You are here: Shopping >
Books > Mid-Wales - Ceredigion and Powys Photographic Memories
Dartmouth, Quay 1899 (ref. 44581) | The elegant brick railway station is at the far end, and the Grand Hotel is on the left. On the right is the Taliesin Hotel. When the row of houses next door to it was built in the 1860s, it must have almost doubled the population of the village. The shop sold postcards, and displays model yachts in the doorway for sailing on one of the pools on the beach. |  Add your own Memory
 Add to your Album |
Aberaeron, Town and Beach c1955 (ref. A182031) | In 1800, Aberaeron was little more than a farm and inn by the main coast road where a bridge crossed the Aeron. Local gentry applied for an Act of Parliament to allow them to build a new town and to develop the harbour, and work began in 1807, when the grid of streets was laid out. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberaeron, Main Street c1955 (ref. A182049) | Nearly all the buildings we see here were built in the Georgian period, and they now look most attractive painted in different colours. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberaeron, Market Street c1955 (ref. A182068) | In this street, many of the original features of the Georgian buildings, such as small shop windows, have been retained; the wide streets of Aberaeron are a distinct contrast to most others in the county. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberaeron, Market Street c1965 (ref. A182260) | Aberaeron is almost in the middle of the 60-mile coastline of Ceredigion. It is now home of the main county offices, replacing the ancient capital, Cardigan, and the more recent administrative centre, Aberystwyth. The very top of the Town Hall that used to house the Council Chamber is visible on the right. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberaeron, the Harbour c1955 (ref. A182035) | The original plan for building the town included a harbour, which provided a large and safe place for coastal vessels and fishing boats. From early in the 19th century, boats with visitors and goods from elsewhere along the coast made Aberaeron their destination, if only for a day trip. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberporth, the Bay c1955 (ref. A185009) | This bay is typical of a number along the coast of Ceredigion. Deeply inset, it provided shelter for loading and discharging cargoes, including herring, and for the 11 ships that were built here. From the inter-war years its fine sandy beaches attracted visitors who wanted a sea-side holiday without the distractions that resorts such as Aberystwyth provided, even though it was close to the Ministry of Defence establishment and airstrip, which were established in the late 1930s. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberporth, Bay c1960 (ref. A185058) | This view shows the headland that separates the two bays. The northern (further) bay penetrates well inland and provided good shelter for boats, with limekilns, storehouses and coal yards nearby. The beach was used once a year by farmers from Llechryd for a feast. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, North Parade 1949 (ref. A14285) | At the beginning of the 19th century, a number of new streets were built following the grid pattern of the mediaeval town. North Parade was one of these, but it was made much wider than the others to allow the local militia to use it as a parade ground. The National Provincial Bank of England on the left was built in 1901-03 on the site of the first houses to be built outside the medieval town walls in 1797. Chalybeate Street on the right led to the chalybeate well, which was used by visitors who came to drink its waters. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, the Castle Grounds 1921 (ref. 71524) | Here we see the interior of the castle, built by Edward I between 1277 and 1289. Very little survives, because Cromwell ordered its destruction in 1649, and locals used it as a quarry until it became an attraction for early visitors to the town. In the centre is a circle of stones set up in 1914 for the 1915 National Eisteddfod (delayed for a year owing to the First World War). In the foreground is the site of the well - it was found to be sixty feet deep. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, the Beach 1899 (ref. 44526) | Aberystwyth became a popular resort for the well-off, who came here to bathe and socialise from the late 18th century. Once the railway arrived in 1864, many more visitors came; a variety of activities was arranged for them, including bathing from the bathing machines in the middle of the picture, taking trips around the bay in the rowing or sailing boats, or being entertained at the top of Constitution Hill (in the background). | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, the College 1899 (ref. 44528) | The magnificent neo-Gothic building on the prom began life as a triangular house designed by John Nash in about 1795. In 1865 the railway entrepreneur Savin began to build the Castle Hotel around it, but he became bankrupt in the process. It was bought by the fledgling University in 1872, who made several alterations to it over the next 25 years; in 1901 they agreed to allow the Town Council to build a promenade around it, so long as the students were not disturbed by entertainers. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, Rough Sea c1930 (ref. A14010) | Here we see the College buildings after the new prom was built in 1901-04. This wonderful location must have been rather distracting for the students of 'The College by the Sea'. Storms are frequent along the coast, but these buildings are protected from the worst by Castle Point, from which this view was taken. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, from Constitution Hill 1897 (ref. 39396) | This is a very popular view of the town, showing the three bays separated by rock outcrops. The pier was built on one of these outcrops in 1865, only to be damaged in a storm the following year. On the left at the end of the Prom is a hut used by the builders of the second part of Alexandra Hall, which housed women students. They had to walk to the college at the other end of the Prom several times a day. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Aberystwyth, Rheidol Valley Railway 1903 (ref. 49500) | This 12-mile-long railway was constructed along the south side of the Rheidol in 1901 to transport lead ore from the mines to the harbour, but it became a very popular tourist attraction for those wishing to visit the Devil's Bridge and waterfalls where the line terminated. This view shows a cutting and embankment that is typical of this steep valley-side line. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Borth, Beach 1892 (ref. 30253) | Much of Borth consists of a single street with houses on both sides that gradually spread between the railway station at the north end of the village to a group of fishermen's houses built in the lee of a promontory at the south end – we can see the remains of one of them on the left. St Matthew's Church, visible in the distance, was built on higher ground. The larger buildings are a school and chapel. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Borth, Upper Borth 1906 (ref. 57126) | This is the original nucleus of Borth village from which picture No 30253 was taken (page 59). Some of these houses were owned by sea captains, who could afford to build a substantial two-story house. It is said that almost every boy from Borth went to sea. In the foreground are some fine clinker-built fishing boats. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Borth, Cambrian Terrace 1938 (ref. 88372) | This is the first view that many visitors would have had of Borth. It was taken from the railway station, which was built in 1863 when the Cambrian Railway arrived on its way from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth. On the left are a number of shops hoping to catch the eye of the passing visitor on their way to or from the beach. On the right is the massive Grand Hotel, one of three built by Savin, who also built the railway station. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Borth, Parade and Beach 1899 (ref. 44535) | This parade of large shops and houses are just round the corner from the station. The pebbly storm beach gives way to a vast fine sandy beach, covered in this photograph by a high tide. On the right is a tent and small wind shelters, while further along is a solitary bathing machine, which appears never to have been moved down to the sea. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
Borth, the Beach 1925 (ref. 77766) | Children play at the south end of the beach. Beyond them is the headland on which the Borth war memorial was built after the First World War. There are said to be smugglers' caves in the rocks below it. | Add your own Memory
Add to your Album |
