University of Wales, Lampeter () was a university in
Lampeter
Lampeter (; (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward 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 C ...
, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
in 1828, it was the oldest
degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited degree awarding powers since 1852. It was a self-governing college of the University of Wales from 1972 until its merger (under its 1828 charter) with
Trinity University College in 2010 to form the
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David () is a public university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, and learning centres in Cardiff, and Birmingham.
The university ...
.
The university was founded as St David's College (''Coleg Dewi Sant''), becoming St David's University College (''Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant'') in 1971, when it became part of the federal
University of Wales
The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...
. With fewer than 2,000 students on campus, it was often claimed to be one of the smallest
public universities
A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in Europe.
History
When
Thomas Burgess was appointed
Bishop of St David's in 1803, he saw a need for a college in which Welsh
ordinands
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform vari ...
could receive a higher education. The existing colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were out of the geographical and financial means of most would-be students.
Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in Odiham, Hampshire in 1756. After education at
Winchester College
Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...
and
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517 by Richard Fo ...
, he had short stays in
Salisbury
Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
and
Durham before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in
Llanddewi Brefi
Llanddewi Brefi () is a village, parish and Community (Wales), community of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion, Wales. The village is notable for the famous Synod of Brefi held here in the sixth century. A number of miraculous events are sa ...
which, at the time, was similar in size to Lampeter but ten kilometres from it and with an honoured place in the Christian history of Wales. When Burgess was staying with his friend
the Bishop of Gloucester in 1820, however, he met
John Scandrett Harford, a wealthy landowner from
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
. Harford donated the Castle Field site in Lampeter, named after the
Norman castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
once contained in the field. This is the site on which the present University stands.
St David's College was thus founded just outside Lampeter; the foundation stone was laid in 1822. Burgess left St. David's in 1825 to become
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...
but work on the college continued, largely supervised by Harford. The £16,000 required to erect the college had been raised from public donations, a government grant and highly publicised gifts, including one from
King George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...
. The main college building was completed in 1827 and the college officially opened on
St. David's Day of that year, welcoming its first 26 students. As such, it was the oldest institution of higher education in Wales, and the third oldest in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...
, receiving its first charter in 1828. In 1852, the college gained the right to award the degree of
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD, DB, or BDiv; ) is an academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.
...
(BD) and, in 1865, the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA), long before the other colleges in Wales gained their own degree awarding powers. As early as 1865, when a campaign had commenced to establish a University for Wales, there were suggestions that the college should take on this function. However, they were opposed by those who believed it should retain its original purpose as a theological college.
Although it continued as a centre of clergy training until 1978, there was always a proportion of students who did not intend to be ordained. The 1896 charter specifically stated that the college could accept anyone, regardless of whether they intended to take Holy Orders. Since 1925, it had been possible to study for a BA at the college without studying any theology at all. However, throughout the college's history, non-ordinands had been in a minority. In the 1950s the number of ordinands declined sharply and the college faced possible closure unless it could secure government funding. Principal
J.R. Lloyd Thomas did not spare himself in the fight for survival and, in 1960, after much negotiation,
University College, Cardiff, agreed to sponsor Saint David's. Thus the government finally began to assist SDC financially.
Following the appointment of
Rowland Williams as vice principal in 1849, and inspired by the "
muscular Christianity
Muscular Christianity is a religious movement that originated in England in the mid-19th century, characterized by a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, masculinity, and the moral and physical beauty of Athletics (physical cultur ...
" movement, the college passed a rule in 1850 stating that students "should spend their spare time in healthful exercise rather than in clownish lounging about the shops or market place". This led to the formation of a cricket team, which played its first match (against Lampeter Town) in 1852. Williams is thought to have introduced
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
at Lampeter in the 1850s, where the first recorded rugby game in Wales was played (against Llandovery College) in 1866.
In 1971, the college became a member of the federal University of Wales and suspended its own degree-awarding powers. It became St David's University College (SDUC). By this time, the college had begun shifting its specialisms and, whilst theology continued to be a strong point, students could choose from a much wider range of
liberal arts
Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...
subjects. In 1996, the Privy Council—in response to a petition from the university—agreed to change its title again to the University of Wales, Lampeter in line with moves elsewhere in the university and the recognition of its growth and changing status. In September 2007, the University of Wales become confederal rather than federal in nature, effectively giving Lampeter independent university status. Unlike other former Wales colleges however, the institution's name remained unchanged.
The university specialised in Theology,
Religious Studies
Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the study of religion from a historical or scientific perspective. There is no consensus on what qualifies as ''religion'' and definition of religion, its definition is h ...
, philosophy,
Classics
Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...
,
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
,
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
,
English and History. Prior to the merger, the university was also growing in disciplines from the
liberal arts
Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...
and
social sciences
Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among members within those societies. The term was former ...
such as Film and Media Studies, Information Society Studies, Business Management, Chinese Studies and Voluntary Sector Studies. However, in the last two decades several other departments which taught subjects in their own right closed, notably French, German and
Geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
.
The university had research and consultancy departments, including the Centre for Beliefs and Values, Centre for Enterprise, European and Extension Services, Archaeological Services and the Centre for the Study of Religion in Celtic Societies.
In the early 1990s, there also existed an influential
Human geography
Human geography or anthropogeography is the branch of geography which studies spatial relationships between human communities, cultures, economies, and their interactions with the environment, examples of which include urban sprawl and urban ...
department at the college. This was closed in 2001 but the
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
of the Lampeter Geography School continue to have an influence on their field.
In 2008, the
Quality Assurance Agency
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (usually referred to simply as the Quality Assurance Agency or QAA) is the United Kingdom higher education sector's independent expert quality body. It has a remit to maintain and enhance the qu ...
concluded that, although the quality of Lampeter's degrees was satisfactory, they had 'limited confidence' in the institution's quality assurance procedures and systems. Further to this assessment, the
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) was the Welsh Government Sponsored Body responsible for funding the higher education sector. It was replaced by Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research from August 2024. ...
commissioned a further report which found "very real problems of leadership and management" at the university.
As a direct result, on 14 December 2008, the university announced that it was in merger talks with
Trinity College, Carmarthen with the intention of forming a new university in Wales. In July 2010, it was announced that the Queen had approved an order granting a supplemental charter to Lampeter which would create the new
University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David () is a public university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, and learning centres in Cardiff, and Birmingham.
The universit ...
and which would accept its first students in September 2010 at which time the University of Wales, Lampeter would formally cease to exist.
University buildings
The Old College
C.R. Cockerell designed the original college, now called the Saint David's Building (Old Building or OB by students) in the centre of the Campus. It is a
Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
and contains lecture rooms, common rooms, administrative offices, student residential accommodation and the following three main areas:
The Old Hall was the refectory until the Lloyd Thomas Building came into use in 1969. It fell into disuse; however after much restoration, it re-opened in 1991 as one of the main public rooms for meetings, dinners, conferences and for use by outside organisations. It was also used for some examinations.
The Old Hall also contains paintings of various principals, presidents, benefactors, vice-chancellors ''et al.'' including Bishop Burgess,
Maurice Jones,
Thomas Price,
Llewelyn Lewellin,
Edward Harold Browne,
Keith Robbins and
Brian Robert Morris.
St David's Chapel was consecrated in 1827. In 1879, it was rebuilt according to the specifications of the architect
Thomas Graham Jackson
Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet (21 December 1835 – 7 November 1924) was one of the most distinguished British architects of his generation. He is best remembered for his work at Oxford, including the Oxford Military College at Co ...
of Cambridge. It re-opened on 24 June 1880. It was then refurbished again during the 1930s, mainly through the provision of a new
reredos
A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images.
The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
in 1933 and a major overhaul of the organ in 1934. The chapel was provided with a dedicated chaplain and services were held on Sundays and throughout the week as well as on saints' days and major festivals.
The Founders' Library housed the main library until the new library opened in 1966. After this time the library housed the university's oldest printed books (1470–1850) and manuscripts (the earliest from the thirteenth century), given to Lampeter from 1822 onwards, as well as the archives of the university. It is a priceless collection unique to Lampeter. Named after its foundersThomas Burgess (1756–1837),
Thomas Bowdler
Thomas Bowdler (; 11 July 1754 – 24 February 1825) was an English physician known for publishing '' The Family Shakespeare'', an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's plays edited by his sister Henrietta Maria Bowdler. The two sought ...
(1754–1825), and
Thomas Phillips
Thomas Phillips (18 October 1770 – 20 April 1845) was a leading English portrait and subject painter. He painted many of the notable men of the day including scientists, artists, writers, poets and explorers.
Life and work
Phillips was bor ...
(1760–1851)it served as a resource for research and teaching, particularly in English, History and Mediaeval Studies. In 2005, it was announced that a new £700,000 library building was to be built on campus to house the university's special collections, as the Founders' Library was not environmentally suitable for such valuable documents. This extension to the main library was completed in 2008.
Later additions

The Canterbury Building was built to house a growing number of students at the end of the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid by the
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
in 1885 and the building was officially opened on 24 June 1887. It contained a physical science laboratory, two lecture rooms and new accommodation. However, structural problems forced the university to demolish the original building in the summer of 1971. The second Canterbury Building was opened on 20 October 1973 by the Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Kent
The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...
. It was demolished, and replaced with the present Canterbury Building, during the 2012–13 academic year.
The Main Library was opened on 7 July 1966 by the then Chancellor of the University of Wales,
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
. It was extended and then reopened by
Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...
on 21 June 1984.
The Arts Building was opened by
Peter Thomas,
Secretary of State for Wales
The secretary of state for Wales (), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Ki ...
on 4 October 1971, in time for it to house the new
Geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
department. The
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
and
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
department has since moved into the ground floor of the building, the first floor being shared by the Department of Film and Media and the Department of Management and I.T. The building now houses the new combined A.H.A (
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
, History and
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
) department.
The Cliff Tucker Theatre, on the banks of the River Dulas, was opened by Sir
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
in 1996 and contained teaching rooms, lecture theatres and a large computer room. It was named in honour of
Cliff Tucker, a former student and benefactor of the university.
The Sheikh Khalifa Building, completed in 1997 and named after Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 7 September 1948 – 13 May 2022) was the second president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, serving from November 2004 until his death in May 2022.
Khalifa was the eldes ...
, a benefactor of the university, was the home of the Department of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, one of the largest departments of its kind in the United Kingdom. It was opened by Professor Sir
Stewart Sutherland. Behind the departmental building is a small mosque, used by Muslim students and residents of the town.
The Roderic Bowen Research Centre, completed 2007 and named after
Roderic Bowen, a former president of the university, houses the Founders' Library collection and archives and adjoins the main library building. The centre was opened on 17 October 2008, by
First Minister for Wales
The first minister of Wales () is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government ...
,
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Senedd, Assembly Member for Cardiff West (Senedd constitu ...
.
The Confucius Institute opened in 2007, as the home of the university's department of Chinese Studies and had direct links to Chinese Cultural institutes.
Archaeology Laboratories provided facilities for environmental archaeology, osteoarchaeology, soil studies and conservation.
The Lloyd Thomas Refectory was the university's main dining hall, providing meals to guests and catered students and a regular Sunday carvery.
The Media centre contained studios and recording facilities.
Bishop Burgess Hall formerly housed the departments of Classics and Philosophy. In 2009 it was converted to become a hub for student services.
Academic dress
From 1971, Lampeter awarded University of Wales degrees, and as such, the
academic dress
Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academia, academic settings, mainly tertiary education, tertiary (and sometimes secondary schools, secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree (or simila ...
was that of the
University of Wales
The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...
– graduates wore a black stuff gown, with bell sleeves for bachelors, and glove sleeve for masters. Hoods were lined with mazarin blue shot green (arts), mazarin blue shot red (divinity), lined yellow shot black (MSc) and yellow shot red, bound light blue (MBA).
The Lampeter academic dress for the degrees it awarded in its own right differed from this as follows:
Undergraduates wore a black stuff gown, with bell-sleeves, with the whole sleeve split open in front. The year-round wearing of undergraduate academic dress ended in 1971 when Lampeter joined the University of Wales. However around 2006–10 there was some support for a resurrection of this tradition by current students.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD, DB, or BDiv; ) is an academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.
...
. A black gown, of MA pattern (long closed sleeves), with a double crescent cut at the end of each sleeve. A black silk hood, lined with dark violet silk, and bound with 1" white silk. Originally, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
Bachelor of Arts. A black stuff gown of Cambridge BA pattern. A black silk hood, part-lined and bound with 'miniver' – white fur with black spots. (Rabbit was usually used, with 'stick-on' spots, on account of the cost of real miniver!). As with the BD, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
There was also a two-year course for those who could not afford the full three-year one. From 1884, this was called the Licence in Divinity (LD). Holders wore the undergraduate gown, with a black stuff hood, lined with black stuff, and bound for 1" with white silk. This was always Cambridge shape. The LD was not awarded after about 1940 and, in 1969, the hood was used for the DipTh, which was awarded until the college ceased clergy training in 1978. A degree with a similar title was introduced in 2007, the Licence in Divinity (Doctoral) (LicDD). This however, is a postdoctoral degree in theology or religious studies, the first of its kind in the UK. The academicals prescribed to this degree is non-conventional in that it consists of a scarlet
mozzetta trimmed with white fur that is worn over the festal gown and under the hood (of the relevant Wales degree) and worn with a scarlet bonnet with white cord and tassels. The degree was only awarded for a brief time before it was dropped (2007–2011).
The university awarded a number of Licences in Theology (LTh), Religious Studies (LRS), Islamic Studies, Latin, and Classical Greek.
Sports
The university has a sports hall with
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...
and
squash courts, and a multigym with
weight training
Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate techniques such as bodyweight exercises ( ...
equipment. For outdoor sports, the university has tennis courts, a
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
field and facilities for football, hockey and rugby. The college cricket pavilion, opened officially on 1 May 1909 is now a
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
Lampeter has active
fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...
,
netball
Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...
,
field hockey
Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...
,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
teams, all of which played in the college colours of
black and gold.
Rugby
Rugby was introduced to Lampeter by Vice-Principal
Rowland Williams around 1850 and, as such, the college can claim to have the oldest
Rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league.
Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...
team in Wales. Despite some debate as to whether this honour belongs to the town team or the university side, the Welsh Rugby Union's official history "Fields of Praise: The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union, 1881–1981" indicates the college team as the first. However,
Lampeter Town RFC were the representatives of Lampeter at the formation of the WRU in 1881.
The red strip worn by Wales is one of the university's original strips and, as such, the college team is the only other club permitted to wear it. The club was one of the founder members of the
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; ) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, overseeing 320 member clu ...
in 1881 but, following trouble at a match against the
University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...
in 1933, was reprimanded by the union.
The club's nicknames were ''Mad Pilgrims'' and ''Fighting Parsons'', reflecting Lampeter's history of training clergy. A match was played between the student team and an old boys (graduate) team on the first Saturday in December each year. In recent years, the old boys formed a touring side known as Old Parsonians RFC. The old boys have become known for their battle cry "chuff", which came into common use c. 2001. Old Parsonians play in a sky blue and white kit in recognition of the historical rugby link to Cambridge rugby through Rowland Williams.
The College Yell
Taken from the Student Handbook 1938–39, the College Yell was originally used at sporting and other competitive events. It had largely fallen into obscurity by the twenty-first century, though occasionally resurrected by zealous students.
''Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi.
Dy Blant. Dy Blant. Dy Blant.
Backshe Odinthorog. Backshe Odinthorog.
Niri Giri Wari. Niri Giri Wari.
Zey Zey Zey
Bing Bang Odin. Bing Bang Odin.
Io Dewi. Io Dewi. Io Dewi.
Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant.
Student life
Three full-time sabbatical officers and ten non-sabbatical officers oversaw student entertainment, welfare and childcare, as well as ensuring that the views of Lampeter students were represented on a national level, through affiliation with the
National Union of Students. However, by 2015, this had been cut to one sabbatical officer and 16 non-sabbatical officers. The Students' Union also published a popular satirical magazine entitled 1822 which "blends satire, pointlessness and toilet humour".
The secluded rural location lends the campus a special atmosphere and a very high proportion of the students were involved in clubs, societies and associations. There were over 30 recognised bodies, ranging from the Chinese Society and the International Students' Association to Medieval Re-enactment, Fencing Club and Organic Gardening Society. Alongside these were student-run bodies not affiliated with the Students' Union, such as the Christian Union, Conservative Future and Amnesty.
There has been no train service to the town since the local line fell victim to the
Beeching Axe
The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...
in 1965 and only limited bus services remain. However for many who came there, this was a key attraction, with a high proportion of students getting involved with outdoor activities and local environmental projects. Local country towns of
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...
and
Llandeilo
Llandeilo () is a town and Community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated where the River Towy is crossed by the A483 road, A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had ...
are nearby as well as the coastal resorts of
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...
and
New Quay
New Quay () is a seaside town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales; it had a resident population of 1,045 at the 2021 census. Located south-west of Aberystwyth, on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, the town ...
. The union building, on the banks of the ''Afon Dulas'' and extended in 1998, contains a student bar and small club, known as the Xtension, which hosts parties and live music events; the Union also has a CineClub showing films in the Arts Hall and Cliff Tucker Theatre.
Notable academics
*Professor Emeritus
Nigel Yates (Theology)
*Reverend Professor
Paul Badham (Theology)
*Professor
David Cockburn (Philosophy)
*Rabbi Professor
Dan Cohn-Sherbok (Jewish Studies)
*Professor
Tim Cresswell (Geography)
*Doctor
Dic Edwards (English)
*Reverend
Islwyn Ffowc Elis (Welsh)
*Professor
Harold Arthur Harris (Latin and Greek)
*Professor
Johannes Hoff (Theology)
*Professor
Chris Philo (Geography)
*Professor
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Daniel Jackson in the long-running military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' and as Dr Charles Harris in the Canadian medi ...
(Archaeology)
*Doctor
Laurie Thompson
Laurie Thompson (26 February 1938 – 8 June 2015) was a British Academia, academic and translator, noted for his translations of Swedish language, Swedish literature into English language, English.
Thompson was born in York, England, and lived ...
(Swedish)
*Professor
Nigel Thrift (Geography)
*Professor
Thomas Frederick Tout
Thomas Frederick Tout (28 September 1855 – 23 October 1929) was a British historian of the medieval period. He was one of the founders of the Historical Association in 1906.
Early life
Born in London, he was a pupil of St. Olave's Grammar ...
(History)
*Reverend Professor
Rowland Williams (Hebrew, also Vice-Principal of the college)
Notable alumni
Academic departments
*Chinese Studies
*Classics
*Film and Media
*English
*Management and Information Technology
*Philosophy
*Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies
*Voluntary Sector Studies
*Archaeology, History and Anthropology
Defunct departments
*
Physical Science
Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together is called the "physical sciences".
Definition
...
*
Mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
*
Geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
**Centre for Australian Studies in Wales
*Modern Languages (French, German and
Swedish)
*History (due to merging of departments)
*
Archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
and
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
(due to merging of departments)
*
Welsh – no longer taught at undergraduate level
Lampeter Geography School
The Lampeter Geography School was an important collection of academics based at the Geography department of the University of Wales, Lampeter. The department has since closed, but the Lampeter diaspora continues to have a major impact on the academic discipline.
Establishment
The
Robbins Report
The Robbins Report (the report of the Committee on Higher Education, chaired by Lionel Robbins) was commissioned by the British government and published in 1963. The committee met from 1961 to 1963. After the report's publication, its conclusions ...
of 1963 recommended immediate expansion of British universities. In its implementation of these recommendations, Lampeter planned to open new Economics and
Geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
departments. Economics was taught at first year level only. The groundwork was well in place for the Geography department to open by 1970 or 1971. The new Arts Building of the university was opened by the
Secretary of State for Wales
The secretary of state for Wales (), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Ki ...
on 4 October 1971, which provided the new department with luxurious lecture and teaching rooms in time for its opening. Dr David Thomas (not to be confused with David SG Thomas, Professor at Oxford) became the first Professor of Geography at Lampeter in 1970 and, in 1971,
Donald A Davidson and John A Dawson joined the staff as lecturers, ready to welcome the first Geography students to Lampeter in October 1971.
Academics of the Lampeter Geography School
*Professor
Paul Cloke
*Professor
Jo Little
*Professor Martin Phillips
*Professor
Chris Philo
*Professor
Tim Cresswell
*Professor
David Sadler
*Professor Ulf Strohmayer
*Professor
Nigel Thrift
*Professor
John A. Dawson
*Professor
Miles Ogborn
*Professor
Joe M. Painter
*Assoc. Prof.
Ian Cook
*Professor
Ghazi Falah
See also
*
List of universities in Wales
There are currently eight universities operating in Wales, all of which receive funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). Although university status in Wales only requires taught degree awarding powers (since 2004), ...
*
List of alumni of University of Wales, Lampeter
*
List of academics of University of Wales, Lampeter
*
List of vice-chancellors of the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
References
Bibliography
*D. T. W. Price, ''A History of Saint David's University College, Lampeter''; Volume One, to 1898. Cardiff: University of Wales Press (); Volume Two 1898–1971 Cardiff: University of Wales Press ().
*D. T. W. Price, ''Yr Esgob Burgess a Choleg Llanbedr: Bishop Burgess and Lampeter College''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press ().
*
Nicholas Groves ''Academical Robes of Saint David's College Lampeter (1822–1971)'', (University of Wales, Lampeter Special Publications) ().
External links
''Guardian'' Newspaper article on the future of the College
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wales, Lampeter, University Of
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter () was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest Academic degree, degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited degree awarding powers sinc ...
Educational institutions established in 1822
Bible colleges, seminaries and theological colleges in Wales
Lampeter
Lampeter (; (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward 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 C ...
1822 establishments in Wales
Grade II* listed buildings in Ceredigion
Lampeter
2010 disestablishments in Wales
Defunct universities and colleges in Wales
Educational institutions disestablished in 2010