Cardiganshire Constabulary
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Ceredigion is considered a centre of
Welsh culture The culture of Wales (Welsh: ''Diwylliant Cymru'') is distinct, with its own language, customs, politics, festivals, music and Art. Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek ...
and just under half of the population can speak
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
according to the 2011 Census. The county is mainly rural, with over of coastline and a mountainous hinterland. The numerous sandy beaches and the long-distance Ceredigion Coast Path provide views of Cardigan Bay. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Cardiganshire had more industry than it does today; Cardigan was the commercial centre of the county; lead, silver and zinc were mined and Cardigan was the principal port of
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
prior to the silting of its harbour. The economy became highly dependent on dairy farming and the rearing of livestock for the English market. During the 20th century, livestock farming became less profitable, and the county's population declined as people moved to the more prosperous parts of Wales or
emigrated Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
. However, there has been a population increase caused by elderly people moving to the county for retirement, and various government initiatives have encouraged tourism and other alternative sources of income. Ceredigion's population at the
2021 UK census The decennial 2021 censuses of England and Wales and of Northern Ireland took place on 21 March 2021, and the census of Scotland took place on 20 March 2022. The censuses were administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England an ...
was 71,500. Its largest town,
Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
, is one of its two administrative centres, the other being Aberaeron, where
Ceredigion County Council Ceredigion County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Ceredigion) is the governing body for the county of Ceredigion, since 1996 one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The council's main offices are in Aberaeron. History The current council was created ...
meets. Aberystwyth houses
Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...
,
Bronglais Hospital Bronglais Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Bronglais) is an Acute District General Hospital in Aberystwyth, Wales. It is managed by Hywel Dda University Health Board. It is the only acute hospital within mid-Wales and is the main hospital for the students o ...
and the
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...
. Lampeter is home to part of the
University of Wales Trinity Saint David , image = Crest of TSD.png , image_size = 200px , caption = Coat of armsUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David , established = 2010 ( Saint David's College, Lampeter founded 1822 and opened 1827; royal charter 1828) ...
. The area is administered by Ceredigion County Council.


History

Ceredigion has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A total of 170 hill forts and enclosures have been identified across the county and there are many standing stones dating back to the Bronze Age. Around the time of the Roman invasion of Britain, the area was between the realms of the Demetae and
Ordovices The Ordovīcēs (Common Brittonic: *''Ordowīcī'') were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain before the Roman invasion. Their tribal lands were located in present-day North Wales and England, between the Silures to the south and the D ...
. The Sarn Helen road ran through the territory, with
forts A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
at Bremia and
Loventium Luentinum or Loventium refers to the Roman fort at Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire. The site lies either side of the A482 in Pumsaint and was in use from the mid 70s AD to around 120 AD. It may have had particular functions associated with the adjacent ...
protecting gold mines near present-day Llanddewi Brefi. Following the Roman withdrawal, Irish raids and invasions were repulsed, supposedly by the forces under a
northerner Northerner may refer to: * A person from a Northern Region from a State, Province, or Country; For Example: ** Someone from Northern England ** Someone from the Northern United States * Translation of Beifangren "北方人", endonym for someone fro ...
named Cunedda. The 9th-century '' History of the Britons'' attributed to
Nennius Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the ''Historia Brittonum'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considered ...
records that Cunedda's son
Ceredig Ceredig ap Cunedda (died 453), was king of Ceredigion in Wales.