The town of Lampeter

A small, thriving market town, Lampeter is set in the Teifi Valley in the county of Ceredigion (Cardiganshire). The landscape surrounding Lampeter is green and hilly with a wealth of historic monuments in close proximity.

Buildings on campus reflect the periods of growth of the University, and some departments are housed in period buildings in the town.

Human beings have inhabited the area for many thousands of years - a pre-historic stone circle on a wooded hill at Alltgoch, above Lampeter, appears to be the earliest evidence of human settlement. Bronze artefacts have been excavated and there is strong evidence of Roman activity and settlement in the area.

The Romans mined gold at the nearby goldmine of Dolaucothi, and Norman invaders came as far as Ceredigion in 1093, building castles to ward off the natives. In fact, the remains of one of these castles can be seen in the grounds of the university.

The earliest written references to Lampeter occur in the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1188 Giraldus Cambrensis, Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury and the Abbot of Strata Florida (an important Welsh abbey founded in 1164, north of Tregaron) visited the town and they are recorded as preaching a sermon to persuade the men of Lampeter to fight in the Second Crusade. The chronicle of the Princes mentions that Maredudd, the son of Lord Rhys, died in 1227 at Llanfair - the church of Mary at Llanbedyr Tal Pont Ystyven. Pope Nicholas' taxation records for 1291 mention an assessment for the 'Ecclesia de Lampede' - St Peter's Church.

Lampeter has long been a market town and centre for commerce for the area, and as such, ancient traditions are still evident through town events such as a stallion show, sheepdog trials, an agricultural show and the Eisteddfod (festival of Welsh culture). The campus is situated in the middle of market town of Lampeter, shops, amenities, and bus stops are 2-5 minutes walk away.

All major high street banks are represented in Lampeter, and there is a selection of supermarkets, chemists, hardware shops, newsagents, hairdressers and local smaller shops such as a delicatessen, a healthfood shop and several fashion, sports and outdoor clothing shops, along with cafes, pubs, a curry house and a french patisserie.

Surrounding Area

Within easy reach of Lampeter are the National Parks of the Pembrokeshire Coast and the Brecon Beacons and many other areas of outstanding natural beauty, plenty of stunning walks, and a wealth of opportunities for outdoor pursuits. The cities of Cardiff and Swansea are within travelling distance for shopping, as are Aberystwyth, Carmarthen and Brecon.

The surrounding region is full of interest. The countryside is sparsely populated and there are areas of great natural beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, along with many historic locations.

Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in England in 1756 and after Winchester and Oxford he had short stays in Salisbury and Durham before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. He left in 1825 to become Bishop of Salisbury and died in 1837. Originally Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in Llandewi Brefi (at that time similar in size to Lampeter, ten kilometres from it and having an honoured place in the Christian history of Wales), but when Burgess was staying with his friend the Bishop of Gloucester in 1820 he met John Scandrett Harford, a wealthy man and a great landowner in Lampeter, who gave him the three acre site called Castle Field (on which the present University stands).

C.R. Cockerell designed what is now called the Saint David's Building and it cost £16,204 6s 7d. It received its first students in 1827.