From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lampeter within Ceredigion UA

Lampeter (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan, or more informally, Llambed) is a town in Ceredigion, Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the River Dulas.

In 1991 the population of the town was recorded as 1,989 people, of which 1,410 were Welsh speaking. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in Wales and the United Kingdom. The university, in a normal year, adds a further 1,000 people to the town's population, which gives the rural town a somewhat cosmopolitan feel.

The town is best known for the University of Wales, Lampeter (formerly St David's University College), originally founded in 1822 as a college for ordinands and now a constituent part of the University of Wales, primarily awarding degrees in the liberal arts. Its central building, based on an Oxbridge quadrangle was completed in 1827, and was designed by C. R. Cockerell. Its construction is recorded as having cost £16,204 6s 7d.

It was also from Lampeter, in 1968, that William Julian Cayo-Evans first marched his paramilitary nationalist 'Free Wales Army'.

Lampeter and its surroundings are home to a theatre (Theatr Felinfach at Felinfach), a museum and a number of locally owned shops.

Although Lampeter is in the heart of rural Ceredigion it has a reasonable bus service to the larger towns of Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. The X40 bus route is a lifeline to many people of the town, especially students of the town's university.

Cardiganshire was one of the royal counties established by Edward I after the defeat of Llywelyn the Last (Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf) at Cilmeri in 1282 — Lampeter fell under direct Royal Control. This however had little effect on the culture of the town, as the Welsh language and culture have continued to thrive. The first Borough Charter was granted in 1284 and successive charters allowed many markets and fairs to be held in the wide High Street until the 1930s. One of these fairs was the Dalis Horse Fair.

The earliest reference to Lampeter is believed to be 1187, when Owain Gwynedd destroyed the King's castle of Pont Steffan (Stephen's Bridge in English). The remains of this castle later became the foundations for C. R. Cockerell's college building, and still form part of the university campus.

Lampeter gained a connection to the national rail network on the Carmarthen Aberystwyth Line, which was originally part of an ill-fated scheme to link Manchester to the deepwater port at Milford Haven. However, financial pressures led the route to be diverted, and it remained a cross country route, with passenger services running until flooding abruptly, and permanently, shut the line in 1965.

Lampeter hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1984.

• Town website
• Lampeter Town RFC website
• Tourist information
• grid reference SN577481
• The Lamp: local events listings and information