.
Hafod Uchtryd
was a mansion built by Thomas Johnes
starting in 1783, part of it being designed by John Nash
. The landscaped gardens were formed by blasting away parts of hills to create vistas. Roadways and bridges were built and hundreds of thousands of trees were planted. The result was a landscape that became famous and attracted many visitors including Samuel Taylor Coleridge
. It is thought to have inspired the passage in his poem Kubla Khan
:
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
The house was demolished in 1955 but the landscape remains.
Rural industries and craftsmen were an important part of life in a country town. Information recorded in Trade Directories show that in 1830, there were in Aberystwyth:
Twenty boot
makers, eight baker
s, two corn miller
s, eleven carpenter
s and joiners, one cooper
, seven tailor
s, two dressmaker
s, two straw hat makers, two hat makers, three currier
s, four saddle
rs, two tinsmith
s, six maltsters, two skinners, four tanners, eight stonemasons, one brewer
, four lime burners, three shipwrights, three wheelwright
s, five cabinet makers, one nail maker, one rope maker and one sail maker
.
, which resulted in the construction of the town's impressive station
. The Cambrian line opened on Good Friday
1869, the same day that the new Eugenius Birch
designed 292 metres (958 ft) Royal Pier
opened, attracting 7,000 visitors.
The railway's arrival gave rise to something of a Victorian
tourist boom and the town was once even billed as the "Biarritz of Wales". During this time, a number of hotels and fine townhouse
s were built including the Queens Hotel. One of the largest of these hotels, "The Castle Hotel", was never completed as a hotel but, following bankruptcy
, was sold cheaply to the Welsh National University Committee, a group of people dedicated to the creation of a Welsh University. The University College of Wales (later to become Aberystwyth University) was founded in 1872 in this building.
Aberystwyth was a contributory parliamentary borough until the Third Reform Act
, which caused its representation to be merged into that of the county in 1885.
In 1895, various businessmen who had been behind the Aberystwyth New Harbour Company formed the Aberystwyth Improvement Company (AIC) to take over the works of the defunct Bourne Engineering & Electrical. In 1896, the AIC completed three projects: the new landside pavilion for the Royal Pier; built the Cambria Hotel (later the United Theological College) and formed Constitution Hill Ltd
, to develop a Victorian theme park. Chief engineer George Croydon Marks designed all the AIC developments, including the United Kingdom's longest funicular railway
, which takes passengers up a 50% gradient to a park and camera obscura
.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg held their historic first protest on Trefechan Bridge in Aberystwyth, on 2 February 1963.
The first independent Welsh Evangelical
Church was established in Aberystwyth (see Evangelical Movement of Wales
).
Aberystwyth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1865, 1916, 1952 and 1992.
On 1 March 2005, Aberystwyth was granted Fairtrade Town
status.
In March 2009, mayor Sue Jones-Davies
, who had played the role of Judith Iscariot in the film Monty Python's Life of Brian
(1979), organised a charity screening of the film. Principal actors Terry Jones
and Michael Palin
also attended. There is a popular, but incorrect, "urban myth" that the town had banned the film (as some jurisdictions did) when it was first released.
is one of the 51 town and community councils in Ceredigion and consists of 19 town councillors elected in five wards. The last elections were held on 1 May 2008.
Aberystwyth is governed by Ceredigion County Council
and Aberystwyth itself elects six of the 42 councillors in five separate wards (Bronglais, Central, North and Rheidol wards elect one councillor each while Penparcau ward elects two). Of the current county councillors, three are Welsh Liberal Democrat
, two are Plaid Cymru
and one is an independent
.
Aberystwyth has five Welsh Assembly members, one of whom is elected as a constituency AM for Ceredigion
, Elin Jones
and four who are elected on the regional list for Mid and West Wales.
The town is also within the Ceredigion
constituency for elections to the House of Commons. The current MP is Mark Williams
for the Welsh Liberal Democrats
.
is one of the largest and busiest arts centres in Wales. It encompasses a 312 seat theatre, 900 seat concert hall, 125 seat cinema, and has accompanied studio, galleries, plus public spaces which include cafes and a bar.
Arad Goch is an Arts Council funded community theatre and art gallery based in the town. The premises holds a theatre, gallery, several art studios and meeting rooms, and a darkroom.
The major languages spoken in Aberystwyth are English and Welsh. The 2001 census reported that, in the seven wards of Aberystwyth, 39% of the residents self-identified as either being able to speak, read or write Welsh. This is lower than Ceredigion as a whole (54%) but higher than Wales overall (23%).
scene which has produced bands and artists such as:
The University Music Centre promotes a varied programme for instrumentalists, singers and listeners from the university and the wider community.
Also on a Wednesday evening a number of traditional folk music
artist congregate in the popular ale drinkers pub, The Ship and Castle.
is the local rugby union
club formed in 1947 and plays in the Welsh Rugby Union leagues.
Aberystwyth Town F.C.
, formed in 1884, won the Welsh Cup in 1900 before becoming a founder member of the Welsh Premier League (then League of Wales) in 1992. The town is rich in football with the University of Wales F.C., Penparcau
, Bow Street, and Penrhyncoch as well as ATFC Reserves playing in the third tier of Welsh football: Spar Mid Wales League. The club were winners of the Welsh Cup
in 1899 and last reached the final in the 2008-2009 season.
Aberystwyth Cricket Club have three senior teams and have been playing in the town in one form or the other since the 1830s. A new Penparcau Boxing Club has been built in Penparcau.
s serving the town and a wide rural area, namely Ysgol Gyfun Gymunedol Penweddig
and Penglais School
. The former uses Welsh as the primary language of tuition, the latter, English.
(founded in 1822 but, since 2010, has become amalgamated with Trinity University College, Carmarthen to become 'the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David' with campuses in Carmarthen and Lampeter).
library of Wales
. Established in 1907, it is a Welsh Government sponsored body. According to Cyril Evans, the library's centenary events co-ordinator, "The library is considered to be one of the world's greatest libraries, and its international reputation is certainly something that all Welsh men and women are intensely ... proud of".
Welsh
is the main medium of communication within the organisation; it aims to deliver all public services in Welsh and English.
s and a golf course
, the town's attractions include:
The all organic
dairy
unit of Rachel's Organic
is based in Glan yr afon, and is the largest private sector employer in Aberystwyth. But many comment that due to its isolated nature, Aberystwyth has developed its own micro-economy: while Rachel's employs 130, new Welsh Assembly offices will employ 1000; the local low-pay sector is dominated by students from the university.
The Cambrian News
newspaper came to Aberystwyth from Bala
in 1870, after it was purchased by Sir John Gibson. Printed in Oswestry
, in May 1880 the paper integrated operations in a former Malthouse
in Mill Street. Owned by the Read family from 1926, in 1993 printing was contracted out, enabling the move of editorial staff to the current open-plan offices on Llanbadarn Fawr Science Park. On the death of Henry Read, the paper was purchased by Sir Ray Tindle
in 1999, whose company owns more than 200 weekly newspapers in Britain. Now printed in tabloid format, Cambrian News is the second largest weekly-print circulation newspaper in Wales, with 24,000 copies in six regional editorial versions, read by 60,000 weekly readers. The circulation area of mid, west and north Wales covers 3000 mi2.
, situated in the town centre. The station is the terminus of a service provided by Arriva Trains Wales
, on a roughly two-hourly basis, over the scenic Cambrian Line
to Shrewsbury
and Birmingham
via Machynlleth
and Mid Wales
. Connecting services from Machynlleth also provide a link to Gwynedd
's west coast as far as Pwllheli
. There is no longer a southbound link to Carmarthen
via Lampeter
, this line having fallen victim to the Beeching Axe
in 1965.
Aberystwyth station is also the terminus of the Vale of Rheidol Railway
, a steam operated
narrow gauge heritage railway
. Constructed between 1901 and 1902, it was intended to ship mineral cargo, primarily lead
, from Devil's Bridge
down to Aberystwyth for trans-shipment. By the time it was finished, lead mining was in a deep downturn and, thanks to the Aberystwyth Improvement Company, it therefore came to rely largely on the tourist industry, opening for passengers in December 1902. It still remains open for the summer season, offering a journey of 12 miles (19.3 km).
In 1896, the Aberystwyth Improvement Company formed Constitution Hill Ltd which, under the direction of chief engineer George Croydon Marks, developed the United Kingdom's longest funicular railway
, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
, which takes passengers up a 50% gradient.
Two of Wales's important trunk road
s, the A487
and A44
, meet in the town, with much traffic between north and south-west Wales passing through. The B4574 mountain road linking the town to Rhayader
is described by the AA
as one of the ten most scenic drives in the world.
Aberystwyth is also a hub for Wales's TrawsCambria
bus
network, with regular direct services to Bangor
, Cardigan
, Carmarthen
and Cardiff
. A daily National Express
coach to London and Birmingham
also exists.
Aberystwyth (albeit an alternative universe version) is the setting for the cult Louie Knight
series by Malcolm Pryce
which transfers Chandleresque "noir"
stories and dialogue to this small seaside town. This alternative reality features many landmarks of Aberystwyth such as the University and the National Library of Wales
, but the social situation is radically altered to more closely resemble the pulp/noir stereotypical "Dirty Town" that the narrative plays off. Most of the humour in the books is derived from the almost seamless juxtaposition of the real Aberystwyth and the fictional, noir Aberystwyth. Various aspects of Welsh culture
are reflections of what you might expect to see in reality, but with a pulp twist - for example, prostitutes wear Welsh stovepipe hats.
'Stripping Penguins Bare', the second of Michael Carson's Benson Trilogy of comic novels is set in the town and university in the 1960s.
The town is the setting for Koudelka
, a PlayStation RPG.
In the setting for Classic Battletech, a star system in the Timbuktu Theatre of Alarion Province of the Lyran Commonwealth / Lyran Alliance is named Aberystwyth.
The local writer Niall Griffiths
has set many of his novels here and reflects local slang, settings and even individuals. Grits and Sheepshagger are set wholly in Aberystwyth, which also features prominently in his other novels such as Kelly and Victor and Stump. He portrays a more gritty side of Aberystwyth.
Nancy Bond
's A String in the Harp is set in the small coastal town of Borth
, near Aberystwyth. The main characters' father is on sabbatical leave from Amherst University
and working at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
According to Douglas Adams
' 1983 humorous dictionary of toponymic neologisms "The Meaning of Liff
" an Aberystwyth is "A nostalgic yearning which is in itself more pleasant than the thing being yearned for".
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the rivers Ystwyth
River Ystwyth
The River Ystwyth is a river in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Its source is a number of streams that include the Afon Diliw, located on the border of Ceredigion and Powys in the Cambrian Mountains....
and Rheidol.
Since the late 19th century, Aberystwyth has also been a major Welsh educational centre, with the establishment of a university college there in 1872. The town's population was officially 15,935 in the 29 April 2001 census or 16,928 if local-government wards are tallied. During nine months of the year, there is an influx of students—to a total number of 8841 at July 2009, but there is no reliable measure of the number of those students whose family residence is outside Aberystwyth.
Geography
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
is situated near the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the rivers Ystwyth
River Ystwyth
The River Ystwyth is a river in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Its source is a number of streams that include the Afon Diliw, located on the border of Ceredigion and Powys in the Cambrian Mountains....
and Rheidol, on the west coast of Wales. Although the name may seem to suggest otherwise, only the River Rheidol passes through the town; following the reconstruction of the harbour, the River Ystwyth skirts the town.
Aberystwyth has a pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
and a fine seafront which stretches from Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill, Aberystwyth
Constitution Hill is a hill found at the northern end of the Aberystwyth promenade, overlooking Cardigan Bay in Ceredigion, Wales.Aberystwyth Cliff Railway climbs to the summit, which is home to a cafe.-External links:* *...
at the north end of the Promenade to the mouth of the harbour at the south, taking in two separate beach stretches divided by the castle. Today it is essentially made up by a number of different areas: Aberystwyth town, Llanbadarn Fawr, Waunfawr, Penparcau, Llanbadarn and Trefechan, with Penparcau being the most populous.
Aberystwyth is an isolated town, considering the population density of the United Kingdom. The nearest substantial settlements are located at least 1 hour 45 minutes' drive away: Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, to the south, is 70 miles (112.7 km) away; Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England, to the east, is 75 mile away; and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, to the north-east, is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) away. The Welsh capital, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, is over 100 miles (160.9 km) away. London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is 210 miles (338 km) distant from Aberystwyth.
Climate
Aberystwyth experiences an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb) similar to almost all of the United Kingdom. This is particularly pronounced due to its west coast location facing the Irish Sea. Air undergoes little land moderation and so temperatures closely reflect the sea temperature when winds are coming from the predominant onshore (westerly) direction. The nearest Met Office weather station is Gogerddan, 3 miles to the northeast, and at a similar elevation.
The absolute maximum temperature is 34.6 °C (94.3 °F), set during July 2006. This is also the July record maximum for all of Wales, suggesting that the area's low lying situation, aided by a possible fohn effect when winds are offshore can act to achieve high temperatures on occasion. Typically the warmest day will average 28 °C (82.4 °F) and 5.6 days will achieve a maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above.
The absolute minimum temperature is -13.5 C, set in January 2010. Typically 39.8 days will register an air frost.
Rainfall average's 1112mm a year, with over 1mm recorded on 161 days. All averages refer to the 1971-00 period.
Physical features
Aberystwyth is a major tourist centre and a cultural link between North WalesNorth Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Constitution Hill is scaled by the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway giving access to fine views and other attractions at the top, while much of the finest scenery in Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
lies within easy reach of the town. This includes the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian Mountains
The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from, and including, the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons, north Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, the Black Mountains of eastern Wales, to Snowdonia in North Wales...
, whose valleys contain forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s which have changed little in centuries. A convenient way of reaching the interior is by the preserved narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway
Vale of Rheidol Railway
The Vale of Rheidol Railway is a narrow-gauge gauge heritage railway that runs for between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in the county of Ceredigion, Wales...
.
Although the town is relatively modern, it contains a number of historic buildings, including the remains of the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
and the Old College of Aberystwyth University nearby. The Old College was originally intended to be a hotel but, due to a lack of funds, the shell of the building was sold to the university. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth from Penglais Hill to the east of the town centre. The terminus
Aberystwyth railway station
Aberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
for the standard-gauge railway is also very impressive, having been built in 1924 in the typical style of the period. Generally, the architecture is a mix of Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, Classical Revival and Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
.
The town is generally regarded as the capital of Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
and several institutions have regional or national offices there. Perhaps the most important of the public bodies located in Aberystwyth is the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
. The library also incorporates the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, one of six British regional film archives. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body based in Aberystwyth, Wales. It was founded in August 1908...
, which maintains and curates the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), providing the public with information about the built heritage of Wales. Aberystwyth is also the home to the national offices of UCAC and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg and the site of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. The Welsh Books Council
Welsh Books Council
The Welsh Books Council or Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru was established in 1961 under the name of Cyngor Llyfrau Cymraeg . Today it is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The Council's aims are to promote the interest in Welsh language books and English language books of interest to Wales...
and the offices of the standard historical dictionary of Welsh, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru is the principal historical dictionary of the Welsh language, enjoying a similar status to that of the Oxford English Dictionary in the English language....
, are also located in Aberystwyth.
Mesolithic
There is evidence that during the MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
Age the area of Tan-y-Bwlch at the foot of Pen Dinas (Penparcau
Penparcau
Penparcau is a suburb of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales.-Location and amenities:The original village was a small hamlet, one mile east of Aberystwyth town centre, but the building of extensive Art Deco style semi-detached social housing from the 1920s on transformed the village...
) was used as a flint knapping floor for hunter gatherers making weapons from flint that was deposited as the ice retreated.
Bronze and Iron Ages
The remains of a Celtic fortress on Pen DinasPen Dinas
Pen Dinas is the name of a hill south of Aberystwyth on the coast of Ceredigion, Wales, upon which an extensive Iron Age hill fort is situated....
(or more correctly 'Dinas Maelor'), a hill in Penparcau
Penparcau
Penparcau is a suburb of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales.-Location and amenities:The original village was a small hamlet, one mile east of Aberystwyth town centre, but the building of extensive Art Deco style semi-detached social housing from the 1920s on transformed the village...
overlooking Aberystwyth, indicates that the site was inhabited before 700 BC. On a hill south of the present town, across the River Ystwyth, are the remains of a medieval ringfort
Ringfort
Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...
believed to be the castle from which Princess Nest was abducted. This rare survival is now on private land and can only be accessed by arrangement.
Middle Ages
The recorded history of Aberystwyth may be said to date from the building of a fortress in 1109 by Gilbert Fitz RichardGilbert Fitz Richard
Gilbert Fitz Richard was son and eventual heir of Richard Fitz Gilbert of Clare and heiress Rohese Giffard. He succeeded to his father's possessions in England in 1091; his brother, Roger Fitz Richard, inherited his father's lands in Normandy. Gilbert's inheritance made him one of the wealthiest...
(grandfather of Richard de Clare
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
, known as Strongbow, the Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
lord notable for his leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
). Gilbert Fitz Richard was granted lands and the lordship of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, including Cardigan Castle
Cardigan Castle
Cardigan Castle is a castle located in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales.-History:The first motte-and-bailey castle was built a mile away from the present site, probably about the time of the founding of the town by Roger de Montgomery, a Norman baron....
. The fortress built in Aberystwyth was located about a mile and a half south of today's town, on a hill over the south bank of the Ystwyth River. Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
replaced Strongbow's castle in 1277, after its destruction by the Welsh. His castle was, however, built in a different location, at the current Castle Hill, the high point of the town. Between the years 1404 and 1408 Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle is an Edwardian fortress located in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid Wales that was built during the First Welsh War in the late 13th century. It was begun during Edward I's first Welsh campaign at the same time as work started at Flint, Rhuddlan and Builth...
was in the hands of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
but finally surrendered to Prince Harry (the future King Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
). Shortly after this, the town was incorporated under the title of Ville de Lampadarn (the ancient name of the place being Llanbadarn Gaerog or the fortified Llanbadarn, to distinguish it from Llanbadarn Fawr
Llanbadarn Fawr
Llanbadarn Fawr is an urbanised village and community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is located on the outskirts of Aberystwyth situated next to Penparcau and Southgate. It forms the eastern part of the continually built-up area of Aberystwyth...
, the village one mile (1.6 km) inland. It is thus styled in a Royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
granted by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
but, by Elizabeth I's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
time, the town was invariably named Aberystwyth in all documents.
Early Modern Era
In 1649, Parliamentarian troops razed the castle, so that its remains are now inconsiderable, though portions of three towers still exist. In 1988, an excavation within the castle area revealed a complete male skeleton, deliberately buried. Rarely surviving in Wales' acidic soil, this skeleton was probably preserved by the addition of lime from the collapsed building. Affectionately known as "Charlie", he probably dates from the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
period, probably dying during the Parliamentarian siege and is now housed in the Ceredigion Museum
Ceredigion Museum
- Location :Ceredigion Museum is located at The Coliseum, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth. It is managed by Ceredigion County Council. It is housed in a restored Edwardian Theatre.- History :...
in the town. His image is featured in one of nine mosaics created to adorn the castle's walls.
Hafod Uchtryd
Hafod Uchtryd
The estate of Hafod Uchtryd is located in Ceredigion, Wales in the Ystwyth valley near Devil's Bridge, Cwmystwyth and Pont-rhyd-y-groes off the B4574 road, described by the Automobile Association as one of the ten most scenic drives in the world. It is the ancient location of a dwelling on the...
was a mansion built by Thomas Johnes
Thomas Johnes
Thomas Johnes , born in Ludlow, Shropshire, England was a Member of Parliament, landscape architect, farmer, printer, writer and social benefactor...
starting in 1783, part of it being designed by John Nash
John Nash (architect)
John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...
. The landscaped gardens were formed by blasting away parts of hills to create vistas. Roadways and bridges were built and hundreds of thousands of trees were planted. The result was a landscape that became famous and attracted many visitors including Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
. It is thought to have inspired the passage in his poem Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan
Kubla Khan is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, completed in 1797 and published in Christabel, Kubla Khan, and the Pains of Sleep in 1816...
:
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
The house was demolished in 1955 but the landscape remains.
Rural industries and craftsmen were an important part of life in a country town. Information recorded in Trade Directories show that in 1830, there were in Aberystwyth:
Twenty boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
makers, eight baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
s, two corn miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
s, eleven carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
s and joiners, one cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
, seven tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
s, two dressmaker
Dressmaker
A dressmaker is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Also called a mantua-maker or a modiste.-Notable dressmakers:*Cristobal Balenciaga*Charles Frederick Worth...
s, two straw hat makers, two hat makers, three currier
Currier
A currier is a specialist in the leather processing industry. After the tanning process, the currier applies techniques of dressing, finishing and colouring to the tanned hide to make it strong, flexible and waterproof...
s, four saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
rs, two tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
s, six maltsters, two skinners, four tanners, eight stonemasons, one brewer
Brewer
Brewer may refer to:*Brewer, someone who makes beer by brewing*Brewer , a disambiguation page that lists people with the surname Brewer*Brewer, Maine, a city in southern Penobscot County, Maine, United States, near the city of Bangor...
, four lime burners, three shipwrights, three wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
s, five cabinet makers, one nail maker, one rope maker and one sail maker
Sailmaker
A sailmaker makes and repairs sails for sailboats, kites, hang gliders, wind art, architectural sails, or other structures using sails. A sailmaker typically works on shore in a sail loft. The sail loft has other sailmakers. Large ocean-going sailing ships often had sailmakers in the crew. The...
.
Victorian era
The Cambrian Railway line from Machynlleth reached Aberystwyth in the 1860s, closely followed by rail links to CarmarthenCarmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
, which resulted in the construction of the town's impressive station
Aberystwyth railway station
Aberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
. The Cambrian line opened on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
1869, the same day that the new Eugenius Birch
Eugenius Birch
Eugenius Birch was a 19th Century English naval architect, engineer and noted pier builder.-Biography:Both Eugenius and his brother were born in Gloucester Terrace, Shoreditch, to grain dealer John and wife Susanne...
designed 292 metres (958 ft) Royal Pier
Royal Pier, Aberystwyth
The Royal Pier, Aberystwyth is a pleasure pier located in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. The first pier to open in Wales in 1865, after a series of storm attacks, it is now a much shortened version of its originally constructed length of .-Construction:...
opened, attracting 7,000 visitors.
The railway's arrival gave rise to something of a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
tourist boom and the town was once even billed as the "Biarritz of Wales". During this time, a number of hotels and fine townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s were built including the Queens Hotel. One of the largest of these hotels, "The Castle Hotel", was never completed as a hotel but, following bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, was sold cheaply to the Welsh National University Committee, a group of people dedicated to the creation of a Welsh University. The University College of Wales (later to become Aberystwyth University) was founded in 1872 in this building.
Aberystwyth was a contributory parliamentary borough until the Third Reform Act
Representation of the People Act 1884
In the United Kingdom, the Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Redistribution Act of the following year were laws which further extended the suffrage in Britain after the Disraeli Government's Reform Act 1867...
, which caused its representation to be merged into that of the county in 1885.
In 1895, various businessmen who had been behind the Aberystwyth New Harbour Company formed the Aberystwyth Improvement Company (AIC) to take over the works of the defunct Bourne Engineering & Electrical. In 1896, the AIC completed three projects: the new landside pavilion for the Royal Pier; built the Cambria Hotel (later the United Theological College) and formed Constitution Hill Ltd
Constitution Hill, Aberystwyth
Constitution Hill is a hill found at the northern end of the Aberystwyth promenade, overlooking Cardigan Bay in Ceredigion, Wales.Aberystwyth Cliff Railway climbs to the summit, which is home to a cafe.-External links:* *...
, to develop a Victorian theme park. Chief engineer George Croydon Marks designed all the AIC developments, including the United Kingdom's longest funicular railway
Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway is a funicular railway in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. Opened in 1896, it is the longest funicular railway in the United Kingdom.-Development:...
, which takes passengers up a 50% gradient to a park and camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
.
Modern history
On the night of Friday, 14 January 1938, a storm with estimated wind speeds of up to 90 mi/h struck the town. Most of the promenade was destroyed, along with 200 feet (61 m) of the pier. Many properties on the seafront were damaged, with every property from the King's Hall north affected, those on Victoria Terrace having suffered the greatest damage. Work commenced on a protective coffer dam until 1940, with total costs of construction coming to £70,000 (equivalent to £2.5 million today).Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg held their historic first protest on Trefechan Bridge in Aberystwyth, on 2 February 1963.
The first independent Welsh Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Church was established in Aberystwyth (see Evangelical Movement of Wales
Evangelical Movement of Wales
The Evangelical Movement of Wales was born in the 1940s, it came to light as a counter move by reformed Christians to the liberal theology which was gaining influence in to the Protestant denominations of Wales during the 20th century....
).
Aberystwyth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1865, 1916, 1952 and 1992.
On 1 March 2005, Aberystwyth was granted Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
status.
In March 2009, mayor Sue Jones-Davies
Sue Jones-Davies
Sue Jones-Davies is a Welsh actress and singer, who appeared as Judith in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian. Mayor of Aberystwyth from 2008–2009, she now serves as town councillor.-Early life and education:Sue Jones-Davies was born in Wales...
, who had played the role of Judith Iscariot in the film Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team...
(1979), organised a charity screening of the film. Principal actors Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
and Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
also attended. There is a popular, but incorrect, "urban myth" that the town had banned the film (as some jurisdictions did) when it was first released.
Governance
Aberystwyth Town CouncilAberystwyth Town Council
Aberystwyth Town Council is the community council that governs the five wards of Aberystwyth town. The council appoints a presiding officer who is then known as the Mayor of Aberystwyth...
is one of the 51 town and community councils in Ceredigion and consists of 19 town councillors elected in five wards. The last elections were held on 1 May 2008.
Aberystwyth is governed by Ceredigion County Council
Ceredigion County Council
Ceredigion County Council is the governing body for the county of Ceredigion, one of the unitary authorities of Wales.-Political makeup:Elections take place every four years...
and Aberystwyth itself elects six of the 42 councillors in five separate wards (Bronglais, Central, North and Rheidol wards elect one councillor each while Penparcau ward elects two). Of the current county councillors, three are Welsh Liberal Democrat
Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....
, two are Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and one is an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Aberystwyth has five Welsh Assembly members, one of whom is elected as a constituency AM for Ceredigion
Ceredigion (Assembly constituency)
Ceredigion is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
, Elin Jones
Elin Jones
Elin Jones AM , is a Welsh politician, born in Lampeter, Wales, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the National Assembly for Wales since 1999.-Background:...
and four who are elected on the regional list for Mid and West Wales.
The town is also within the Ceredigion
Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)
Ceredigion, formerly Cardiganshire, is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1536, the boundaries have remained remarkably unchanged for nearly five centuries...
constituency for elections to the House of Commons. The current MP is Mark Williams
Mark Williams (politician)
Mark Fraser Williams is a British Welsh Liberal Democrat politician and the Member of Parliament for the Ceredigion constituency, a seat he gained from Plaid Cymru in 2005...
for the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....
.
Arts
Aberystwyth Arts CentreAberystwyth Arts Centre
Aberystwyth Arts Centre is one of Wales' busiest and largest arts centres, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales...
is one of the largest and busiest arts centres in Wales. It encompasses a 312 seat theatre, 900 seat concert hall, 125 seat cinema, and has accompanied studio, galleries, plus public spaces which include cafes and a bar.
Arad Goch is an Arts Council funded community theatre and art gallery based in the town. The premises holds a theatre, gallery, several art studios and meeting rooms, and a darkroom.
Language
See also List of Welsh principal areas by percentage Welsh languageThe major languages spoken in Aberystwyth are English and Welsh. The 2001 census reported that, in the seven wards of Aberystwyth, 39% of the residents self-identified as either being able to speak, read or write Welsh. This is lower than Ceredigion as a whole (54%) but higher than Wales overall (23%).
Music
Aberystwyth has a live musicLive Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
scene which has produced bands and artists such as:
- The CrockettsThe CrockettsThe Crocketts were a rock group originating at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1995/6. They recorded two full length albums for V2 Records - We May Be Skinny And Wirey and The Great Brain Robbery...
- Hot PuppiesHot PuppiesThe Hot Puppies are a Welsh band from Aberystwyth, now based in Cardiff, previously signed to Fierce Panda Records. They are:* Becky Wood - vocals* Beth Gibson - vocals/keyboards/theremin/cello* Luke "Dangerman" Taylor - guitar/vocals...
- Murry the HumpMurry the Hump (band)Murry the Hump were a Welsh indie rock and "urban folk" band. They were active from 1999 until 2001; Since then they have continued to write music under the name The Keys.- History :...
- The Lowland HundredThe Lowland Hundred (band)The Lowland Hundred is a British musical group, based in Aberystwyth, Wales. The band has been active since 2008. Its core members are Paul Newland and Tim Noble....
The University Music Centre promotes a varied programme for instrumentalists, singers and listeners from the university and the wider community.
Also on a Wednesday evening a number of traditional folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
artist congregate in the popular ale drinkers pub, The Ship and Castle.
Sport
Aberystwyth has several sporting associations, including Aberystwyth Athletic Club which was formed in 1955. Aberystwyth RFCAberystwyth RFC
Aberystwyth Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Aberystwyth, West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and a feeder club for the Scarlets regional side....
is the local rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club formed in 1947 and plays in the Welsh Rugby Union leagues.
Aberystwyth Town F.C.
Aberystwyth Town F.C.
Aberystwyth Town F.C. is a football team, playing in the Welsh Premier League.The club was founded in 1884, and plays at Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, where their ground accommodates 5,000 spectators with 1,002 of that capacity seated....
, formed in 1884, won the Welsh Cup in 1900 before becoming a founder member of the Welsh Premier League (then League of Wales) in 1992. The town is rich in football with the University of Wales F.C., Penparcau
Penparcau
Penparcau is a suburb of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales.-Location and amenities:The original village was a small hamlet, one mile east of Aberystwyth town centre, but the building of extensive Art Deco style semi-detached social housing from the 1920s on transformed the village...
, Bow Street, and Penrhyncoch as well as ATFC Reserves playing in the third tier of Welsh football: Spar Mid Wales League. The club were winners of the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
in 1899 and last reached the final in the 2008-2009 season.
Aberystwyth Cricket Club have three senior teams and have been playing in the town in one form or the other since the 1830s. A new Penparcau Boxing Club has been built in Penparcau.
Schools
Aberystwyth has two comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
s serving the town and a wide rural area, namely Ysgol Gyfun Gymunedol Penweddig
Ysgol Gyfun Gymunedol Penweddig
Penweddig Community Secondary School is a successful Welsh-language secondary school in Aberystwyth, Wales. The school was established in 1973 and now educates girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 18 through the medium of Welsh...
and Penglais School
Penglais School
Penglais Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school situated in the town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, West Wales. It offers education to over 1,550 pupils aged 11 to 19. The school was established in 1973 and teaches mainly through the medium of English....
. The former uses Welsh as the primary language of tuition, the latter, English.
Aberystwyth University
Aberystwyth is home to Aberystwyth University whose predecessor, University College Wales, was founded in 1872 and renamed 'the University of Wales, Aberystwyth' in the mid-1990s. Prior to the college's establishment, Wales had very limited academic-degree capability through St David's College, LampeterUniversity of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
(founded in 1822 but, since 2010, has become amalgamated with Trinity University College, Carmarthen to become 'the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David' with campuses in Carmarthen and Lampeter).
National Library Of Wales
The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, is the national legal depositLegal deposit
Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The requirement is mostly limited to books and periodicals. The number of copies varies and can range from one to 19 . Typically, the national library is one of the...
library of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Established in 1907, it is a Welsh Government sponsored body. According to Cyril Evans, the library's centenary events co-ordinator, "The library is considered to be one of the world's greatest libraries, and its international reputation is certainly something that all Welsh men and women are intensely ... proud of".
Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
is the main medium of communication within the organisation; it aims to deliver all public services in Welsh and English.
Tourism and local economy
As well as having two cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s and a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, the town's attractions include:
- The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway a funicular railway
- A Victorian Camera obscuraCamera obscuraThe camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
at the top of Constitution Hill. - The Vale of Rheidol steam railwayVale of Rheidol RailwayThe Vale of Rheidol Railway is a narrow-gauge gauge heritage railway that runs for between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in the county of Ceredigion, Wales...
(The narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway) - Aberystwyth Arts CentreAberystwyth Arts CentreAberystwyth Arts Centre is one of Wales' busiest and largest arts centres, based on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales...
. - The Parc PenglaisPenglais Nature ParkPenglais Nature Park is a woodland situated in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion in Wales.The park is a combination of woodland and a disused quarry. Spring brings a display of a carpet of bluebells in common with the many other bluebell woods....
nature reserve - The Ystwyth TrailYstwyth TrailThe Ystwyth Trail is a multi-use rail trail linking Aberystwyth, Llanfarian, Ystrad Meurig and Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales. Cycling and walking are permitted along the entire length while horseriding is permitted on several sections only....
cycle path - Ceredigion MuseumCeredigion Museum- Location :Ceredigion Museum is located at The Coliseum, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth. It is managed by Ceredigion County Council. It is housed in a restored Edwardian Theatre.- History :...
The all organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
unit of Rachel's Organic
Rachel's Organic
Rachel's is an organic dairy products company based in Aberystwyth, Wales. Founded by local farmers but now a subsidiary of French company Lactalis, it was United Kingdom's first certified organic dairy.-Background:...
is based in Glan yr afon, and is the largest private sector employer in Aberystwyth. But many comment that due to its isolated nature, Aberystwyth has developed its own micro-economy: while Rachel's employs 130, new Welsh Assembly offices will employ 1000; the local low-pay sector is dominated by students from the university.
The Cambrian News
Cambrian News
The Cambrian News is a weekly newspaper distributed in Wales. It was founded in 1860 and is based in Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth. Cambrian News Ltd was bought by media entrepreneur Sir Ray Tindle in 1998.- History :...
newspaper came to Aberystwyth from Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
in 1870, after it was purchased by Sir John Gibson. Printed in Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, in May 1880 the paper integrated operations in a former Malthouse
Malthouse
A malt house, or maltings, is a building where cereal grain is converted into malt by soaking it in water, allowing it to sprout and then drying it to stop further growth. The malt is used in brewing beer, whisky and in certain foods. The traditional malt house was largely phased out during the...
in Mill Street. Owned by the Read family from 1926, in 1993 printing was contracted out, enabling the move of editorial staff to the current open-plan offices on Llanbadarn Fawr Science Park. On the death of Henry Read, the paper was purchased by Sir Ray Tindle
Ray Tindle
Sir Ray Tindle is a British newspaper and radio-station entrepreneur. He founded the Tindle Newspaper Group and the Tindle Radio Group....
in 1999, whose company owns more than 200 weekly newspapers in Britain. Now printed in tabloid format, Cambrian News is the second largest weekly-print circulation newspaper in Wales, with 24,000 copies in six regional editorial versions, read by 60,000 weekly readers. The circulation area of mid, west and north Wales covers 3000 mi2.
Rail
Aberystwyth is served by Aberystwyth stationAberystwyth railway station
Aberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
, situated in the town centre. The station is the terminus of a service provided by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
, on a roughly two-hourly basis, over the scenic Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
via Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
and Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
. Connecting services from Machynlleth also provide a link to Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
's west coast as far as Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
. There is no longer a southbound link to Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
via Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
, this line having fallen victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in 1965.
Aberystwyth station is also the terminus of the Vale of Rheidol Railway
Vale of Rheidol Railway
The Vale of Rheidol Railway is a narrow-gauge gauge heritage railway that runs for between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge in the county of Ceredigion, Wales...
, a steam operated
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
narrow gauge heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. Constructed between 1901 and 1902, it was intended to ship mineral cargo, primarily lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, from Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion
Devil's Bridge is a village in Ceredigion, Wales.- Description :The bridge spans the Mynach, a tributary of the Rheidol. The bridge is unusual in that three separate bridges are coexistent, each one built upon the previous bridge...
down to Aberystwyth for trans-shipment. By the time it was finished, lead mining was in a deep downturn and, thanks to the Aberystwyth Improvement Company, it therefore came to rely largely on the tourist industry, opening for passengers in December 1902. It still remains open for the summer season, offering a journey of 12 miles (19.3 km).
In 1896, the Aberystwyth Improvement Company formed Constitution Hill Ltd which, under the direction of chief engineer George Croydon Marks, developed the United Kingdom's longest funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway is a funicular railway in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. Opened in 1896, it is the longest funicular railway in the United Kingdom.-Development:...
, which takes passengers up a 50% gradient.
Road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
s, the A487
A487 road
The A487 is a trunk road in Wales, running up the western side of the country from Haverfordwest in the south to Bangor in the north.It starts at Merlin's Bridge near Haverfordwest, from where it travels north west to St David's, then switches back north east through Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberaeron,...
and A44
A44 road
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.-History:The original route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years...
, meet in the town, with much traffic between north and south-west Wales passing through. The B4574 mountain road linking the town to Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
is described by the AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
as one of the ten most scenic drives in the world.
Aberystwyth is also a hub for Wales's TrawsCambria
TrawsCambria
TrawsCambria is a brand name applied to a network of long and medium-distance express bus routes in Wales which are sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government.-History:...
bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
network, with regular direct services to Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
, Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. A daily National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
coach to London and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
also exists.
In fiction
Louie Knight
The Louie Knight novels are a series of cult detective novels written by Malcolm Pryce set in an alternative universe of the Welsh town of Aberystwyth, and centring on Aberystwyth's one private eye Louie Knight...
series by Malcolm Pryce
Malcolm Pryce
For the footballer, see Malcolm Price.Malcolm Pryce is a British author, mostly known for his noir detective novels.Born in Shrewsbury, England, Pryce moved at the age of nine to Aberystwyth, where he later attended Penglais Comprehensive School before leaving to do some travelling. After working...
which transfers Chandleresque "noir"
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
stories and dialogue to this small seaside town. This alternative reality features many landmarks of Aberystwyth such as the University and the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
, but the social situation is radically altered to more closely resemble the pulp/noir stereotypical "Dirty Town" that the narrative plays off. Most of the humour in the books is derived from the almost seamless juxtaposition of the real Aberystwyth and the fictional, noir Aberystwyth. Various aspects of Welsh culture
Culture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks and daffodils Wales has a distinctive culture including...
are reflections of what you might expect to see in reality, but with a pulp twist - for example, prostitutes wear Welsh stovepipe hats.
'Stripping Penguins Bare', the second of Michael Carson's Benson Trilogy of comic novels is set in the town and university in the 1960s.
The town is the setting for Koudelka
Koudelka
is a role-playing game developed by Sacnoth for the Sony PlayStation. The game was released on December 16, 1999, in Japan, June 29, 2000, in North America and September 29, 2000, in Europe.- Gameplay :...
, a PlayStation RPG.
In the setting for Classic Battletech, a star system in the Timbuktu Theatre of Alarion Province of the Lyran Commonwealth / Lyran Alliance is named Aberystwyth.
The local writer Niall Griffiths
Niall Griffiths
Niall Griffiths is an author, who has published six books to date. He has also written travel pieces, restaurant and book reviews, and radio plays...
has set many of his novels here and reflects local slang, settings and even individuals. Grits and Sheepshagger are set wholly in Aberystwyth, which also features prominently in his other novels such as Kelly and Victor and Stump. He portrays a more gritty side of Aberystwyth.
Nancy Bond
Nancy Bond
Nancy Bond is an American author of children's literature.Bond was born in Maryland and was raised in the United Kingdom and Massachusetts. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College in 1966 and a graduate degree from the College of Librarianship in Wales in 1972...
's A String in the Harp is set in the small coastal town of Borth
Borth
Borth ) is a coastal village 7 miles north of Aberystwyth in the county of Ceredigion, Mid Wales. The population was 1,523 in 2001.-Features and history:Borth has a sandy beach and is a popular holiday seaside resort...
, near Aberystwyth. The main characters' father is on sabbatical leave from Amherst University
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
and working at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
According to Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
' 1983 humorous dictionary of toponymic neologisms "The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff
The Meaning of Liff is a humorous dictionary of toponymy and etymology, written by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, published in the United Kingdom in 1983, and the USA in 1984....
" an Aberystwyth is "A nostalgic yearning which is in itself more pleasant than the thing being yearned for".
Twinned towns
Aberystwyth is twinned with:- Kronberg im TaunusKronberg im TaunusKronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at the foot of the Taunus, flanked in the north and southwest by forests...
in
Hesse HesseHesseHesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
,
Germany Germany - St-Brieuc in
Bretagne BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
,
Early Modern France France - EsquelEsquelAccording to the , the Esquel district had about 28,000 inhabitants, with one of the highest rates of growth in the province, mainly as result of the immigration of people from Buenos Aires, but also from other provinces. It has wide cement streets with sidewalks, and is clean and well maintained...
in PatagoniaPatagoniaPatagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
,
Argentina Argentina