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Cardigan

Set beside the estuary of the River Teifi, Cardigan is a pleasant market town with a population of some 4500 souls. It was once the busiest port in Wales with more than 300 ships registered here. But silting up of the river made it impassable for larger boats and led to the town’s decline as a major port. The river continues to be fished for trout and some of the fishermen still use the traditional coracle. Dating from pre-Christian times, coracles were once common on many of Britain’s rivers and they have changed little over the centuries. The oldest description of the coracle in Wales appears in 1188 when, Gerald de Barry describes “river boats of willow, round in shape and covered by skins”

For such a modestly sized town Cardigan has a good stock of impressive buildings. The Shire Hall was built in 1763, and housed the courtroom and council chamber, which had previously been within the castle. The ground floor was a corn market; today it is a furniture shop. In the 1860s the courtroom functions passed to the newly-built Guildhall. This was the first civic building in Britain to be built in the Ruskinian Gothic architectural style. It has a multi-arched basement resembling the crypt of a great cathedral, which now houses the market. The impressive four-faced clock tower was added in 1892. The County Gaol of 1793 was built in 1793 to the designs of John Nash. In 1881 it was converted into a police station and private house. The Parish Church of St Mary was originally built in the 12th century as the chapel of a Benedictine priory. The present building dates mainly from the 19th century. It was once a place of pilgrimage as it housed a fine statute of Our Lady that was destroyed at the Reformation. Sadly, Cardigan Castle cannot be counted amongst the town’s impressive buildings. Thought to be the site of the first eisteddfod in 1176, the castle fell to Parliament in 1645 during the Civil War. It was then badly neglected and is now a tumble-down structure, parts of which have been incorporated into a private house. The castle was featured in BBC-TV’s Resurrection series but failed to get enough votes to qualify for the funding it needed.

While the river is no longer at the centre of the town’s economy, it is still a place of charm enhanced by the six-arched Teifi Bridge, an ancient structure that was rebuilt in 1726. The river is also at the heart of the town’s River and Food Festival in the summer. The river events range from powerboat to duck racing; the food events celebrate food from local producers. On the last Saturday of April the town is again in festival mood. Barley Saturday celebrates rural life with a parade of the area’s most impressive horses and agricultural vehicles. Those looking for performing arts and other cultural events will also not be disappointed as the Theatr Mwldan, in the town, is one of Wales’ leading theatrical venues.

Beside the river, just outside the town, the Welsh Wildlife Centre is a nature reserve that provides a variety of habitats including reed beds, woodland and meadowland that supports a surprisingly wide range of flora and fauna. There is an extensive network of footpaths and an excellent modern visitor centre.

 Incidentally, the cardigan as an item of clothing was named after the 7th Earl of Cardigan, John Thomas Brudenell (1797–1868), who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. He did not invent the cardigan (they had been around in the 17th century) but he did popularise it.