Aberarth
Encyclopedia
Aberarth, Ceredigion
, Wales
is a small seaside village
situated towards the southern end of Cardigan Bay
between Aberystwyth
and Cardigan
.
As its name suggests it is at the mouth of the River Arth
and is on the A487 coastal road
.
. The Normans
built Dineirth Castle
some way up the river valley. During the 12th century Cistercian monk
s used the area as a seaport to import "Bath Stone
" from Bristol
which they used for the building of Strata Florida Abbey
on land granted to them by The Lord Rhys.
Llanddewi Aberarth Church on a hill about half a mile to the south of the village is reputedly on the site of a 9th century church. The present parish church
has a Norman architecture
tower with the rest rebuilt in the Victorian era
in 1860. Secured to the wall inside the front door is the only Viking hogsback stone found in Wales.
Aberarth was involved in the shipbuilding
industry before 1850, but the village faded with the decline of the industry.
It has some welcome visitors from the wild bird community, the red kite
, peregrine falcon
, chough
and stonechat
are some of the species to be found in the locality.
The beach
, while covered with large pebbles, is very popular with surfers at certain times of the year.
In 2005, a public footpath and cycle lane was finished connecting Aberarth to its larger neighbour Aberaeron
.
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is a small seaside village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated towards the southern end of Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
between Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
.
River Arth
The River Arth is a small river that emerges in the hills near Bethania, Ceredigion, Wales, which runs west for and discharges its waters into Cardigan Bay at Aberarth....
and is on the A487 coastal road
A487 road
The A487 is a trunk road in Wales, running up the western side of the country from Haverfordwest in the south to Bangor in the north.It starts at Merlin's Bridge near Haverfordwest, from where it travels north west to St David's, then switches back north east through Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberaeron,...
.
History & Amenities
The village has some historical significance having been founded around the time of the Norman invasionNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. The Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
built Dineirth Castle
Dinerth Castle
The Castle of Dinerth is a Welsh castle located near Aberarth, Ceredigion, west Wales .The ruins of the medieval timber castle can be found on a hill about 1½ miles up the valley from the seaside town of Aberarth...
some way up the river valley. During the 12th century Cistercian monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s used the area as a seaport to import "Bath Stone
Bath Stone
Bath Stone is an Oolitic Limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate. Originally obtained from the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England, its warm, honey colouring gives the World Heritage City of Bath, England its distinctive appearance...
" from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
which they used for the building of Strata Florida Abbey
Strata Florida Abbey
Strata Florida Abbey Flowers. Ystrad corrupts into Strata, while Fflur is the name of the nearby river. After the region around St. David's was firmly occupied by the Norman Marcher lordship of Pembroke by the early 12th century, with St...
on land granted to them by The Lord Rhys.
Llanddewi Aberarth Church on a hill about half a mile to the south of the village is reputedly on the site of a 9th century church. The present parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
has a Norman architecture
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
tower with the rest rebuilt in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
in 1860. Secured to the wall inside the front door is the only Viking hogsback stone found in Wales.
Aberarth was involved in the shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
industry before 1850, but the village faded with the decline of the industry.
It has some welcome visitors from the wild bird community, the red kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
, peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, chough
Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
and stonechat
European Stonechat
The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is 11.5–13 cm long and...
are some of the species to be found in the locality.
The beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, while covered with large pebbles, is very popular with surfers at certain times of the year.
In 2005, a public footpath and cycle lane was finished connecting Aberarth to its larger neighbour Aberaeron
Aberaeron
Aberaeron |Aeron]] being a Welsh god of war) is a seaside resort town in Ceredigion, Wales. Situated between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, it is home to the headquarters of Ceredigion County Council. The population was 1520 in 2001.-History and design:...
.