TravelTips24 : Europe : British Isles : United Kingdom : Wales : Mid Wales : Ceredigion : Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth [1] is in the county of Ceredigion, in Wales.

Culture and History

Aberystwyth, called the true capital of Wales by some, is a smallish town on the Ceredigion coast, just below the Dyfi estuary. Politically, it's in the heart of Nationalist Wales, and is the birthplace of the Welsh Language movement. It is home to one of the oldest parts of the University of Wales [2], which is attended by some 9,000 students. It is also home to the National Library of Wales [3], one of the UK's few copyright libraries, meaning it has the right to claim a copy of every book published in Britain, which also means that it has one of the highest figures for books per head of population in the world. Its other notable - and notorious - feature is the remarkable number of pubs in the town.

Generations of first year students have been brought up on the promise of a pub for every week of the year [4]. True in that there exist over 61 separate physical locations with public bars in the small Welsh town . Aberystwyth has a fairly unique student atmosphere - during term-time the vast majority of young adults are undergraduates and the remoteness of the location creates a more vibrant social life than experienced on most campuses.

Travel to Aberystwyth & Visa Requirements

By train

'Aber' is at the end of the line, in many senses of the phrase. Direct trains run from Birmingham New Street. 2 hours from Shrewsbury, 3 from Birmingham. A branch line from Machynlleth provides connections to the coastal towns of West Gwynedd.

Arriva http://www.arrivatownguides.co.uk/town.php?townID=30 operates the only regular rail service to Aber. Arriva's service is sometimes criticized by locals and students. Arriva promises improvement and has invested in new infrastructure.

By car

There are two main routes to Aber by road: the A44 comes from the East, and the A487 goes North to South through the town. The best way to actually get there from any particular point is a subject of much debate. Buy a map and have fun. Minimum 3 hours from Birmingham, 2 hours 30 mins from Cardiff, 1 hour 30 mins from Swansea - highly dependent on the number of tractors on the roads.There is also a Park and Ride facility [5].

Buses to Aberystwyth

TrawsCambria [6] X40 links Aberystwyth to Carmarthen hourly Monday to Saturday, with two journeys extended to Swansea and Cardiff. The X32 is its northern equivalent, providing a link to such exciting places as Machynlleth, Dolgellau and Bangor every two hours. Traveline: 0870 608 2608.

Daily National Express [7] 420 service to/from Birmingham and London Victoria.

By air

Presently, Swansea [8] is the nearest airport, light aircraft only. Birmingham International [9] is most useful for Aberystwyth - it's one change of train and about 3 hours 30 mins away.

Tours & Getting around Aberystwyth

Aber is a very compact town; walking is by far the easiest way to get around.

If you require motorised transport, taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap.

Buses also run up Penglais hill (where the main University campus is) and to Llanbadarn Fawr (the other campus, and the Morrisons supermarket - largest of its ilk locally).

Parking is a problem in the centre of Aber, but a Park and Ride operates from Park Avenue, with a free bus service every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday.

Aberystwyth attractions and sightseeing

  • The best thing to see in Aber is probably the sunset! The view over Cardigan Bay on a summer's evening can be quite stunning. The best places to see the sunset are the long seafront Promenade (see also: Drink), any of the beaches that takes your fancy, and the University plaza (and the Arts Centre cafe located above it).
  • The ruins of the Castle, overlooking the bay, is pleasant enough to wander through during the day - there are also picnic tables scattered around the war memorial that shares the space. Don't go venturing there at night, though - the castle is used by less savoury persons after dark...
  • The other 'sight' in Aber (and another fine vantage point for sunsets) is Constitution Hill, accessible by funicular railway in season, and a brisk 15 minute walk up to the summit all year round. The views are tremendous, and there is a small museum and Camera Obscura, as well as the obligatory tea shop, at the top.
  • The National Library of Wales, (from town, take the Penglais Road [the A487 toward Machynlleth] up Penglais Hill; turn right where signposted (after Bronglais Hospital); the library is at the end of a 400 metre drive overlooking the town.), +44 (0)1970 632 800 (fax: +44 (0)1970 615 709), [10]. Reading rooms and Entrance Hall Exhibition Area open M-F 9:30AM-6PM, Sa 9:30AM-5PM; Gregynog Exhibition Gallery, Peniarth Gallery, The World of the Book open M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Free.
The National Library of Wales is one of the six legal deposit libraries in the British Isles and has a collection of more than four million printed volumes. In addition, it has collections concentrating in Welsh and other Celtic cultures. The Entrance Hall Exhibition Area and Gregynog Gallery feature regular exhibits -- primarily of work by Welsh artists. The Peniarth Gallery and World of the Book feature changing thematic exhibits of items from the library's collections. 2007 represents the centenary of the library and, as a result there are a wide range of events throughout the year.

Aberystwyth city tours

A good place to start is the Tourist Information Centre at the seafront end of Terrace Road.

  • The main pastime in Aber, at least for its student population, is drinking. There are many fine public houses in the town, and many grotty ones, too. See 'Drink' for more details.
  • If walking's your thing, then the countryside around Aber is beautiful. A popular walk is to Borth, a few miles up the coast, and blessed with wonderful beaches. A short trip out of town by car or bus is Cadair Idris a popular hiking spot with spectacular view (if the weather is good).
  • Watersports are another popular activity, but it's probably advisable to take part in organised outings as far as these go. The Irish Sea is famous for its undertow, and most years at least one foolhardy person gets sucked out to sea - usually after a drinking session.
  • There are also boat trips out into Cardigan Bay, where dolphins can be seen in the waters, and seals on the islands. These are seasonal, so check at the tourist information centre for latest times and prices. Sea Fishing excursions can also be arranged in the harbour, a great day out with all equipment included in the charter.
  • Vale of Rheidol Railway(Rheilffordd Dyffryn Rheidol), Park Avenue, Aberystwyth, ☎ 01970 625819(fax: 01970 623769), [11]. Was the last steam line owned by British Rail until privatisation in 1989. It's now run by a charitable trust. The line climbs up the beautiful Rheidol Valley to Devils Bridge (Pontarfynach), taking about an hour in each direction. Devils Bridge is a major tourist attraction, the site of 3 bridges, each above the other, crossing the deep ravine of the Mynach river where it drops 300 feet to flow into the river Rheidol. Legend has it that the original bridge was built by the Devil as it was too difficult for mortal people to build. The Devil built the bridge in return for the soul of the first life to cross the bridge, but the Devil was tricked by an old woman who threw bread onto the bridge and her dog followed, thus becoming the first life to cross the new bridge. The railway is the best way to visit Devils Bridge as the roads are narrow and winding and parking at Devils Bridge can be a nightmare in peak season. If you're planning on spending a bit of time looking around in Devils Bridge (as well as the bridges and waterfalls there are a couple of pubs and some gift shops, and several waymarked walking trails) be sure to check the times of later trains with the guard when you get off!

    This page was last edited at 19:53, on 24 September 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Mark Sheffield, David, Nick Roux and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) Morph and WindHorse, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

    Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license