The History of Aberystwyth

Aberstwyth is situated near the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol, in Cardigan Bay.

The Original Settlement

Settlements on the land which is now occupied by Aberystwyth date back to the Mesolithic Age when the area of Tan-y-Bwlch at the foot of Pen Dinas is thought to have been used as a flint knapping floor for hunters creating weapons from stone which had been deposited as the ice retreated.

The Castle

The remains of a celtic fortress can also be found on Pen Dinas, and a hill in Penparcau overlooking Aberystwyth, illustrates that the site was inhabited well before 700 BC. Remains of a medieval ringfort can also be found. This is believed to be the castle from which Princess Nest was abducted.

Strongbow's Castle was built in 1277, after the destruction of the original castle by the Welsh. in 1408 the castle was surrendered to Prince Harry, who would soon become King of England and the settlement became known as 'Ville de Lampadarn' rather than the ancient name of Llanbadarn Gaerog.

In 1647 the Parliamentarian troops destroyed the castle, so that its remains are now minimal, though portions of three individual towers still remain.

Excavations during the 1970s within the castle remains, in what was believed to be a stable area, uncovered a complete male skeleton, which appeared to have been deliberately buried. The man became affectionately known as "Charlie", and is thought to date from the Civil War period, probably dying during the Parliamentarian siege. He is now housed in the Ceredigion Museum within Aberystwyth.

The Victorian Railways

Aberystwyth as a town, expanded when The Cambrian Railway line from Machynlleth reached the settlement in the 1860s closely followed by rail links to Carmarthen which resulted in the construction of the town's station.

As with many other parts of the country the arrival of the railway brought with it tourism. So much so in fact, that the town became known as the "Biarritz of Wales". During this boom, a large number of hotels and town houses were built including "The Castle Hotel" which was never completed as a hotel.

The University

Following bankruptcy the fine building due to be known as "The Castle Hotel", was sold cheaply to the Welsh National University Committee, a group of people dedicated to the creation of a Welsh University. From these humble beginnings, The University College of Wales (later to be known as Aberystwyth University) was founded in 1872.

Tourism of the 20th Century

The Vale of Rheidol Railway narrow gauge line from Devil's Bridge was constructed between 1901 and 1902. This was initially intended to ship mineral traffic from Devil's Bridge to Aberystwyth for further shipment. Sadly, byy the time it was completed, the lead mines were in decline and it therefore began to rely on the tourist industry with the railway opened for passengers in December 1902 and remains open each summer to this day.

With the tourism trade boom in, Aberystwyth was about to take an enormous hit in the future of it's development. On the night of Friday 14 January 1938 a storm with wind speeds of up to 90 mph hit the town with devastating effect.

Most of the promenade was destroyed, properties along the seafront with severely damaged and 200 feet of the pier was lost.

Aberystwyth Today

Today, the town has more than recovered from this storm, not only as a tourism resort, but a thriving university town as well.