Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LAMPETER
It looks like an unassuming country town, but Lampeter boasts the
oldest university college in Wales, the University of Wales Trinity St. David. After
Oxford and Cambridge, it's the oldest degree-awarding institution in England and
Wales. The student population adds an extra dimension to what has been a market
town since medieval times, and which still has regular cattle markets and a horse fair.
Where to Eat & Stay
Gwesty Cymru
MODERN WELSH This restaurant with rooms is right on the
seafront at North Beach. The old building is now awash with slate, chrome, and glass,
and it serves up popular Welsh and other dishes with a contemporary touch. Starters
include Llanilar wild rabbit pie, with bacon and rocket mash and a port sauce, while
rump of Welsh lamb and a 10-oz. Welsh Black sirloin steak are tempting for a main
course. The eight
guest rooms
feature handmade oak furniture, contemporary oil
paintings on the walls, and luxury bathrooms.
19 Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth, Cardigan SY23 2AZ.
&
01970/612252.
www.gwestycymru.com. Main
courses £13-£18. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Limited free parking. Daily noon-2pm and 6-9pm.
Harbourmaster Hotel
The original Georgian harbormaster's house is now a
smart hotel. There are seven rooms in the building, all reached by the original spiral
staircase; a pair of doubles in a nearby cottage and four super-cool doubles (including
the Aeron Queen with its Juliette balcony, and the John & Henry with its roof terrace,
both overlooking the sea) in a converted warehouse next door. The bistro-style
res-
taurant and bar,
also in the warehouse with sea views, serves local lobster and
spider crab, crab risotto, rib of Welsh beef, and local cheese (main course £9.50-
£24). The restaurant is open noon to 2:30pm and 6:30 to 9pm; bar food (Welsh beef
burgers, Welsh rarebit—a supercharged cheese on toast) is served all day. It's also
open from 8am for breakfast.
Quayside, Aberaeron, Cardigan SA46 OBT. www.harbour-master.com.
&
01686/628200.
13 units.
Longhouse £110-£250 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking on street.
Amenities:
Restaurant, bar.
In room:
TV/DVD, hair dryer.
Hive on the Quay
MODERN WELSH In an old stone wharf building, the Hive
is a bright and breezy cafe and restaurant with a conservatory, and spills out onto
brightly painted tables on the quay itself. At lunch it serves light fare: Ciabatta, salads,
and tapas-style dishes. Come evening and you've got grilled sardines with salsa verde,
salted cod cakes with rouille, and coca (a thick, crispy Catalan pizza). And then
there's the Hive honey ice cream, a honey-sweetened delight in a number of varieties;
there is a separate ice-cream counter outside.
Cadwgan Place, Aberaeron.
&
01545/570445.
www.hiveonthequay.co.uk. Main courses £8-£11. AE,
MC, V. Daily 9am-9pm (lunch noon-3pm, dinner from 6pm).
18
ELAN VALLEY: WONDER
OF THE DAMS
The Elan Valley, in the heart of Wales, is a beautiful spot. It twists and turns following
the unobtrusive, gurgling River Elan. Hillsides rise up, layer upon layer; mostly they
are open and littered with sheep, while forests roll into the hazy distance. It is an
ancient and remote landscape, and yet it was tamed by the Victorians. More than 100
years ago they built a series of
mighty dams
to create a supply of drinking water for
the multitudes toiling in England's industrial cities. Now, one moment you see a little
