The Ultimate Guide to Aberystwyth
The Castle is a main feature here which divides the beach into North & South Beach. It is a grade I listed Edwardian Fortress built in the late 13th century. The Welsh, led by Owain Glyndwr captured the castle in 1404 but was recaptured by the English four years later. In 1637, it housed a Royal Mint of Charles I which produced silver shillings. The castle was damaged by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 but the impressive remains are definitely worth exploring.
The seafront at Aberystwyth is made up of The Royal Pier and the Promenade which stretches from Constitution Hill at the north end to the harbour at the south with the castle dividing the two. The Royal Pier was originally opened in 1865 at a length of 242 meters, but it is now much shorter version due to series of heavy storms. Today, Royal Pier consists of an icecream shop, a pub, a snooker hall, a restaurant, an amusement arcade centre and also a nightclub.
One of the main features on the seafront is Constitution Hill and the funicular railway. The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway can be found at the northern end of Aberystwyth promenade, where Constitution Hill rises dramatically from the sea to give spectacular and uninterrupted views of Aberystwyth, Cardigan Bay and on a clear day, 26 Welsh mountain peaks. The most relaxing way to enjoy this glorious panorama, is to travel on the longest electric funicular cliff railway in Britain, which has been transporting visitors to the summit since 1896. Visitors can experience one of the world’s largest camera obscuras, offering a bird’s eye view of 1000 square miles of land and seascape. There is also a kid’s play area, a gift shop, a cafe selling delicious homemade snacks and plenty of wide-open spaces for picnics and walking, dogs are also welcome across the site.
Aberystywth is the main town on the coast of Mid Wales and has a bustling town centre with many shops ranging from clothes shop, homeware stores, supermarkets and coffee shop. It is also home to the Aberystwyth Arts Centre which has cinema screens, live theatre performances and many other events taking place as well as Aberystwyth having the Commodore cinema in the town centre.
There are many other places within Aberystwyth waiting to be discovered. With Bluebell Wood being its common name, Penglais woods or Gogerddan is a lovely place to go for a walk, especially during the spring months as its name suggests and is circular trail ideal for walking your dog on its lead. Another popular dog walking route is Plas Crug Avenue and also the Nanny Goats Walk which is a flat walk along the river which starts at the beach.
There is a wide range of choice for activities to do and places to go for days out...
Vale of Rheidol Railway which is a 12 mile steam train journey from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge travelling at up to 700ft through spectacular scenery.
Bwlch Nant Yr Arian Visitor Centre which includes walking and cycling routes and the daily feeding of red kites.
The Silver Mountain experience is a place where history, myth & legend come together on an adventure with guided tours discovering the silver-lead mine.
Fantasy Farm Park, a family run working farm where you can get up close and interact with the animals with animal handling opportunities all year round, the family friendly fun house, nature trail, outdoor play area and a restaurant & shop.
