Cardigan Town, Ceredigion. Free entry. Open daily
Details
Accessibility:
Public toilets are available at The Guildhall, including Disability access and baby changing facilities. There will always be a café or pub nearby if the Guildhall is closed. There are plenty of car parks with disability spaces available in the town.
Brief Description:This ancient town sits on the estuary of the River Teifi at the base of Cardigan Bay.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardigan,_Ceredigion
"In the 18th and early 19th century, Cardigan was the commercial centre of its county[3] and the most important port in South Wales, exporting slate, oats, barley, and butter. In 1815, it possessed 314 ships totaling 12,554 long tons (12,755 t). This was seven times as many vessels as Cardiff and three times as many as Swansea.[8] It had a thriving shipbuilding industry, with over 200 vessels being built both in Cardigan and downstream in the village of Llandudoch (St Dogmaels).[4] By mid-century, it was connected with the Welsh rail network but its harbour was obstructed by a sand bar that made it dangerous for vessels over 300 tons burden except during the high spring tides.[3]
Rural industries and craftsmen were an important part of life in a country town. Information recorded in Trade Directories show that in 1830 there were Thirteen boot makers, three bakers, one miller, four blacksmiths, seven carpenters, two coopers, six tailors, five dressmakers and milliners, two straw hat makers, two weavers, three curriers, three saddlers, two whitesmiths, four glaziers, five maltsters, two printers, two tanners and one stonemason.[4] The houses were mostly of slate and the streets narrow, steep, and irregular, with a grammar school erected in 1804 and a national school in 1848.[3] The town also had a public library.
Cardigan Guildhall was built between 1858 and 1860 on the site of the old grammar school and a house with a coach-house owned by Abraham Morgan. The cost of building was £1,880 5s for the front buildings, and £2,174 15s for the markets.[9]
By the mid-19th century there were more than 60 taverns in the town. The decline of the port was hastened by the coming of the railway in 1886.[6] The river silted up and larger vessels could no longer reach the port, which had largely become inactive by the early part of the 20th century. Some test dredging was carried out in 2009.[10]
For the last 40 years of the 20th century, a factory in the town made 35,000 pairs of jeans per week for Marks & Spencer, but closed in 2002 with the loss of 400 jobs when M&S sourced from overseas. A new jeans manufacturer—the Hiut Denim Company—opened in 2012, employing some of the original staff[11] and in 2017 became globally recognised for its connection with Meghan Markle.[12]
Until 2011, traders in Cardigan were represented by the Chamber of Commerce. Cardigan Traders' Group was set up in that year, attracting half of the members of the Chamber of Commerce. The new group was set to meet in February 2011 to decide how to proceed.[13]
Cardigan was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017.[14] The parish church is dedicated to St Mary.
Cardigan is the site of Our Lady of Cardigan, a Roman Catholic shrine, also known as the shrine to Our Lady of the Taper.
Other churches include:
- Bethania Welsh Baptist Church, on William Street, first built in 1775–76 but modified in 1819, 1843 and finally in 1846–47 to the design of architect Daniel Evans of Cardigan.[41]
- Mount Zion Baptist Chapel, which was built in 1878 in mixed Romanesque/Lombardic style, to the design of architect George Morgan of Carmarthen. It is Grade 2 listed.[42]
- Tabernacl Methodist Chapel, built in 1760, rebuilt in 1807 and 1832, restored and extended by architect Lloyd Edwards in 1886. The body of the present chapel, dated 1832, is built in Romanesque style but was deeply altered in 1902 with a large projecting central organ chamber, flanking porches and new stucco cladding, and in 1986 when the pyramid roof was modified to a flatter design.[43]
There is also a small Islamic centre on Quay Street called the "Cardigan Islamic Cultural Centre". It serves the local Muslim community in the town.[44] "
Further Information:
Address:
Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1JR
Email:
Contact can be made via the website: https://www.visitcardigan.com/contact-us/
Phone:
None available.
Website:
https://www.visitcardigan.com/contact-us/https://www.visitcardigan.com/explore/cardigan-trail/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardigan,_Ceredigion
Directions:
Situated 18.8 miles NE of Fishguard via the A487. OS SN 177461
"The A487 coastal trunk road provides links to the northeast and southwest; the A478 south to Narberth and Tenby and the A484 southeast to Swansea. A bypass was constructed to the southeast of the town in 1989–90, including a new concrete bridge (Priory Bridge) over the River Teifi. Bus services link Cardigan with most nearby towns and villages in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire."
Opening Times:
Open daily.
Transport:
There is a regular bus service to and from Cardigan. Bus services link Cardigan with most nearby towns and villages in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.
For further travel information in Wales please see: www.traveline.cymru/travel-info
Or call Traveline Cymru on 0800 464 0000
Amenities:
Cardigan is full of breathe taking scenery and stunning wildlife. There is a huge abundance of different places to eat and drink and a lovely variety of places to stay. For more info please go to the website."The town has a hospital, college, modern arts centre (with three-screen cinema), theatre and recently refurbished 19th century guildhall housing market stalls. For shopping there are supermarkets, town centre shops and several trading estates. There is a leisure centre in the grounds of the college offering sport and fitness facilities, and a swimming pool and leisure complex (a registered charity opened in 1977)[45] in Napier Street. A public library was situated in 'Canolfan Teifi' near the guildhall, but, in July 2017 moved to the local Council Offices on Morgan street.[46]"
Travel Information
For further travel information in Wales please see: www.traveline.cymru/travel-info
Or call Traveline Cymru on 0800 464 0000
Location
Nearest Venues
RJ Financial Planning, Cardigan, Ceredigion
12 metres*
Sgidie Teifi shoe shop, Cardigan, Ceredigion
12 metres*
Dewi James Butchers, Cardigan, Ceredigion
25 metres*
Vision Express, Cardigan, Ceredigion
31 metres*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.