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61-535: 52°24′50″N 4°04′52″W  /  52.414°N 4.081°W  / 52.414; -4.081 Aberystwyth ( / ˌ æ b ə ˈ r ɪ s t w ɪ θ / ; Welsh: [abɛˈrəstʊɨθ] ) is a university and seaside town and a community in Ceredigion , Wales . It is the largest town in Ceredigion and 16 miles (26 km) from Aberaeron , the county's other administrative centre. In 2021,

122-572: A shipping business. Jenkins was a frequent visitor to Italy where he admired Rutelli’s work. Jo Darke, in her work, The Monument Guide to England and Wales: A National Portrait in Bronze and Stone , describes Rutelli’s war memorial as “striking and rare” and suggests that the life-size statue of Edward VIII is the only recorded example. The tower of the Old College has a triptych of mosaic murals designed by Charles Vosey . Aberystwyth has

183-616: A Victorian theme park . Chief engineer George Croydon Marks designed all the AIC developments, including the United Kingdom's second longest funicular railway, which takes passengers up a 50% gradient to a park and camera obscura. Aberystwyth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1865, 1916, 1952 and 1992. On the night of Friday, 14 January 1938, a storm with estimated wind speeds of up to 90 mph (140 km/h) struck

244-587: A cultural link between North Wales and South Wales . Constitution Hill, scaled by the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway , gives access to panoramic views and to other attractions at the summit, including a camera obscura . Scenic Mid Wales landscape within easy reach of the town includes the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains , whose valleys contain forests and meadows which have changed little in centuries. A convenient way to access

305-534: 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. The recorded history of Aberystwyth may be said to date from

366-506: A hill over the south bank of the Ystwyth River, thus giving the settlement of Aberystwyth its name. The location is now known as Tan-Y-Castell. Aberystwyth was usually under the control of the princes of Deheubarth , but its position close to the border with Gwynedd and Powys left it vulnerable to attacks from the leaders of those polities. The town was attacked by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain in 1197, an assault in which Maelgwn ap Rhys

427-563: 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 merged its representation into that of

488-468: A live music scene which has produced bands and artists such as The Crocketts , The Hot Puppies , Murry the Hump and The Lowland Hundred. The University Music Centre promotes a varied programme for instrumentalists, singers and listeners from the university and the wider community. The University chamber choir, The Elizabethan Madrigal Singers , have been singing in the town since 1950 and continue to hold

549-399: A local ministry area (LMA). The church was built between 1886 and 1890, replacing an earlier church. It was designed in a Gothic Revival style and is a Grade II listed building . University town In Europe , a university town is generally characterised by having an ancient university . The economy of the city is closely related with the university activity and highly supported by

610-411: A low cost of living , and often a pedestrian - or public transit -friendly development pattern. Several development companies now specialize in constructing retirement communities in college towns. In some cases the communities have developed formal relationships with the local institution. The demand for housing from students, faculty, staff, and retirees kept college town home prices stable during

671-513: A number of concerts throughout the year. Aberystwyth gives its name to a well known hymn tune composed by Joseph Parry . Aberystwyth RFC is the local rugby union club and acts as a feeder club to professional side Scarlets . It was formed in 1947 and for the 2017/18 season played in the WRU Division One West . Aberystwyth Town F.C. is a semi-professional football club that was formed in 1884. The team currently compete in

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732-480: A possible föhn effect when winds are offshore can act to achieve high temperatures on occasion. Typically the warmest day will average 28.0 °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 (7.7 °F), set in January 2010. Typically 39.8 days will register an air frost. Rainfall averages 1,112 mm (44 in)

793-566: A seaside resort in the Victorian era, it has been more anglicised than its hinterland and the rest of the county in general. The university has also attracted many English-speaking students from England, non-Welsh speaking parts of Wales and elsewhere. The 1891 census recorded that, of the 6635 inhabitants who completed the language section, 3482 (52.5%) were bilingual, 1751 (26.4%) were Welsh monoglots, and 1402 people (21.1%) were returned as English monoglots. Ceredigion (then named Cardiganshire) as

854-491: A term with somewhat derogatory connotations. While noise, traffic, and other quality of life issues have not been resolved, some advocates of New Urbanism have led the development of neighborhoods in college towns by specifically capitalizing on their proximity to university life. For instance, some universities have developed properties to allow faculty and staff members to walk to work, reducing demand for limited on-campus parking; Duke University 's Trinity Heights development

915-579: A university expands its facilities, the potential loss of property tax revenue is thus a concern, in addition to local desire to preserve open space or historic neighborhoods. As a result, local people may resent the university and its students. The students, in turn, may criticize the local residents' taking jobs at the university provided by student tuition and fees, and accepting the tax revenues (e.g. local sales tax, property tax on rented properties) that students generate, but resenting students' lifestyles. Some students refer to other inhabitants as "townies",

976-435: A whole was 95.2% Welsh-speaking and 74.5% monoglot Welsh. Although the town remained majority Welsh-speaking for many more decades, English had already replaced Welsh in certain domains, such as entertainment and tourism. By 1961, only 50.0% of the town's population could speak Welsh, compared to 79.5% for Cardiganshire as a whole; by 1971, these numbers had fallen to 44.9% and 67.6% respectively. The 2001 census reported that, in

1037-481: A year, with over 1mm recorded on 161 days. All averages refer to the 1981–2010 period. There is evidence that during the Mesolithic 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. The remains of a Celtic fortress on Pen Dinas (or more correctly 'Dinas Maelor'),

1098-655: Is a key example. In many cases, developers have built communities where access to the university (even if not directly adjacent) is promoted as an advantage. Student housing is also an important component of college towns. In the United States most state universities have 50 percent or more of their enrolled students living off-campus. This trend, which began in the 1960s, originally meant the conversion of near campus single-family homes to student housing, creating " student ghettos ." Colleges and other developers began building purpose-built off-campus student housing areas in

1159-409: Is the closest to the general public; there are 19 elected town councillors from five wards. The last elections were held in 2022. The council is responsible for cycle paths , public footpaths , CCTV , public Wi-Fi , bus shelters , parks, gardens (including the castle grounds and the skateboard park) and allotments . The council is a statutory body which is consulted regarding planning decisions in

1220-553: Is the main medium of communication within the organisation; it aims to deliver all public services in Welsh and English. Aberystwyth Arts Centre 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

1281-510: The 2011 census . Including neighbouring Llanbadarn Fawr , the population was 16,420, and the greater Aberystwyth conurbation had a population of 18,749 in 2011. Aberystwyth experiences an oceanic climate ( 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

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1342-471: The Cymru Premier , Wales' top division. The town also has a cricket club which plays in local leagues, an athletics club (founded 1955), and boxing club in Penparcau. The town's golf course opened in 1911. Ceredigion, the county in which Aberystwyth is located, is one of the four most Welsh-speaking counties in Wales and remained majority Welsh speaking until the 2011 census. Since the town's growth as

1403-717: The House of Commons . Since June 2017, Aberystwyth's MP has been Plaid Cymru 's Ben Lake . The first ever public library in Aberystwyth was opened in Compton House, Pier Street on 13 October 1874. In 1882 the library was moved to the Assembly Rooms which were leased to the council for 21 years. The lease expired in 1903 and the library returned to Pier Street, this time to the Old Banking Library at

1464-632: 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 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 (Welsh Language Society), and

1525-480: The Royal Mint , using silver from local mines. £10,500 in currency was produced, equivalent to 2.5 million silver pennies . In 1649, Parliamentarian troops razed the castle, although portions of three towers still exist. In 1988, an excavation within the castle area revealed a complete male skeleton, deliberately buried. Though skeletons rarely survive in Wales' acidic soil, this skeleton was probably preserved by

1586-413: The cost of living above that of the region. It is common for university employees to commute from surrounding areas, finding the cost of living in town too expensive. "Studentification", in which a growing student population move in large numbers to traditionally non-student neighborhoods, may be perceived as a form of invasion or gentrification . It may be due to university enrollment expanding beyond

1647-649: The housing market downturn that began in 2005 . Welsh Books Council The Books Council of Wales ( Welsh : Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru ; previously known as the Welsh Books Council ) is a literature advocacy organisation in Wales . It was established in 1961, and today it is funded by the Welsh Government . The council's aims are to promote the interests of Welsh language books and English language books of interest to Wales , to promote

1708-527: The 1970s in more college towns. Beginning around 2000 in the United States, nationwide real estate investment trusts (REIT) and publicly traded corporations began developing student housing complexes. Another notable development since the 1990s is the surge in popularity of retirees relocating to college towns. Retirees are attracted to these locations because of cultural and educational opportunities, college athletic events, good medical facilities (often at teaching hospitals affiliated with medical schools ),

1769-453: The 42 councillors in five separate wards (Bronglais, Central, North and Rheidol wards elect one councillor each while Penparcau ward elects two). Aberystwyth has five Senedd members, one of whom ( Elin Jones ) was elected as a constituency MS for Ceredigion , and four who are elected on the regional list for Mid and West Wales . The town is in the Ceredigion constituency for elections to

1830-508: The absence of a system for payments in lieu of taxes , the university population will disproportionately burden parts of the local public infrastructure, such as roads or law enforcement. Some analysts argue that students relieve the burden on other parts of the local public infrastructure, such as local primary and secondary schools, by far the most costly line item in most North American city and town budgets, by providing tax revenues through local sales tax and property tax paid by landlords. When

1891-631: The addition of lime from the collapsed building. Affectionately known as "Charlie" and now housed in the Ceredigion Museum in the town, he probably dates from the English Civil War period, and is likely to have died during the Parliamentarian siege. His image is featured in one of nine mosaics created to adorn the castle's walls. The development of Aberystwyth's Port contributed to the town’s economic development during

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1952-531: The building of a fortress in 1109 by Gilbert Fitz Richard (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

2013-461: The building's refurbishment in 2012. The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit 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

2074-500: The capacity of on-campus housing, inadequate zoning enforcement, and/or student culture. Neighborhood associations may work to limit conversion of family homes to student rentals, while some local residents may oppose the construction of large on-campus dormitories or expansion of fraternity and sorority houses, forcing a growing enrollment to seek housing in town. In the US, educational institutions are often exempted from local taxes, so in

2135-444: The case of a company town , the large and transient university population may come into conflict with other townspeople. Students may come from outside the area, and perhaps subscribe to a different—sometimes radically different—culture. Most students are young people, whose living habits may be different from older people. Economically, the high spending power of the university and of its students in aggregate may inflate

2196-717: The centuries. As an example of this, Paris also illustrates the course of educational history with the Sorbonne and the Grande école . Besides a highly educated and largely transient population, a stereotypical college town often has many people in non-traditional lifestyles and subcultures and with a high tolerance for unconventionality in general, and has a very active musical or cultural scene. Many have become centres of technological research and innovative startups . Universities with start-up centers can be large cities like Munich , but also small cities like Trieste . Although

2257-579: The concept of a university town has developed since the European Middle Ages, equivalents already existed in earlier times and in non-European cultures. For example, in later Classical times the city of Athens – no longer having any political or military power, but renowned as the greatest center of learning in the Roman Empire – had many of the characteristics of a university town, and is sometimes called such by modern scholars. As in

2318-445: The construction of the town's impressive station. The Cambrian line opened on Good Friday 1869, the same day that the new 292 metres (958 ft) Royal Pier (designed by Eugenius Birch ) opened, attracting 7,000 visitors. The railway's arrival gave rise to something of a Victorian tourist boom, with Aberystwyth becoming a significant holiday destination for working and middle class families from South Wales in particular. The town

2379-561: The corner with Eastgate Street, although this was short lived. A Carnegie library was built in Aberystwyth in 1905, with a grant of £3,000. Located in Corporation Street, it was designed by the architect Walter Payton of Birmingham , who was one of 48 who entered the competition to design the building. It was formally opened on 20 April 1906 by Mrs Vaughan Davies, wife of the local MP. The town library moved to Aberystwyth Town Hall , now known as Canolfan Alun R. Edwards, following

2440-806: 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

2501-486: The east of the town centre. The station , a terminus of the main railway, was built in 1924 in the typical style of the period, mainly in a mix of Gothic , Classical Revival , and Victorian architecture. The town is the unofficial capital of Mid Wales, and several institutions have regional or national offices there. Public bodies located in the town include the National Library of Wales , which incorporates

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2562-490: The entire university structure, which may include university hospitals and clinics, printing houses, libraries, laboratories, business incubators, student rooms, dining halls, students' unions, student societies, and academic festivities. Moreover, the history of the city is often intertwined with that of the university. Many European university towns have not merely been important places of science and education, but also centres of political, cultural and social influence throughout

2623-487: The interior is by the preserved narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway . Although the town is relatively modern, there are a number of historic buildings, including the remains of the castle and the Old College of Aberystwyth University nearby. The Old College was originally built and opened in 1865 as a hotel, but after the owner's bankruptcy the shell of the building was sold to the university in 1867. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth from Penglais Hill to

2684-970: The late 18th and early 19th centuries. Port improvements were carried out in both 1780 and 1836, with a new Customs House constructed in 1828. Rural industries and craftsmen were also an important part of life in this country town. The local trade directory for 1830 shows that there were in Aberystwyth: Twenty boot makers, eight bakers, two corn millers , eleven carpenters and joiners, one cooper , seven tailors, two dressmakers , two straw hat makers, two hat makers , three curriers , four saddlers , two tinsmiths , six maltsters , two skinners, four tanners , eight stonemasons , one brewer , four lime burners , three shipwrights , three wheelwrights , five cabinet makers , one nail maker, one rope maker and one sail maker . The Cambrian Railways line from Machynlleth reached Aberystwyth in 1864, closely followed by rail links to Carmarthen , which resulted in

2745-482: The population of the town was 14,640. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire , Aberystwyth means "the mouth of the Ystwyth ". It has been a major educational location in Wales since the establishment of University College Wales, now Aberystwyth University , in 1872. The town is situated on Cardigan Bay on the west coast of Wales, near the confluence of the River Ystwyth and Afon Rheidol . Following

2806-475: The publishing industry, and to assist and support authors by offering a number of services and distributing grants. It offers design and editorial services for publishers, distributes grants for authors and publishers, and provides services for libraries. The council's headquarters are in the former St Mary's College building in Castell Brychan , Aberystwyth ; and it also has a distribution centre on

2867-557: The reconstruction of the harbour, the Ystwyth skirts the town. The Rheidol passes through the town. The seafront, with a pier , stretches from Constitution Hill at the north end of the Promenade to the harbour at the south. The beach is divided by the castle. The town is divided into five areas: Aberystwyth Town; Llanbadarn Fawr ; Waunfawr; Trefechan; and Penparcau . Aberystwyth is a university town and tourist destination, and forms

2928-455: 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

2989-657: The seven wards of Aberystwyth, 39% of the residents self-identified as able to speak or read or write Welsh. This is lower than Ceredigion as a whole (54%) but higher than Wales overall (19%). Aberystwyth parish church is St Michael's and All Angels , located in Laura Place . The parish was a Rectoral Benefice until 2019, incorporating the Anglican churches of Holy Trinity, Santes Fair (services in Welsh) and Saint Anne's, Penparcau. The Rectoral Benefice has now been converted to

3050-457: 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 . A purpose built Welsh Government office and an adjoining office of Ceredigion County Council are also located in the town. At the 2001 census, the population of the town was 15,935. This reduced to 13,040 at

3111-501: The town area and makes recommendations to the planning authority, Ceredigion County Council. The Town Council is also involved in leisure , tourism, business (through providing more than half of Menter Aberystwyth's funding in grants), licence applications , wellbeing and environmental health , recycling and refuse collection . A borough council existed in Aberystwyth from 1832 and the Aberystwyth School Board

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3172-654: The town had banned the film (as some authorities did) when it was first released. During the aftermath storms from Cyclone Dirk on Friday 3 January 2014, the town was one of the worst hit in Wales. Properties on the adjoining promenade were then evacuated for the next five days, including 250 students from the University. Ceredigion Council appealed to the Welsh Assembly Government for funds, whilst Natural Resources Wales undertook surveys and emergency preventative measures. North Parade, Aberystwyth

3233-464: 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. From 1639 to 1642, silver coins were minted at Aberystwyth Castle on behalf of

3294-653: The town. Most of the promenade was destroyed, along with 200 feet (60 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 suffered the greatest damage. Work commenced on a protective coffer dam which continued into 1940, with total costs of construction coming to £70,000 (equivalent to £2.5 million today). Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) held their historic first protest on Trefechan Bridge in Aberystwyth, on 2 February 1963. The first independent Welsh Evangelical Church

3355-651: The town. The premises holds a theatre, gallery, several art studios and meeting rooms, and a darkroom. The town has three works by the Italian sculptor Mario Rutelli ; the War Memorial on the promenade, the Tabernacle Chapel Memorial on Powell Street, and the statue of Edward VIII as Prince of Wales in the Old College . All are Grade II listed structures . Rutelli’s connection with the town came through Thomas Jenkins of Aberystwyth, who ran

3416-608: Was captured. Llywelyn the Great attacked and seized the town in late 1208, building a castle there before withdrawing. 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,

3477-428: Was established in 1870. Ceredigion County Council is another statutory body incorporated by Act of Parliament . It is the second tier of local government in the area and is a unitary authority with a wide range of powers and responsibility. The Council deals with roads (except trunk roads), street lighting, some highways, social services, children and family care, schools and public libraries. Aberystwyth elects six of

3538-437: Was established in Aberystwyth (see Evangelical Movement of Wales ). 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

3599-479: Was once even billed as the "Biarritz of Wales". During this time, a number of hotels and fine townhouses were built including the Queens Hotel, later renamed Swyddfa'r Sir (County Office) when used as offices by the town council, and most recently used as the external scenes of the police station in the television show Hinterland . One of the largest of these hotels, "The Castle Hotel", was never completed as

3660-508: Was reported to be the most expensive street in Wales in 2018, based on property prices. Penglais Nature Park ( Welsh : Parc Natur Penglais ) is a woodland overlooking the town. The park was created in 1995 from a disused quarry and surrounding woodland that had formerly been part of the Richardes family estate. In spring a carpet of bluebells bloom, in common with the many other bluebell woods . The park covers 27 acres (11 ha). It

3721-477: Was the first Nature reserve to open in Ceredigion and is the only UNESCO Man and Biosphere urban reserve in Wales. Aberystwyth's local government administration has a two-tier structure consisting of two separate councils. As local government is a devolved matter in Wales, the legislation for both Councils is a responsibility of the Senedd . Aberystwyth Town Council is the first tier of local government, which

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