Cwmystwyth (also Cwm Ystwyth, ; en, "valley of the
River Ystwyth
The River Ystwyth (; cy, Afon Ystwyth "winding river") is a river in Ceredigion, Wales. The length of the main river is . Its catchment area covers . Its source is a number of streams that include the Afon Diliw, located on the west slopes of ...
") is a village in
Ceredigion
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. Cere ...
, Wales near
Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture. Due to their unusua ...
, and
Pont-rhyd-y-groes
Pont-rhyd-y-groes (also known as Pontrhydygroes, en, the bridge of the ford of the cross) is a village near Cwm Ystwyth and Pont ar Fynach (Devil's Bridge), in Ceredigion, Wales. The village takes its name from the bridge ( cy, pont) and (earl ...
.
The
Ordnance Survey
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calculates Cwmystwyth to be the
centre point of Wales (; ).
History
Discovery of small, oval-shaped stone tools in the area points to the fact that it has been mined for lead since the time of ancient
Britons
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mo ...
and during
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
occupation. Documentation of mining activities occurred during the reign of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
. She engaged the services of two German miners, then went on to sub-let to Hugh Myddleton.
The only significant flat area of the cwm is found before the river reaches maturity near
Trawsgoed
Trawsgoed (Welsh for "Crosswood") is both a community and an estate in Ceredigion, Wales. The estate is southeast of Aberystwyth, and has been in the possession of the Vaughan family since 1200. some further west. Above the village to the east steep slopes rise to the
Elenydd
Elenydd () is an upland area of Mid Wales, extending across parts of northern and eastern Ceredigion and Powys between Aberystwyth and Rhayader. Elenydd is also a name given to the medieval commote of Cwmwd Deuddwr which covered approximately ...
moors, above the cwm of the Nant Milwyn, at the head of the hill of Domen Milwyn.
Community Archive Wales Project
Cofnodion Cwmystwyth is a recently established local history group based in Cwmystwyth. The group has 14 regular members of various ages drawn from the
Communities First
Communities First was a Welsh Government programme aimed at reducing poverty. The programme was community focused and supported the most disadvantaged people in the most deprived areas of Wales with the aim of contributing to alleviating persisten ...
area of
Tregaron
Tregaron ( "town of St Caron") is an ancient market town in Ceredigion, Wales, astride the River Brenig, a tributary of the River Teifi. Tregaron is northeast of Lampeter. According to the 2011 Census, the population of the ward of Tregaron wa ...
Uplands, all with a passion for the history of the area. As well as including images, the archive includes transcriptions of census data, baptismal registers and log books as a means of interpreting the history of the village. In the long-term, it is hoped that the project will act as a springboard for establishment of a Cwmystwyth History Society which would produce materials relating to the area and eventually to the creation of a heritage centre to showcase the history of the village. Cofnodion Cwmystwyth joined the
Community Archives Wales project in 2007.
Climate
Cwmystwyth experiences an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfb'') similar to almost all of Wales and the United Kingdom. This translates to a narrow range of temperatures, rainfall in all seasons and low sunshine levels, particularly at upland locations such as inland Wales.
The MetOffice maintains a weather station in the village, with online climate records dating back to 1959. Temperatures range from an absolute high of recorded during July 2006, down to an absolute low of , recorded during January 1963. During an 'average' year, the warmest day will likely reach and the coldest night fall to . In total just over 3 days should record a temperature of or above, and 59.3 nights should report an air frost.
Rainfall, as one might expect for an elevated place in Wales, is high, at nearly 2000mm a year. At least 1mm will be observed on over 189 days
of the year, on average. All averages refer to the period 1971–2000.
References
External links
Jenkinson's Practical Guide to North Waleswww.geograph.co.uk : Photos of Cwm Ystwyth and surrounding areaCommunity Archives Wales
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Villages in Ceredigion
Geographical centres