A Day Out From Lampeter

Travel North via a national nature reserve to explore an ancient monastery and the source of the river Teifi in the Cambrian Mountains.

Return through the scenic Ystwyth valley, Tregaron’s Welsh Gold Shop and Red Kite Centre and Llandewi Brefi, home of Dafydd Little Britain’s “only gay in the village”.

1) Lampeter

Lampeter is a small market town with a population of 3,000 which is boosted by a further 1,000 students who attend the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David's University College in Lampeter, the oldest degree-awarding institution in Wales and England after Oxford and Cambridge.

The Romans once mined for gold near Lampeter, at Pumpsaint. The site of the old gold mine is now managed by the National Trust and visitors will get an insight into the conditions in which gold miners worked in bygone times.

In the eighteenth century Lampeter was an important gathering place for the Drovers. These people gathered huge herds of livestock to be walked all the way to the markets of southeast England. The Drovers established some of Wales' oldest banking institutions - the Lloyds sign of the rearing horse remains to remind us of these merchants as the horse is a Welsh mountain pony.

View details and location map of Lampeter at List Wales.

The Jen Jones Welsh Quilt centre. Quilts from Jen Jones' collection are displayed in the Town Hall on High Street. The Centre is open from Tuesday to Saturday, and various courses are run throughout the year.

Needlework enthusiasts will also be interested to visit Calico Kate’s shop an 'Aladdin's Cave' for patchworkers, dressmakers, knitters and related crafts.

For further information:

View The Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre website.
View details and location map of The Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre at List Wales.
View Calico Kate's website.
View details and location map of Calico Kate's at List Wales.

2) Cors Caron

From Lampeter take the A485 North to Tregaron at the cross roads go straight on taking the B4343 to Pontrhydfendigaid. About halfway between Tregaron and Pontrhydfendigaid Cors Caron is signposted on your left. Cors Caron is said to be one of the finest raised bog systems in the whole of Britain. The bog covers a huge area of around 816 acres. It's 6km in length and is home to a wide range of wildlife and plants.

Further information on Cors Caron.

3) Strata Florida Abbey

Leaving Cors Caron turn left back onto the B4343 to Pontrhydfendegaid as you enter the village you will see a brown sign on your right for Strata Florida (Latin for Vale of Flowers) Abbey which is about 1 mile along this road on your left, car park on your right.

The Abbey was founded by Cistertian monks in this wild and lonely place. The monks farmed thousands of sheep and the site develoed to one of of huge religeous and commercial significance.

View the Strata Florida website.

View details and location map of Strata Florida Abbey at List Wales.

4) Teifi Pools

Leaving Strata Florida return to Pontrhydfendegaid and turn right back onto the B4343. Before you leave the village you need to turn right again sign posted for Devils Bridge. After about a mile you will come to Ffair Rhos where there is a pub (for sale) on the corner. Turn right here onto a small road sign posted Teifi Pools, no road number. This is a small single track mountain road you will see the pools or lakes, which are the source of the Teifi River, on your right hand side, with tracks leading down to them. At the end of the road a track it bears right which goes along the side of Llyn Egnant to a turning point near the small dam.

See the Teifi River Trust website for walk details.

5) Ystwyth Valley

Leaving Teifi Pools you need to return to Ffair Rhos and turn right back onto the B4343 towards Devils Bridge In about 3 miles you enter the village of Ystbyty Ystwyth, historically a centre for lead mining. As you enter the village there is a lay by and information board. Carry on towards Pont-rhyd-y-groes and turn sharp left before the bridge over the Ystwyth River. A few yards after this turn is an old water mill wheel and information board.

Follow this scenic route through the Ystwyth Valley and forestry (the mouth of the river is in Aberystwyth). After about 3 miles there is a picnic site on the right with path to scenic footbridge and forest walks on the left.

6) Tregaron

When you reach the T junction with the B4340 turn left back towards Pontrhydfendigaid and then when you reach the village turn right back onto the B4343 to Tregaron. At the cross roads in Tregaron turn left and park in the square. Tregaron is the smallest town in Ceredigion and it known for its annual harness trotting racing festival. It was an important meeting place on the historic drovers routes and was the birthplace of Henry Richard (1812) a nonconformist minister who became known internationally as 'The Apostle of Peace' his statue is in the town square outside the Talbot Inn. The Talbot is a nice traditional pub and for the teetotalers there is the craft centre café. Also on the square is a craft centre and Rhiannon, Welsh Gold Centre, original handmade jewelry.

View details and location map of The Welsh Gold Centre at List Wales.

Further information on Tregaron.

7) The Red Kite Centre

Leaving Tregaron square take the road between the Talbot and the craft centre the B4343 to LLandewi Brefi.

On your left as you leave the town you will see The Red Kite Centre and Museum. This is housed in an old Victorian school and gives a good insight into the area's cultural and rural heritage.

Further information on the Red Kite Centre.

8) Llandewi Brefi

Follow the B4343 along the Teifi Valley back through LLandewi Brefi to Lampeter.

LLandewi Brefi was made famous in the BBC television series Little Britain as the fictional home of Daffydd "the only gay in the village".

More recently it has been in the news following the theft of the village signs! See the BBC website.

Additional notes if starting from Stallion Valley

• From Stallion Valley turn right at the end of the track and then turn right again onto the A475.
• Carry on approximately 10 miles into Lampeter.
• At the mini roundabout in the town centre turn left, cross the next mini roundabout and then after the rugby club turn right sign posted A485 to Tregaron.
• The COOP in Lampeter is a good sized supermarket if you need to buy supplies on your way home, turn left at the mini roundabout on the high street and it is on your left as you leave town.

Copyright © Mick Baross November 2011.