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Lampeter
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Lampeter (/ˈlæmpətər/; Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); Llambed (colloquial)) is a town and community in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigion, after Aberystwyth and Cardigan, and has a campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. At the 2011 Census, the population was 2,970. Lampeter is also a university town.
Key Information
Etymology
[edit]The Welsh name of the town, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, means "Peter's church [at] Stephen's bridge" in reference to its church and castle. Its English name derives from this, as does the colloquial Welsh name Llambed.[3] An alternative English spelling occurs as "Thlampetre" in 1433.[4]
History
[edit]
The Norman timber castle of Pont Steffan ("Stephen's bridge" in English) occupying a strategic position beside the River Teifi was destroyed in 1187 after it had been conquered by Owain Gwynedd and was not rebuilt.[5]
Cardiganshire was one of the royal counties established by Edward I after the defeat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf) at Cilmeri in 1282, when Lampeter fell under direct royal control. But this had little effect on the town, and the Welsh language and culture continued to thrive. The first market charter was granted in 1284 to Rhys ap Meredydd who was given the right to hold a weekly market. As many as eight fairs were also held each year under successive charters.[6]
The town was ruled by a local aristocracy who lived in elegant mansions, including Brynhywel, Maesyfelin and the Lloyd baronets of Peterwell. As magistrates, they handed out the severest of penalties to offenders. The fairs and markets had become rowdy occasions with violence and drunkenness, and the stocks and whipping post in front of Lampeter Town Hall were frequently put to use in the 18th century.[6]
The town developed the crafts, services and industries to cater to the needs of the rural area. There were several woollen mills, one of which in the mid-18th century was already producing the complex double-woven tapestry cloth later to become associated with the Welsh woollen industry. There were also blacksmiths, a leather tannery, carpenters, saddlers, bootmakers and hatters. The town was one of the main centres on the Welsh drovers' road which carried cattle and sheep on foot to the markets in England. A large number of inns point to the town's importance as a rural centre.[7]
Lampeter's war memorial, sculpted by Sir William Goscombe John (1860–1952), was unveiled in September 1921.[8]
University
[edit]
St David's College was founded in Lampeter in 1822 by Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St David's, to provide training for those wishing to join the Anglican priesthood. It was the first institution of higher education in Wales and the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge. In 1852 it was granted a charter to award the Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree, and in 1865 another charter enabled it to confer BA degrees in liberal arts.[7] Its central building, based on an Oxbridge-style quadrangle, was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell.[9]
In 1971, it became a constituent part of the University of Wales as St David's University College and was renamed the University of Wales, Lampeter, in 1996. In 2008, the Lampeter institution's original charter was used to reform higher education in West Wales with the integration of Trinity College Carmarthen, further education colleges in Cardigan and Llanelli, and the technical college known as Swansea Metropolitan into the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.[10]
In January 2025 Trinity St David finalised plans to stop using the Lampeter campus for university teaching and relocate its courses, staff and students to Carmarthen.[11]
The university's Rugby Union team was the first in Wales. It was formed in the 1850s by Rowland Williams who introduced the game from Cambridge.[12]
Governance
[edit]There are two tiers of local government covering Lampeter, at community (town) and county level: Lampeter Town Council (Cyngor Tref Llanbedr Pont Steffan) and Ceredigion County Council (Cyngor Sir Ceredigion). The town council meets at the Creuddyn Building on Pontfaen Road.[13]
Administrative history
[edit]Lampeter was an ancient parish, which included rural areas as well as the town itself.[14] The town was administered as a borough from at least the time of Edward II (reigned 1307–1327).[15] A government survey of boroughs in 1835 found that the borough corporation had very few powers. The borough was therefore left unreformed when the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 reformed most ancient boroughs across the country into municipal boroughs.[16]
The old corporation continued to operate, but was ineligible to take on any further functions. In order to provide more modern forms of local government, a local government district was created in 1866 with an elected local board.[17][18] The local board and old borough corporation then existed alongside each other until 1884, when the town was issued a new municipal charter formally incorporating it as a municipal borough. The reformed borough council took on the functions of the abolished local board.[15] The Local Government Act 1894 directed that parishes were no longer allowed to straddle borough boundaries, and so the parts of Lampeter parish outside the borough became a separate parish called Lampeter Rural.[19] Lampeter Rural was abolished in 1987 and divided between several neighbouring communities.[20]
The borough of Lampeter was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. A community called Lampeter was created instead, covering the area of the abolished borough. District-level functions passed to Ceredigion District Council, which was in turn replaced in 1996 by Ceredigion County Council.[21][22]
Culture
[edit]- Lampeter's local Eisteddfod, Eisteddfod Rhys Thomas James Pantyfedwen, is held annually over the August bank holiday.[23] It is particularly noteworthy for its competition for singers under the age of 30, colloquially known as Llais Llwyfan Llambed ('the voice of Lampeter's stage').[24]
- Lampeter Museum covers the cultural and agricultural development of the town as well as the history of the college.[25]
- Theatr Felinfach, a small regional theatre located outside the village of Ystrad Aeron in Dyffryn Aeron, about 7 miles from Lampeter.[26]
- During the Second World War, Dylan Thomas and his wife Caitlin lived at Plas Gelli, a secluded mansion just outside Talsarn.[27] The Dylan Thomas Trail links Talsarn and Lampeter with the other places in Ceredigion associated with the poet, such as Aberaeron and New Quay.[28]
- In 1968, William Julian Cayo-Evans first marched his paramilitary nationalist 'Free Wales Army' from Lampeter.[29]
- The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Roman Catholic Church, is Grade II listed and is considered a fine example of mid-20th century church architecture.[30]
Notable people
[edit]
- Eliezer Griffiths (1827–1920), a Congregationalist minister, worked in Australia and America
- David Thomas (1829–1905), a Welsh clergyman helped found a Welsh church in the Welsh settlement in Argentina.
- John Perowne (1863–1954), a British Army officer and a King's Messenger
- Watcyn Samuel Jones (1877–1964), agricultural administrator and theological college principal.
- Glyn Daniel (1914 in Lampeter Velfrey – 1986), a Welsh scientist and archaeologist who taught the European Neolithic period
- Gillian Elisa (born 1953), a Welsh actress, singer and comedian.
- Elin Jones (born 1966), politician, the Llywydd of the Senedd (presiding officer) since 2016.
Sport
[edit]Lampeter has a strong sporting community, which includes Cwmann and Llanybydder. Many sports are played in the town, with rugby union being the most popular. Lampeter fielded the first rugby union team in Wales. The sport is believed to have arrived in the late 1840s, meaning the town has a very long tie and history with the sport. The town is represented by Lampeter Town Rugby which is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets.[31]
Many other sports are played in the town, including association football, with the town being represented by a football team, their pitch being directly next to the main pitch of Lampeter Rugby Club. The football team has junior teams as well as a 1st and 2nd team. The town is served by a leisure centre, which has a gym, the main hall and modern tennis facilities. The town has a swimming pool and also a bowling green.[32]
Transport
[edit]
In 1866, transport in Lampeter was greatly improved with the opening of the railway linking Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. In 1911, a branch line opened to Aberaeron. Following the nationalisation of the railways, the passenger service to Aberaeron ceased in 1951. Passenger trains on the main line to Carmarthen and Aberystwyth continued until December 1964 when the track was badly damaged by flooding south of Aberystwyth and through trains were suspended. This was the era of the "Beeching Axe" and it took little political persuasion to decide that the cost of repairs would be unjustified. The remaining passenger services were withdrawn. Milk trains continued to the processing factories at Pont Llanio until 1970, and Felinfach until 1973. The line was eventually lifted in 1975. However, the section of the old line between Bronwydd Arms and Danycoed Halt still exists and is used by the Gwili Railway, a steam railway preservation society which operates a regular timetable during summer months.[33]
Regular bus services operate through the town, connecting Lampeter to Aberystwyth, Carmarthen and Swansea. Two buses a day continue beyond Swansea, providing a through service to Cardiff.[34]
Twinning
[edit]Lampeter is twinned with Saint-Germain-sur-Moine, France.[35]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "town and electoral division population 2011". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ "Lampeter Town Council | Cyngor Tref Llanbedr Pont Steffan".
- ^ Mills, A. D. (2003). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198527589.
- ^ Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; CP40/689, year: 1433; image seen on the website of the Anglo-American Legal Tradition: http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no689/aCP40no689fronts/IMG_0739.htm ; second entry, line 2
- ^ The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Vol. 6. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1974. p. 13. ISBN 9780852292907.
- ^ a b Jenkins, J. Geraint. Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County. Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 27.
- ^ a b Jenkins, J. Geraint. Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County. Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 29.
- ^ "Lampeter". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ Whyte, William (2016). Redbrick: A Social and Architectural History of Britain's Civic Universities. Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0192513441.
- ^ "History". University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ Sinclair, Bruce (23 January 2025). "University education at Wales' oldest campus ends". BBC Wales. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Celebrating the roots of Welsh rugby". Welsh Rugby Union. 22 March 2016.
- ^ "Meetings of the Council". Lampeter Town Council. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Lampeter Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales. 1895. p. 352. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ First Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Part 1. 1835. p. 283. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into Municipal Corporations not subject to the Municipal Corporations Acts. 1880. p. 54. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "No. 23108". The London Gazette. 1866. p. 2704.
- ^ "Cardiganshire: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1971". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Langston, Brett. "Cardiganshire Central Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 6 October 2022
- ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 9 October 2022
- ^ "Eisteddfod Rhys Thomas James Panyfedwen". Lampeter Town Council.
- ^ Evans, Janet. "Llais Llwyfan Llambed". bbc.co.uk/cymru.
- ^ "Museum celebrates Lampeter's rich history". uwtsd.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "Public to get say on £4.5m theatre plan". BBC News. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ D. N. Thomas, Dylan Thomas: a Farm, Two Mansions and a Bungalow, Seren, 2000.
- ^ The Dylan town trail is described clearly in the following bi-lingual booklet, available at Tourist Information Centres in Ceredigion and online at town trail There's also a photographic guide to the town trail at The Dylan Thomas Trail in New Quay. Archived 30 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine S. W. Rhydderch's Rock Climbing in Silk includes work that provides a poetic introduction to the town (Seren 2001).
- ^ "Young nationalists of the FWA go on the march". BBC. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ "Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Attached Presbytery (RC), Lampeter, Ceredigion". Cadw. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ BBC News (8 July 2004). "Wales' regional rugby map". BBC. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
- ^ "Lampeter Bowls Club". Dewis Cymru. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ "Fatal accident at Bronwydd Arms station on the Gwili Railway". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ "Lampeter to Cardiff". Rome to Rio. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ "Lampeter and St Germain Sur Moine, 2001, French seal of approval for town, Cambrian News, 15 February 2001". Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
External links
[edit]- Town website
- Tourist information Archived 15 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Photos of Lampeter and the surrounding area
Lampeter
View on GrokipediaEtymology
Name Origins and Evolution
The name Lampeter is an anglicized rendering of the Welsh Llanbedr, signifying "church or enclosure of St. Peter," in reference to the town's ancient parish church dedicated to the apostle. The full Welsh designation, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, appends Pont Steffan ("Stephen's Bridge"), denoting a medieval bridge spanning the River Teifi adjacent to a Norman motte-and-bailey castle site at the town's southern periphery. This compound name encapsulates the settlement's dual foci: the ecclesiastical center marked by St. Peter's Church, with llan denoting an early Christian enclosure or community, and the strategic river crossing fortified during the Norman conquest of Wales in the late 11th or early 12th century.[3][4] Historical records attest to the name's establishment by the late 13th century, coinciding with the first known borough charter issued in 1284 under Edward I (r. 1272–1307), which formalized Lampeter's status as a market town. Later charters, such as one from the reign of Henry VI (r. 1422–1461, 1470–1471), recited prior grants and employed variants like "Llampeter-Pont-Stephen," preserving the bridge element while adapting to English administrative usage. The name exhibited little alteration thereafter, transitioning smoothly to the shortened English Lampeter in official and cartographic contexts by the early modern period, though the complete Welsh form endured in local and ecclesiastical documents.[6][4][3] In contemporary usage, Lampeter predominates in English-language references, while bilingual road signage and Welsh-medium contexts favor Llanbedr Pont Steffan or its colloquial shortening Llambed. This stability reflects the town's enduring identity as a Welsh market borough, with no substantive phonetic or orthographic shifts documented post-medieval era beyond anglicization driven by English governance.[4][1]Geography and Demographics
Location and Physical Features
Lampeter is situated in Ceredigion, west Wales, within the Teifi Valley at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.[7][1] Its geographic coordinates are approximately 52.1129° N, 4.0785° W.[8] The town lies at an elevation of about 131 meters above sea level.[9] The surrounding landscape features gently undulating topography characteristic of the mid-Teifi Valley, with Lampeter positioned as a key junction where multiple roads converge.[1] To the east, the town is bordered by the higher elevations of the Cambrian Mountains, while to the west it opens toward the Cardigan Bay coast, approximately 20-30 kilometers distant.[6] The area is marked by lush fields, woodlands, and riverine features, contributing to a verdant rural setting interspersed with hills.[6][3] Physically, the River Teifi dominates the local hydrology as Ceredigion's principal waterway, flowing southward through the valley and influencing settlement patterns at Lampeter.[7] The confluence with the smaller Afon Dulas adds to the fluvial dynamics, supporting historical market functions and modern agricultural land use in the floodplain.[1] Bedrock geology in the vicinity includes Ordovician and Silurian formations typical of the Welsh uplands, with overlying glacial till and alluvium shaping the valley floor.[10]Population Trends and Composition
According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Lampeter stood at 2,504 residents.[11] This marked a decline from 2,970 in the 2011 census and a modest increase from 2,894 recorded in 2001.[11] Population levels exhibited stability with minor growth between 2001 and 2011, followed by contraction averaging an annual rate of 1.7% from 2011 to 2021.[11] The post-2011 downturn aligns temporally with reduced enrollment at the local higher education campus following its 2010 integration into the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, which historically contributed transient students to the resident count.[5] Ceredigion as a whole experienced a parallel 5.8% population decrease over the same decade, from 75,900 to 71,500, reflecting broader rural depopulation pressures including out-migration and aging demographics.[12]| Census Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 2,894 |
| 2011 | 2,970 |
| 2021 | 2,504 |