Aberystwyth Guide


leaning signpost

Aberystwyth [52°25'N 4°05'W] is a small sea-side town (population 13,500) in the county of Ceredigion (population 75,000) on the west coast of Wales. Situated towards the centre of the crescent of Cardigan Bay, Aberystwyth's harbour is fed by the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol.

The town is huddled between three hills and is focused around a seafront with two gritty beaches, some castle ruins, a pier and a harbour. Of the three hills: Pendinas to the south has visible remains of an iron age fort and a monument to Wellington. To the north is Constitution Hill with a cliff railway for those not up to the 110m ascent up the zigzagged path to the summit. Apart from the amazing views of Cardigan Bay the reward for your climb (during the summer) is a small café and the camera obscura. Rising more gently to the east is Penglais Hill hosting, the hospital, the National Library of Wales and the main Aberystwyth University Campus including an Arts Centre. Just over the crest of the hill is Penglais School one of the two secondary schools in town and the "science" park. Almost everything in Aberystwyth can be reached by a 10/15 minute walk from the centre of town.

Aberystwyth originated as a garrison town to help the Normans subjugate the local population. Since then it has been mining town (silver and lead), and for a while, through fishing and transporting ore, it had the 2nd busiest port in Wales. From the 1870's to the 1950's it had a thriving tourism industry. Now Aberystwyth is a University town which adds over 7,000 students to the local population.

Most of the town's economy is based around: repairing broken shop windows, alcohol, tourism, education, retail, local government and the service sector for the rural neighbourhood. Once the summer's over the students return and take over the accommodation, bar stools and supermarket queues that the tourists vacate. Unlike many small sea-side towns, businesses in Aberystwyth manage to stay open all year. A significant social feature of the town is that nearly 1/3rd of its population is transitory, with the students here for 27 weeks and the main tourist season being 6-to-8 weeks.

“surreal quality to
the night scene”

For hundreds of years Aber's had an inordinate number of pubs - over 50 at the moment. It's a dipsomaniac's dream town. The compact town centre has led to a particular form of the 'art' called the 'crawl' - where revellers have a drink in one pub and then move on to the next pub. For three or four evenings a week the town centre is vibrant throng 'crawling' between pubs. And with extended opening hours, the cheer of the revellers can be heard about 20 past the hour, every hour, until dawn. The extra bright street lighting (to aid the extensive network of CCTV cameras) adds a surreal quality to the night scene.


A white railed, wide promenade is built up off the beach to protect the buildings from the storms in the Irish Sea which are vigorous enough to reach into Cardigan Bay. In winter these can be spectacular - with waves slam into the 'prom wall' splashing higher than the seafront houses and dumping the beach across the width of the prom and onto the road. (This is particularly evident at the north end of town. This was once a salt water marsh and the storm waves used to break where there are now houses. Sea walls have been made larger and larger over the years to keep the sea out, but from time to time a powerful storm puts the salt water back.)


The seafront buildings are brightly painted, Victorian and 4/5 stories high. The few that aren't hotels or guest houses are various Halls of Residence for the University. Splitting the main (north) beach from the south beach are the castle ruins which are now laid out as park gardens, beside them is a sandstone neo-Gothic building that is known as the 'Old-College'. This was the first university building in Aberystwyth. Although some teaching still goes on in this building, it is now mainly given over to university administration.

The prom has many of the usual sea-front accompaniments: flower beds, illuminations, benches, white railings, paddling pool for toddlers, breakwaters, a pier with slot machines and a jetty for small boats. During the summer the flag poles along the promenade fly the flags of many countries but prominent amongst these are the flags of minority nations.

From Autumn to Spring (almost exactly from the Autumnal Equinox to the Vernal Equinox), tens of thousands of starlings flock to the pier at dusk. It's easy to be attracted by the hypnotic chattering of starlings flying in unison like a shoal of fish, however, it is advised not to stand too close to them when they take off! These are not the dominant birds in town, which is also full of gulls, pigeons and rooks, there are also swans and ducks at the harbour.

As well as the sea, the prom also offers glimpses of the surrounding hills and mountains. In winter these can often be covered in snow even when the town isn't. On a clear day (sic), from the area around the Pier and Castle, it's possible to see the tallest mountain in Wales, Snowdon, which is 80km due North.

EU money has smartened up large parts of promenade pavement, now yellow brick, laid into patterns along with inlayed marble! An advantage of being on the west coast is the unrestricted view of the setting sun over the sea which are particularly popular with land-locked visitors. (Watch out for the green flash phenomenon).

“strange lights
that come out
at night”

If there is high air pressure in the bay the street lights of the other Cambrian coast towns can be seen twinkling in the night sky. Illuminations are popular in Aberystwyth. Strings of bulbs zig-zag along the main streets and along the promenade for months either side of Easter, Christmas and the summer tourist season. Unfortunately, there is so much light pollution that little else is visible in the night sky. One source of strange lights that come out at night that is the LIDAR run by at the University Physics Department. This is a vertical, flickering, pencil thin, green laser beam and is used to measure the amount of 'gunk' in the middle and upper atmosphere.

The constitution of the sloping beach varies with the currents and storms, mostly it's grit, sometimes shingle, sometimes even sand. A few rocky outcrops, especially beside the pier, reveal tidal pools which attract kids with fishing nets and 6th form students on field trips. The environment agency regularly measure the murky water quality on Aberystwyth's main beaches . Unstable Web Site Semi-polished multicoloured pebbles can be found under the pier and below Constitution Hill, though care should be taken as there are strong undercurrents here. In the summer, with patience, it's sometimes possible to spot Bottlenose dolphins and Harbour porpoise out in the bay. Grey seals from the Irish Sea overwinter on the local coastline.

Once one of the busiest in Wales, the harbour is situated at the south end of town and fed by the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol (which is the steepest river in Britain). A couple of years ago the harbour had a 'make-over' and was turned into a Marina. The harbour is highly tidal so it's important to refer to the tide tables if approaching by sea.

Several national Welsh institutions have based themselves in Aberystwyth because of its central location in Wales:

“highest ratio of
books to people
in the world”

With over 6,000,000 books (5,000,000+ texts in the National library and over 1,000,000 in the university library) and a population of about 20,000 (13,000 locals + 7,000 students), Aberystwyth is said to have the highest ratio of books to people in the world!

(6,000,000/20,000=300 books for every person)

A fact that may not be apparent as you travel through the centre of town having stepped off the 21:35 train on a Friday evening.

Much of the town is built of locally mined poor quality gray shale, and many of the older houses are rendered and painted. The old town, (within the former town walls) was only slowly built up and most buildings differ from their neighbours. During a rapid expansion in the late 1800's many uniform terrace houses were built outside the town walls. Again much of this using the local stone, this time not covered over. Transport links have improved and the recent expansion was built using red and yellow bricks with much of the new accommodation in the form of apartment blocks.

“many more
resources than a town of this
size would normally have”

Geographically, Aberystwyth is somewhat isolated from the rest of Britain by the Cambrian mountains which sweep down the backbone of Wales. In the past this isolation pushed the peoples of Cardigan Bay to make do with the resources available locally, rather than transport materials or services over the mountains. Even now in the rest of Wales, the term Cardi refers to the 'thrift' of the people in this area. An advantage of this isolation is that over the years Aberystwyth has acquired many more resources than a town of this size would normally have. It has become the centre for a wide rural area between the Cambrian Mountains and the sea. Aberystwyth has numerous cafés, bars, and restaurants including, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese & Spanish.

Aberystwyth's climate is dominated by the sea. The Gulf Stream warms the whole of this region making the UK warmer than its latitude would suggest. The prevailing winds are from the west, bringing in warm, damp air from the Irish Sea. If the air is not already raining as it strikes land then it is cooled by being pushed up over the local hills and mountains. These buffering factors come together to make Aberystwyth remarkably equable - the variation in the average temperature between summer and winter is less than 10°C. (Plynlimon, just 15km east of Aberystwyth, is the wettest place in Britain and an area close by has been given planning permission to for one of Europe's largest windfarms.) Even if it's snowing just a km inland, the warming effect of the sea make snow and frost rare in Aberystwyth. What's gained in warm air is lost in wind-chill and the public litter bins around town tend to be jammed with 'dead' umbrellas even after mild storms. Aberystwyth has long been promoted for its clean, fresh and bracing air. The storms of Autumn and Winter start to break up with the changeable weather of Spring leading warmer and dryer spells of Summer.


Touristy Stuff

Wet Ones

Café / Pubs
Museum
Arts Centre
Sports Centre
Cinema
Shopping
Library
Board Games
Card Games
TV

Wet Sundays

Pubs
Cinema
Board Games
Card Games
TV
Leave


Shopping

Aberystwyth high street is full of shops that you can see in any high street in Britain - with a few sea-side shops thrown in. A few exceptions are:

  • The Mecca - speciality teas, coffees & paraphernalia
  • Siop y Pethe - Welsh book shop
  • Maeth y Meysydd - whole foods and herbs, packaged in the shop
  • Old Bakery Cookshop - stylish cookery equipment
  • Jump down this page to the Local Commerce section for more shopping links

Early closing is on Wednesday afternoon but only a few locally owned shops close these days.
Many travel agents and banks will exchange currency as will the Post Office (where it's commission free)

Markets

“small
fragmented
markets”

The recent building boom in Aberystwyth have led to the movement of the market into less and less favourable locations which have left the ancient market town with several small fragmented markets. Aberystwyth's loss is Machynlleth's gain whose large thriving market justifies the term 'market town'.

  • Market Hall: Open year round Monday-Saturday: about 11-5 but not all the stores are open all the time.
  • Saturday market Weekly on Saturday(!) around the Market Hall a dozen or so stalls
  • Farmers market: One or two dozen stalls every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month along North Parade (or sometimes along Baker Street) selling local farm produce
  • (touring) French market: 2 dozen stalls 2-3 times a year along North Parade
  • Winter Market: Large market held on 3 days along Park Avenue (1st Monday after the 12th of November and the subsequent 2 Mondays). This market is accompanied by a funfair in the evening
  • Summer Market: Large 'summer' market held in Clarach from Easter to the end of July then moving to Tre'r ddol till the end of September.
  • Mac' Market: Large popular weekly on Wednesday's in Machynlleth


Boomtown Aber'

Ceredigion is in an 'Objective One' area (ie the local economy is performing at less the 75% of the EU average) and the tourist industry has been in decline for many decades, however, Aberystwyth is going through a mini boom, with:

  • New supermarket opposite bus depot NEW
  • Substantial footbridge over railway line
  • Islands - for decades there was only one. As if making up for lost time, traffic planers have added half a dozen of these in the past few years.
  • New suspension foot bridge
  • Major roadworks that re-route the towns one-way traffic
  • New Rheidol cycle track starting at the main bridge in Aberystwyth and going past Cwm Rheidol and on to Devil's Bridge
  • Extensions to Coleg Ceredigion local FE college
  • Extension to the Hospital
  • Development of the flood plane between Aber' and Llanbadarn
  • The renovated SPAR shop in the centre of town is open 24 hours a day.
  • Another extension added to the National Library
  • Major additions to the University's Llanbadarn campus
  • Large extension to the Arts Centre
  • Pedestrianising the area around the market hall
  • New town clock
  • New cafés & restaurants
  • Redevelopment of old Railway Station
  • Redevelopment of many of the towns pubs
  • Shopping area by the railway station
  • Out of town shopping development
  • A student village with 1,000 places
  • The university doubling its intake in the late 90's.
  • New Marina
  • New Police compound
  • Redevelopment of promenade


Aberystwyth Year/Diary: regular annual events

Aberystwyth Year/Diary
DateEventSun Rise GMTSun Set GMTAvg TempRain Fall
On the
15th		On the
15th		°Cmm
Evening of 31st of DecemberTown wide fancy dress pub crawl.5.297
Mid Jan to end of MarchStudents in Aber08:1916:32
mid FebWelsh Open Volleyball Tournament
FFresh Student Film Festival		07:3217:295.072
Late FebAber Rag (Students fundraising for charity)
Beginning of MarchCancer Research UK's Relay For Life 24 hour event to raise money for cancer research (1st & 2nd of March in 2008)
GullsGulls start looking for nesting sites on flat roofs and between chimney pots all over town		06:3218:206.260
Aprilcherry blossomFine display of blossom from the ornamental cherry trees lining Portland Street 06:1920:138.256
MayBluebellsMillions of bluebells in woods above town
Election of new Mayor followed by inauguration procession though town		11.265
May to early JuneStudents in Aber
mid MayFrench MarketFrench Market
University May Ball
Bicycle endurance race organized by Summit Cycles		05:2121:04
May/June/July/AugustCastell RockCastell Rock free charity rock concert to be held in the castle grounds (31st of May in 2008)
Mid JuneAthletes: Trail Running Races & Charity Walk at Nant yr Arian (21th and 22nd of June in 2008)
Gull ChicksGull chicks hatch - within 2 months they'll be almost as big as their parents and able to fly		04:5321:3913.876
June 21stAs well as the longest time between sunrise and sunset, the Summer Solstice has the longest period of twilight at dawn and at dusk. The last glimmer of daylight is still visible after midnight and the 1st turquoise glint of dawn can be seen well before 3am. (British Summer Time) This contrasts starkly with the Winter Solstice where day abruptly turns into night.04.5321.42
Late JuneArts Centre Open Day
July/AugustInternational Ceramics Festival (2009) alternating annually with a Poetry Festival (2010).
Early to mid JulyA week of University graduation ceremonies05:1121:3115.399
Mid to late JulyMusicfest: International music festival and summer school with many concerts and masterclasses open to the public.
Mid July to mid SeptemberMain tourist season
Late JulySoccer Tournament
Weekend in AugustPunch and Judy ShowCollege of Professors have a meeting on the prom (nothing to do with the University but the) Aberystwyth International Punch and Judy Festival05:5920:4215.593
last week of September
to mid December		Students in Aber06:5019:3114.0108
October????07:4018:2211.0118
November and DecemberArts Centre Craft FairChristmas Craft Fair in the Arts Centre7.9111
November 5th Aber FireworksBombfire night - the largest firework display of the year is held at the football club. (This is sometimes held a few days earlier depending on which day of the week the 5th falls on)
1st Monday after the 12th
of November and the
subsequent 2 Mondays		 Winter MarketMarket and funfair (used to be called the hiring fairs, where farmers and masters would hire servants).
(17th, 24th and 1st in 2008)
FunfairThe funfair (without the market) also runs on the Saturdays before each market day
07:3616:23
DecemberFrench MarketFrench Market08:1916:036.196
Mid DecemberAberystwyth 10K Road Race (Running)



Travel

For such a small town, so far off the beat and track, Aber' has a problem with the car. Most of the town's layout dates from well before the car but many people come into town by car to work, study and shop. Adding to this is the main coast road between north and south Wales which squeezes its traffic though the town. Aber' has an extensive one way system and there are gridlocks in town and most of the approach roads during the rush-hours. Many of the town's roads have double yellow lines, which leads to a game of 'musical chairs' as cars keep driving around the one-way system waiting for a parking space to free up.

“the town's layout
dates from well
before the car”

All this despite there being a free year round park-and-ride scheme just 5 minutes walk from the centre of town (by the large car-park opposite the police compound). Watching the driver confusion at the imaginative road junction on North Parade, (where 2 'in' lanes combine then split into 3 'out' lanes) is becoming the new spectator sport.

Extra notes - for visitors who plan

Aberystwyth byelaws include:
  • Alcohol may not be consumed in the streets
  • Between the 1st May and 30th September dogs are not allowed on the beaches and should be kept on leads near the beaches.
Tourist Information Office
A 3 minute walk from the Railway station towards the sea, just past Boots Chemists
Launderettes
Bath St (sic), next to Cinema
North Parade, near Cycle Shop
Bridge St, near the middle
Walking up to Arts Centre / Campus
If you're not used to hills, slow down just after the hospital car park
Walking up Constitution Hill
Good boots as it's slippery when wet
Park & Ride Bus
Every 15 minutes
Rain
A hat's usually better than a brolly (there's less 'lift')
Supermarket
The Spar next to WH Smiths is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Coop - open till 22:00 most nights
Most open on Sunday 10:00-16:00
Easy to find meeting points
Pier
Bandstand
Town Clock
In front of Railway Station
In front of Barclays Bank
Post Office
2 Minute walk from Town Clock towards centre of town - just past Woolworths
Phone Cards - mobile
Most newsagents and supermarkets
Phone Cards - pre-paid international
Some Newsagents
Park Avenue Toilets (2 minutes from Train Station)
Spacious
Clean
Hot Water
Separate baby changing room
Sunday Evening
Most cafés & restaurants are closed
Beach Shower
on the Southern side of the Bandstand
After heavy or prolonged rain the train line around Dovey Junction often floods, so it's not unusual for buses to be used for train passengers between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth

Rail

The front of the old railway station is now a large pub, with the railway relegated to the side buildings next to platform 1. I don't know whether it's best to describe it as a railway station with a pub or a pub where trains pull into the lobby!

Coach / Bus

The local bus timetable tends to fall apart around rush hours also the buses can sometimes be too full to pick up any more passengers!

Car / Road Traffic

Please note: If you park in large car-park opposite the police compound, there is a free, year round bus service that loops around town every 15 minutes.

Cycling

Heliport

  • Aberystwyth helipad is closed to civilian craft


Weather

The weather very much determines what there is to do in Aber' so it's important to get a good forecast.

Current Observations

Forecasts



Maps

  • Online local Map from MultiMap
  • Online local Map from Streetmap
  • Online local Map from MapBlast/msnMapPoint
  • Online local Map from Expedia
  • Online local Map from Sustrans (showing National Cycle Network)
  • Online local Map from Google
  • Online local Map from Microsoft-Live Local
  • Aberystwyth Crime Map NEW
  • Very high resolution, online local vector map of Ceredigion from Ceredigion County Council
Distances and journey time to Aberystwyth
LocationRoad Distance (km)Train Journey TimeCar Journey TimeCoach Journey Time
* as run by National Express / Eurolines
- no Rail Link
Machynlleth 33 0:300:30 0:40
Lampeter 40 - 0:40 1:10
Dolgellau 55 - 0:55 1:30
Cardigan 61 - 1:00 4:00
Tenby 113 9:26 1.45 4.36
Shrewsbury 142 1:45 2:00 2:15
Bangor 144 4:30 2:1010:40
Liverpool 187 4:00 2:45 8:30
Birmingham 214 3:00 2:45 4:00
Cardiff 216 4:10 2:30 4:00
Bristol 247 5:00 3:00 5:05
Nottingham 315 4:45 3:45 7:00
Exeter 370 6:00 4:00 8:10
London (Euston) 440 5:00 4:45 7:05
Newcastle 490 7:00 5:1511:00
Brighton 500 8:00 6:0010:15
Norwich 520 7:00 6:0010:40
Edinburgh 605 9:00 6:1512:40
Inverness 76012:00 9:3027:00
Brussels 758 9:30 8:3022:00
Amsterdam 76013:0014:5823:15
Paris 855 9:45 9:4022:15
Frankfurt116019:0012:1028:30
Hamburg122016:3019:0044:15
Zurich140318:40 14:50
Munich154223:0015:37
Milan166620:0017:5048:00


Property, Accommodation, Hotels and Bars


Restaurants, Cafés, Takeaways

There are the beginnings of a café society in Aberystwyth - which is of no threat whatsoever to the numbers in the drinking society.

cafe - Café
internet cafe - Café with Internet access
cafetakeaway - Café with some takeaway options
takeaway - Takeaway
takeaway eat in - Takeaway with the option to eat in
 hotel - Hotel's restaurant open to non-patrons
restaurant - Restaurant
shop - in/with a shop
delivery - Delivery
accessible - It should be possible to get into the establishment, though there may not be suitable toilets
Restaurant and Cafes in Aberystwyth
NameType & ServiceLocation
Olive Branch (Greek)restaurantinternet cafePier St
Lip-licking Fried ChickentakeawayPier St
Ultracomida Cantina and
Delicatessen (Spanish)		accessiblecafetakeaway eat inshopPier St
Hollywood PizzatakeawaydeliveryPier St
Mandarin (Chinese)restaurantPier St
The CabincafetakeawayPier St
La Taberna - Casa Miguel (Spanish)accessiblerestaurantNew St (off Pier St)
Home / Orchid (Thai)restaurantcafePier St
Sun Hong (Chinese)takeawayPier St
PenguinaccessiblecafePier St
PD's DineraccessiblecafeProm
The Kings HallaccessiblerestaurantcafeProm
Belle Vue HotelrestauranthotelProm
Gwesty CymrurestaurantcafehotelProm
Kam Sing (Chinese)takeawayProm
Seafront Palace (Chinese)takeawayProm
Pier restauranttakeawayeat indeliveryProm
Tides restaurantcafetakeawayeat inhotelProm
Elizabeth's
Oasis
Oasis on the Prom (sic)
Bistro 20
Oasis on the Parade
Ceasers		 cafeNorth Parade
Agra (Indian)restaurantNorth Parade
Harry'srestauranthotelNorth Parade
Little ItalyrestaurantNorth Parade
The Upper Limit CafécafeNorth Parade
Lilly's Coffee ShopNEWaccessiblecafetakeawayNorth Parade
The Chip Boxtakeaway eat inEastgate St
Light of Asia (Indian)restaurantEastgate St
Wasabi (Japanese)accessiblerestaurantEastgate St
Orangeryinternet cafeMarket St
Le CasablancacafedeliveryEastgate St
Chivestakeaway eat inEastgate St
Tree HousecafeshopCorner of Eastgate St and Baker St
PeeksaccessiblerestaurantBaker St
Instambul Kebabaccessibletakeawayeat inTerrace Rd
Sparaccessibletakeawayeat inshopTerrace Rd
National Milk BarcafeTerrace Rd
Caffi MorgansaccessiblecafeTerrace Rd
Spartacus IItakeaway eat inTerrace Rd
Kentucky Fried ChickenaccessiblecafetakeawayTerrace Rd
The Four SeasonsrestauranthotelPortland Street
Spice of Bangal (Indian)restaurantPortland Road
Partisserie FlorentinecafetakeawayPortland Road
Cafe All Spice (Indian)restauranttakeawayPortland Road
The Honoured Guest (Chinese)restauranttakeawayPortland Road
Rheidol Restaurant & BakerycafetakeawayCambrian St
Station Buffet BaraccessiblecafetakeawayStation Platform
Shilam (Indian)accessiblerestaurantAlexandra Rd - Old Station
Le FigarorestauranthotelAlexandra Rd
Express Fish and Chipsaccessibletakeaway eat inOpposite the Station
Costainternet cafetakeawayshopdeliveryPark Avenue
Family Rendezvous RestaurantaccessiblecafetakeawayBridge Street
Jacobites BistrocafeBridge Street
Subwayaccessibletakeawayeat inGreatDarkgate St
CarltonrestaurantGreatDarkgate St - Above Superdrug
Mg'saccessibletakeawayshopGreatDarkgate St
Costaaccessibletakeawayeat inGreatDarkgate St
Dolphincafetakeawaytop of GreatDarkgate St
Blue Creek CafécafePrincess St, by the Market Hall
Gannets BistrorestaurantSt James Square, by the Market Hall
Cariad Espresso Bartakeaway eat inChalybeate St
Mg'saccessiblecafeChalybeate St
Central Fish RestaurantcafetakeawayChalybeate St
The Coffee CornercafeCambrian place
Fresh Groundinternet cafeCambrian place
OasisaccessiblecafeSt Paul's Church
ie the corner of
Bath Street
and Queens Road
The Coffee PotcafeNorthgate Terrace
SpartacustakeawayNorthgate Terrace
Hot Dumplings (Chinese)takeawaydeliveryNorthgate Terrace
MarcotakeawaydeliveryNorthgate Terrace
Arts Centre CaféaccessiblecafetakeawayPenglais campus
Y ConsticafeshopConstitution Hill
Pen Dinas (sic)cafeDON'T walk up Pen Dinas
to find the
'Pen Dinas' café!
It's no where near
Pen Dinas but ....
in the National Library
up Penglais Hill
The Joint (sic)cafetakeawayPenglais Campus Student's Union
Bronglais HospitalcafePenglais
Bonds Café & BarcafePlascrug Sports Centre
MorrisonsaccessiblecafeshopMorrisons Llanbadarn
Llety ParchotelNr Morrisons Llanbadarn
McDonald'stakeawayeat inNr Morrisons Llanbadarn
Students unioncafetakeawayLlanbadarn Campus

Yes, there are a lot of cafés in Aberystwyth, yet even so, it can be a challenge to find a good cup of coffee!

AberVeg have a guide to being vegan or vegetarian an Aber



Pubs / Bars


Education

University

Guides / Profiles
Ranks / Ratings / Assessments
Misc

Secondary Schools / FE college

Primary Schools

Libraries

Dictionaries

Other


Genealogy & Local History

The National Library is the main repository for ancient Parish Registers from all over Wales, which attracts many visitors to Aberystwyth doing research on their family trees.


Clubs, Societies, Associations and Sports


Musical Links

A legacy of the old music department, the large local Arts Centre, the Welsh cultural promotion of performance (Eisteddfods) all help make Aber' a musical sort of place. Oh, and perhaps the lack of much else to do during the wet winter nights has something to do with it too.



Arts



Media



Health, Emergency Services and Rights



Care (Environment, Recycling and Charity Shops)

Aberystwyth has many charity shops.

NameLocation
OxfamTerrace Rd
Oxfam BookshopNorth Parade
Banardo'sNorth Parade
Muscular DystrophyBath St
Salvation ArmyNorthgate Terrace
Age ConcernGreatDarkgate St
TenovusGreatDarkgate St
Cancer Research UKGreatDarkgate St
Save the childrenGreatDarkgate St

Charity shops are a somewhat British institution, and not found to the same extent else where in the world. The aim of these high street shops is to raise funds for the charity that run them. The products they sell (books, clothes, bric-à-brac, etc) are donated by the public and most of the staff are volunteers.

Dilbert: Hi, Noriko. Is something wrong?
Noriko: Duhhhh!
Noriko: You adults have totally messed up the planet!! Where's the accountability??!
Noriko: You know our implied social contract! You take care of the kids, then we take care of you when you're old. That's how it's supposed to work.
Dilbert: Well, I.......
Noriko: The deal is OFF!!
from: Still Pumped From Using the Mouse by Scott Adams


Recycling Points:
What \ WhereMoriPolCarGlanCOOPHarbourCraftARCMuniShopMillPlasFuji
[1] Oxfam Bin
[2] For re-sale rather than re-processing
[3] Must comply to non-flammable regulations
[4] Also in Somerfield store
[5] Secure, certificated destruction of computer disks, tapes & videos
[6] Cancer Research Bin
[7] Salvation Army Bin
[8] Oxfam Bookshop
Mori - Morrisons
PolCar Car park opposite police compound
Glan - Glanyrafon Recycling Centre
COOP - Waunfawr
Harbour
Craft - CRAFT
ARC - Aberystwyth Recycling Centre
Muni - Glanyrafon Civil Amenities Site (Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat&Sun 10-3)
Shop - Any charity shop (list above)
Mill Street Car Park
Plascrug Leisure Centre
Paperyesyesyesyes
Glassyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
Aluminium cans/foilyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
Steel cansyesyes
Tetrapacks
Plasticyes
Plastic Bottlesyesyes
Carrier Bagsyes
yes[4]		yes
Cardboardyesyes
Composting
Soilyes
Clothes
Domestic Textiles
& Paired Shoes[2]		yes[7]yes[7]yesyes[6]
Ragsyesyes
Books/Magazines[2]yes[1]yes[1]yesyes
Cassette Tapes[2]yes[1]yes[1]yesyes
Video Tapes[2]yes[1]yes[1]yesyes
CD/DVDs[2]yes[1]yes[1]yesyes
Records[2]yes[1]yes[1]yesyes
Bicycles[2]yes
Computers[2]yes
Computer scrap &
circuit boards		yes
InkJet cartridgesyes[8]
Toner cartridgesyes
Magnetic Media[5]yes
Lead Acid Batteriesyes
NiCd Batteries
Fluorescent lamps
Mobile Phonesyesyes
Office Equipmentyes
Furniture[2][3]yes
Woodyesyes
Electrical goods
(working)[2]
Not fires
Not Cookers		yes
Waste metal,
white goods &
garage scrap		yesyes
Oilyes
Bricks / Rubbleyes

There are also various recycling bins for glass around the university halls of residence, and for aluminium cans in the Student's Union.

“combine it with
a journey that you
would make anyway”

If you are dropping off material for recycling by car, please combine it with a journey that you would make anyway. (The environmental benefits of small scale recycling are often so slight as to be lost by making an extra car journey.)



Communication, Contacts and On-Line Communities



Internet Access



Live !



News



Political structure representing Aber'



Religion



Local links that don't quite fit in anywhere else



Utility, Monopoly & State

The following Utilities, monopolies and State Offices operate in Aberystwyth



Jobs

Job Centre's database of local jobs, plus the recruitment pages of the area's larger employers



Local Commerce


Business Advice

Publishing

Retail Shopping

The "Science" Park

The Industrial Estate (Glanyrafon, Glan Yr Afon)

Aber' Factoids

Why is the place called Aber-ystwyth (mouth of the river Ystwyth) when it's on the mouth of the Rheidol?
The town used to be called Llanbadarn Gaerog (Fortified Llanbadarn) but some time in the middle ages it got mistaken for the much earlier (& even at this time, long since demolished) castle built on the other side of Pendinas, which was at the mouth of the river Ystwyth.
Pier points NorthWest not West
No, you can't see Ireland from Aber
No, not even on a clear day!
Curvature of the earth and all that
(Those 'islands' on the horizon are the tops of the hill's of North Wales)
Yes, you can see Snowdon from Aber
you need to be on the prom near the pier or in the castle grounds or better still on top of Consti' and it's almost exactly North
oh yes, and it needs to be a clear day.
There is only 30° of open sea at Aberystwyth
The other 150° lead across Cardigan Bay then back to Welsh land
No, the 14inch Camera Obscura isn't the largest in the world
There's a 40inch Camera Obscura at Discovery Park
Yes, it does snow in Aber
just not very often
Aber's driest month is not in summer
It's in April
The trees lining either side of North Parade are ' Whitebeam'
Aber isn't in the county of Dyfed
Dyfed has not existed since 1996, it's in Ceredigion
don't care what your computerized Postcode2address program tells you - the county of Dyfed has not existed for over a decade.
Abermad
is not the term for what happens to you soon after you take up residence, but the name of a small village about 8km to the south.
Aber' is the largest town in Ceredigion
Ceredigion County Council isn't based in Aber
It's based in Aberaron (which is more central in the county), but they do have some offices in Aber
Aber' isn't the oldest university in Wales
Lampeter got its charter over 50 years earlier
No it's not the oldest university college in the University of Wales
Lampeter is a a member of the University of Wales and anyway Aber seceded from the University of Wales in 2007
Aber is the oldest of the founding members of the University of Wales
they didn't let Lampeter join for over 70 years
The mosaic on southern corner of the old college represents Archimedies receiving emblems of modern science and industry
Prince Charles did not study for his degree in Aber
(that was Cambridge) but he spent the summer term of 1969 learning some Welsh here before his investiture as Prince of Wales
You can no longer get a degree from Aber' in
  • Chemistry
  • Geology
  • Electronics
  • Philosophy
  • Italian
  • Russian
  • Portuguese
  • Greek
  • Music . . . . . . . .
All these departments have either been closed down or reduced to non degree awarding status
The Uni' is down to 17 academic departments.
No, there aren't secret tunnels running from the National Library running under town.
There's a hollowed out short tunnel below the National Library that does not even reach the National Library
Aber is the town with the highest ratio of books to people in the World
most being locked away in the National Library
No, there weren't riots when Roberts brewery stopped production in the 1960's
Ceredigion is more than self sufficient in renewable electricity. It produces 3 times more than it uses

National Highstreet Chains that operate in Aberystwyth



Aber IT Sector

Needless to say this is dominated by the University's Computer Science Department and Information Services Department. There are also strong computational groups in several other of the science departments.

There are also several university spin-off companies that are Technology based

  • Aber Instruments produce devices that tell you how many bugs (yeast) have grown in a vat.
  • Smartdata a database development company

And finally, there are loads of folks putting together web sites - I being one of them.



Radio Aberystwyth



Wildlife Enthusiast

The combination of rural, coastal, mountains, rivers and estuaries provides a rich variety of habitats for wildlife. Buzzards and Red Kites are often seen above the local hills. The tidal Dovey estuary, is home to many birds and a resting and feeding area for many more exotic species in migration. The coastline is home to seals and the bay home to dolphins.



Kids Activities

Most of these activities are only suitable for the summer and most would require parental supervision - especially around water and tides.

Need: Transport + Money

Need: Transport

Need: Money

  • Cafe's with board games: Blue Creek
  • Leisure Centre
  • Municipal Tennis Courts
  • Boat Ride
  • Camera Obscura
  • Cliff Railway
  • Steam Train
  • Cinema (Often there are matinee showings during the summer school vacation)
  • Summer Season (Music children's theatre in the Arts Centre)
  • Cambrian Coast train to Harlech - Day return

Free

  • Beach: Clarach / North Beach /South Beach / Tan-y-Bwlch - Rock Pools (Aberystwyth North & South beaches often have lifeguards during the summer school vacation)
  • Swans & Ducks: Harbour
  • Castle Grounds
  • Cycle Ride
  • Play park: Castle / Plas Crug
  • Picnic: Beach / Castle
  • Walk over Consti'
  • Walk up Pendinas
  • Walk Cwm Woods / Penglais Nature park
  • Treasure Hunt
  • Skate + Cycle Area (Boulervard St Brieuc, just on from the Cop Shop)
  • Wellie walk
  • Watch Steam Train at the Station
  • Blackberry Picking (August & September)
  • National Library Exhibitions
  • Museum
  • Books: Children's section of town library
  • Arts Centre galleries
  • Outdoor Paddling Pool (Only filled during the summer season)

Marine Enthusiast



Train Enthusiast



Negatives

There are probably lots more, but here's a few to start/put you off:

Town Centre

  • Traffic
  • Parking
  • Early morning grid-lock, backing-up through Penparcau, Southgate, Rhydyfelin into Llanfarian and out the other side
  • Litter mentality
  • Drunks
  • Side-stepping puke
  • Evenings too 'rough' for many older people to come into town centre any more
  • Few weekends pass without a shop window being broken
  • High Crime Area NEW
  • Post Office Collection Office is 4km out of town

This whole area

  • Sundays
  • Weeks of endless rain and grey skies
  • Off the beaten track - takes 2 hours to get to the closest city
  • Finding accommodation
  • Least affordable accommodation in Wales (house prices divided by income)
  • Almost permanent roadworks
  • 'Objective One' area (ie the local economy is performing at less the 75% of the EU average)
  • Limited choice of careers
  • After relocating to Aber' for a job, finding your partner a job
  • Toothache - shortage of dentists
  • .....


Near-by

As anyone who's been here for a while will tell you, one of the best things about Aber' is its doorstep! And right on the doorstep of Aberystwyth are the following:

MOMA WALES (Museum Of Modern Art, Wales
  • 4km SouthEast Guide to History of Nanteos Mansion (ghosts and all!) and its current use as a Country Hotel and Restaurant.
  • 18km South Guide to the village of Pennant including lots of history


Aber Quotes

In the book 'The meaning of liff' by Douglas Adams & John Lloyd , Aberystwyth is defined as:
“A nostalgic yearning which is in itself more pleasant than the thing being yearned for.”
Lord Tennyson
“This place, the Cambrian Brighton, pleases me not...”
Wynford Vaughan-Thomas
“The perfect town for the unambitious man”
Malcome Pryce in Aberystwyth Mon Amour
“Aberystwyth was a great place for a connoisseur of irony”


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Please feel free to e-mail me with corrections, additions and constructive criticism.

I can be e-mailed at: <vas@aberystwythguide.org.uk>