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Aberystwyth is a town on Cardigan Bay in Western Wales. The medieval walled
town was built around a 13th-century fortress. It later became the exporter
for the once-flourishing local lead mines. A principal stronghold of Welsh
culture, it has grown as a seaside resort.
In modern times Aberystwyth has become a major Welsh educational centre.
The indigenous population is around 12,000, but is swelled by an additional
9,232 (2006) students associated with the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Thus for nine months of the year, Aberystwyth's population is around 21,000
people. The world's first department in international politics was established
in Aberystwyth in 1919. It is also the home of the only AMBA accredited
MBA programme in Wales.
Aberystwyth is a major tourist
centre and a cultural link between the north and south of Wales. Constitution
Hill is scaled by the Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway giving access
to fine views and other attractions at the top, while much of the finest
scenery in Mid Wales lies within easy reach of the town. This includes
the wilderness of the Cambrian Mountains, whose valleys contain forests
and meadows which have little changed in centuries. A convenient way of
reaching the interior is by the preserved narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol
railway.
Although the town is relatively
modern, it contains a number of historic buildings, including the remains
of the castle and the old buildings of the University College of Wales
nearby, which could well be said to be similar aesthetically to that of
Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter series. The Old College was originally
intended to be a hotel, but due to a lack of funds the shell of the building
was sold to the university. The new university campus overlooks Aberystwyth
from Penglais Hill to the east of the town centre. The terminus for the
standard gauge railway is also very impressive being built in 1924 in
typical style of the period.
The architecture is a mix of
Gothic, Classical Revival and Victorian, and the town is sometimes referred
to as "the Oxford of Wales".
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