Lampeter (; (formal); ''Llambed'' (

colloquial Colloquialism (also called ''colloquial language'', ''colloquial speech'', ''everyday language'', or ''general parlance'') is the linguistic style used for casual and informal communication. It is the most common form of speech in conversation amo ...

)) is a town,

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

and

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, at the confluence of the

Afon Dulas The Afon Dulas, or North Dulas, is a river forming the border between Merionethshire/Gwynedd and Montgomeryshire/Powys in Wales. Another river called Afon Dulas joins the Dyfi from the south, upstream of its confluence with the North Dulas: loca ...

with the

River Teifi The River Teifi ( ; , ), formerly anglicised as Tivy, forms the boundary for most of its length between the Welsh counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, and for the final of its total length of , the boundary between Ceredigion and Pembr ...

. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigion, after

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

and Cardigan, and has a campus of the

University of Wales Trinity Saint David The University of Wales Trinity Saint David () is a public university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, and learning centres in Cardiff, and Birmingham. The university ...

. At the 2011 Census, the population was 2,970. Lampeter is the smallest

university town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

in the United Kingdom. The university adds approximately 1,000 people to the town's population during term time.

Etymology

The Welsh name of the town, ', means "Peter's church tStephen's bridge" in reference to its church and castle. Its English name derives from this, as does the colloquial Welsh name '. An alternative English spelling occurs as "Thlampetre" in 1433.

History

The

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

timber castle of ''Pont Steffan'' ("Stephen's bridge" in English) occupying a strategic position beside the River Teifi was destroyed in 1187 after it had been conquered by

Owain Gwynedd Owain ap Gruffudd ( – 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great () and the first to be styled "Prince of Wales" and th ...

and was not rebuilt. Cardiganshire was one of the royal counties established by

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

after the defeat of

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ( – 11 December 1282), also known as Llywelyn II and Llywelyn the Last (), was List of rulers of Gwynedd, Prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the Prince of Wales (; ) from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 128 ...

(''Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf'') at

Cilmeri Cilmeri (; also spelled as Cilmery) is a village and community in Powys, mid-Wales, United Kingdom in the historic county of Brecknockshire, two and a half miles west of Builth Wells on the A483 to Llandovery. The village is served by Cilmeri ...

in 1282, when Lampeter fell under direct royal control. But this had little effect on the town, and the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

continued to thrive. The first

market charter A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

was granted in 1284 to Rhys ap Meredydd who was given the right to hold a weekly market. As many as eight fairs were also held each year under successive charters.Jenkins, J. Geraint. ''Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County.'' Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 27. The town was ruled by a local aristocracy who lived in elegant mansions, including Brynhywel, Maesyfelin and the

Lloyd baronets There have been nine baronetcies created for persons with the surname Lloyd, three in the Baronetage of England, three in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extant as of . * ...

of Peterwell. As magistrates, they handed out the severest of penalties to offenders. The fairs and markets had become rowdy occasions with violence and drunkenness, and the

stocks Stocks are feet and hand restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation. The use of stocks is seen as early as Ancient Greece, where they are described as being in use in Solon's law code. The law de ...

and

whipping post The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, used during the medieval and renaissance periods for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. ...

in front of

Lampeter Town Hall Lampeter Town Hall () is a municipal structure in the High Street, Lampeter, Wales. The town hall, which was the meeting place of Lampeter Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building. History The first town hall in Lampeter, which was commi ...

were frequently put to use in the 18th century. The town developed the crafts, services and industries to cater to the needs of the rural area. There were several woollen mills, one of which in the mid-18th century was already producing the complex double-woven tapestry cloth later to become associated with the

Welsh woollen industry The woollen industry in Wales was at times the country's most important industry, though it often struggled to compete with the better-funded woollen mills in the north of England, and almost disappeared during the 20th century. There is continue ...

. There were also blacksmiths, a leather tannery, carpenters, saddlers, bootmakers and hatters. The town was one of the main centres on the Welsh

drovers' road A drovers' road, drove road, droveway, or simply a drove, is a route for droving livestock on foot from one place to another, such as to marketplace, market or between summer and winter pasture (see transhumance). Many drovers' roads were anci ...

which carried cattle and sheep on foot to the markets in England. A large number of inns point to the town's importance as a rural centre.Jenkins, J. Geraint. ''Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County.'' Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 29. Lampeter's war memorial, sculpted by Sir William Goscombe John (1860–1952), was unveiled in September 1921.

University

St David's College was founded in Lampeter in 1822 by Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St David's, to provide training for those wishing to join the Anglican priesthood. It was the first institution of higher education in Wales and the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge. In 1852 it was granted a charter to award the

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD, DB, or BDiv; ) is an academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. ...

(BD) degree, and in 1865 another charter enabled it to confer BA degrees in

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

. Its central building, based on an

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...

-style quadrangle, was designed by

Charles Robert Cockerell Charles Robert Cockerell (27 April 1788 – 17 September 1863) was an England, English architect, archaeologist, and writer. He studied architecture under Robert Smirke (architect), Robert Smirke. He went on an extended Grand Tour lasting sev ...

. In 1971, it became a constituent part of the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

as St David's University College and was renamed the University of Wales, Lampeter, in 1996. In 2008, the Lampeter institution's original charter was used to reform higher education in West Wales with the integration of Trinity College Carmarthen, further education colleges in Cardigan and Llanelli, and the technical college known as Swansea Metropolitan into the

. In January 2025 Trinity St David finalised plans to stop using the Lampeter campus for university teaching and relocate its courses, staff and students to Carmarthen. The university's

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

team was the first in Wales. It was formed in the 1850s by Rowland Williams who introduced the game from Cambridge.

Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering Lampeter, at

(town) and

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

level: Lampeter Town Council (Cyngor Tref Llanbedr Pont Steffan) and

Ceredigion County Council Ceredigion County Council () is the governing body for the county of Ceredigion, since 1996 one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The council's main offices are in Aberaeron. History The current council was created on 1 April 1996 under t ...

(Cyngor Sir Ceredigion). The town council meets at the Creuddyn Building on Pontfaen Road.

Administrative history

Lampeter was an

ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

, which included rural areas as well as the town itself. The town was administered as a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

from at least the time of

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

(reigned 1307–1327). A government survey of boroughs in 1835 found that the borough corporation had very few powers. The borough was therefore left unreformed when the

Municipal Corporations Act 1835 The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4. c. 76), sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales. The le ...

reformed most ancient boroughs across the country into

municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

s. The old corporation continued to operate, but was ineligible to take on any further functions. In order to provide more modern forms of local government, a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

was created in 1866 with an elected local board. The local board and old borough corporation then existed alongside each other until 1884, when the town was issued a new

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...

formally incorporating it as a municipal borough. The reformed borough council took on the functions of the abolished local board. The

Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The act followed the reforms carried out at county leve ...

directed that parishes were no longer allowed to straddle borough boundaries, and so the parts of Lampeter parish outside the borough became a separate parish called Lampeter Rural. Lampeter Rural was abolished in 1987 and divided between several neighbouring communities. The borough of Lampeter was abolished in 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

. A community called Lampeter was created instead, covering the area of the abolished borough. District-level functions passed to Ceredigion District Council, which was in turn replaced in 1996 by Ceredigion County Council.

Culture

* Lampeter's local Eisteddfod, ''Eisteddfod Rhys Thomas James Pantyfedwen'', is held annually over the August bank holiday. It is particularly noteworthy for its competition for singers under the age of 30, colloquially known as ''Llais Llwyfan Llambed'' ('the voice of Lampeter's stage'). * Lampeter Museum covers the cultural and agricultural development of the town as well as the history of the college. * Theatr Felinfach, a small regional theatre located outside the village of

Ystrad Aeron Ystrad Aeron is a small village west of Felinfach on the A482 between Lampeter and Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales. It is part of the constituent community of Llanfihangel Ystrad. Facilities The church, St Michael's, is in the centre of Ystrad ...

in Dyffryn Aeron, about 7 miles from Lampeter. * During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

and his wife Caitlin lived at Plas Gelli, a secluded mansion just outside

Talsarn Talsarn is a hamlet in the community of Nantcwnlle, Ceredigion, Wales. It lies some 16 miles (26 km) south of Aberystwyth, 64 miles (103 km) north-west of Cardiff, and 178 miles (286 km) from London. It is situated almost half-wa ...

. The

Dylan Thomas Trail The Dylan Thomas Trail () runs through places associated with the poet Dylan Thomas in Ceredigion, west Wales. It was officially opened by Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan's daughter, in July 2003. It also featured in the celebration in 2014 of the centen ...

links Talsarn and Lampeter with the other places in Ceredigion associated with the poet, such as

Aberaeron Aberaeron (), previously anglicised as Aberayron, is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales. Located on the coast between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, its resident population was 1,274 in the 2021 census. The name of the town i ...

and

New Quay New Quay () is a seaside town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales; it had a resident population of 1,045 at the 2021 census. Located south-west of Aberystwyth, on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, the town ...

. * In 1968, William Julian Cayo-Evans first marched his

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

Free Wales Army The Free Wales Army (FWA; ) was a Welsh nationalist paramilitary organisation formed in Lampeter in Ceredigion (formerly Cardiganshire) by Julian Cayo-Evans in 1963. Its objective was to establish an independent Welsh republic. History Over ...

' from Lampeter. * The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Church, is Grade II listed and is considered a fine example of mid-20th century church architecture.

Notable people

Eliezer Griffiths Eliezer Griffiths (3 February 1827 – 21 April 1920) was a Welsh Congregationalist minister with a significant career in Australia and America, where he died. History Griffiths was born in Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales, a son of Rev. G. Griffiths, ...

(1827–1920), a Congregationalist minister, worked in Australia and America * David Thomas (1829–1905), a Welsh clergyman helped found a Welsh church in the

Welsh settlement in Argentina Y Wladfa (, 'The Colony'), also occasionally Y Wladychfa Gymreig (, 'The Welsh Settlement'), refers to the establishment of settlements by Welsh colonists and immigrants in the Argentine Patagonia, beginning in 1865, mainly along the coast of ...

. *

John Perowne John James Stewart Perowne (3 March 1823 – 6 November 1904) was an English Anglican bishop. Born in Burdwan, Bengal, Perowne was a member of a notable clerical family, whose origins were Huguenot. Life He was educated at Norwich School, ...

(1863–1954), a British Army officer and a

King's Messenger The Corps of King's Messengers (or Corps of Queen's Messengers during the reign of a female monarch) are couriers employed by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They hand-carry secret and important documents to B ...

Watcyn Samuel Jones Watcyn Samuel Jones (16 February 1877 – 17 October 1964) was a prominent Welsh agricultural administrator and principal of a theological college. Education Jones was born in Lampeter to Rees Cribin Jones, a Unitarian church minister, and M ...

(1877–1964), agricultural administrator and theological college principal. *

Glyn Daniel Glyn Edmund Daniel (23 April 1914 – 13 December 1986) was a Welsh scientist and archaeologist who taught at Cambridge University, where he specialised in the European Neolithic period. He was appointed Disney Professor of Archaeology in ...

(1914 in Lampeter Velfrey – 1986), a Welsh scientist and archaeologist who taught the European

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period *

Gillian Elisa Gillian Elizabeth Thomas (born 10 August 1953) is a Welsh actress, singer, and comedian. Early in her career she was known as Gillian Elisa Thomas. Early life and education Elisa was born in Carmarthen, Wales, and brought up in Lampeter; she beg ...

(born 1953), a Welsh actress, singer and comedian. *

Elin Jones Elin Jones (born 1 September 1966), is a Welsh politician who has served as the Llywydd of the Senedd since 2016. A member of Plaid Cymru, Jones has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Ceredigion since 1999. Background Jones atten ...

(born 1966), politician, the

Llywydd of the Senedd The (), or Presiding Officer in English, is the speaker of the Senedd in Wales, elected by members of the Senedd to chair their meetings (plenary sessions); to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members. The also heads the Corpo ...

(presiding officer) since 2016.

Sport

Lampeter has a strong sporting community, which includes

Cwmann Cwmann is a small village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the community of Pencarreg. It is just on the border with Ceredigion and near Lampeter, with Cwmann being on the Carmarthenshire side of the border. The population in 2011 was around 872. As ...

and

Llanybydder Llanybydder (, formerly spelt ''Llanybyther'', is a market town and Community (Wales), community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638 ...

. Many sports are played in the town, with

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

being the most popular. Lampeter fielded the first

team in Wales. The sport is believed to have arrived in the late 1840s, meaning the town has a very long tie and history with the sport. The town is represented by Lampeter Town Rugby which is a member of the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; ) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, overseeing 320 member clu ...

and is a

feeder club In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

for the

Llanelli Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby com ...

. Many other sports are played in the town, including association football, with the town being represented by a football team, their pitch being directly next to the main pitch of Lampeter Rugby Club. The football team has junior teams as well as a 1st and 2nd team. The town is served by a leisure centre, which has a gym, the main hall and modern tennis facilities. The town has a swimming pool and also a

bowling green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

Transport

In 1866, transport in Lampeter was greatly improved with the opening of the railway linking and . In 1911, a branch line opened to

. Following the nationalisation of the railways, the passenger service to Aberaeron ceased in 1951. Passenger trains on the main line to Carmarthen and Aberystwyth continued until December 1964 when the track was badly damaged by flooding south of Aberystwyth and through trains were suspended. This was the era of the "

Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...

" and it took little political persuasion to decide that the cost of repairs would be unjustified. The remaining passenger services were withdrawn.

Milk train Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Milk contains many nutrie ...

s continued to the processing factories at Pont Llanio until 1970, and Felinfach until 1973. The line was eventually lifted in 1975. However, the section of the old line between

Bronwydd Arms Bronwydd is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated about three miles north of Carmarthen in the valley of the River Gwili. Bronwydd community comprises the village of Bronwydd Arms, a couple of nearby hamlets ...

and Danycoed Halt still exists and is used by the

Gwili Railway The Gwili Railway () is a Welsh heritage railway, that operates a preserved standard gauge heritage railway, railway line from the site of Abergwili Junction (near Carmarthen) in South West Wales, southwest Wales along a section of the former ...

, a steam railway preservation society which operates a regular timetable during summer months. Regular bus services operate through the town, connecting Lampeter to Aberystwyth, Carmarthen and Swansea. Two buses a day continue beyond Swansea, providing a through service to Cardiff.

Twinning

Lampeter is twinned with

Saint-Germain-sur-Moine Saint-Germain-sur-Moine () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. Geography Saint-Germain-sur-Moine is located about 75 meters above sea level and is adjacent to the municipalities of Montfaucon-Montigné and T ...

, France.

References

External links

Town website

Photos of Lampeter and the surrounding area
{{Authority control Towns in Ceredigion Wards of Ceredigion Wards of Dyfed Market towns in Wales Castles in Ceredigion