Ceredigion Uplands | Hills and Valleys

Ceredigion Uplands

Inland Ceredigion is a different world from the coast. The land rises steeply from the sea into a rolling upland of sheep farms, river valleys and small market towns that feel as if they have been here for centuries, because they have. This is Welsh-speaking heartland, quieter and less visited than the coast, with a character all its own.

What are the main towns in the Ceredigion uplands?

Lampeter is a small university town on the River Teifi, home to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (the oldest degree-awarding institution in Wales, founded in 1822). It has good independent shops, a food co-op and a Friday market. Tregaron is smaller and more remote, a farming town at the edge of the Cambrian Mountains with a wide village green where drovers once gathered cattle for the long walk to English markets. Devils Bridge is a hamlet in a gorge where three bridges are built one on top of the other, the oldest dating to the 12th century.

What can I do in the Ceredigion uplands?

Walking is the main draw. The hills are rounded and open, with wide views and few fences. Cors Caron, a raised bog near Tregaron, is a National Nature Reserve with a boardwalk trail and sightings of red kites, curlews and hen harriers. The Teifi Pools, high in the hills above Strata Florida Abbey, are the source of the River Teifi and among the most remote spots in southern Britain.

Strata Florida Abbey (Cadw) is a ruined Cistercian monastery founded in 1164. Dafydd ap Gwilym, Wales's greatest medieval poet, is said to be buried under the yew tree in the churchyard. The site is quiet, atmospheric and rarely busy.

Is the Ceredigion uplands area good for wildlife?

Red kites are everywhere. The Ceredigion uplands were one of the last refuges for the species before its recovery, and the sky above Tregaron is never empty of them. Buzzards, ravens and peregrine falcons are common. Otters live in the rivers. The bogs and wetlands support rare plants and insects that have disappeared from more intensively farmed landscapes.

Browse accommodation and things to do in the Ceredigion uplands below.

If you are looking for a part of Wales where the hills are yours and the valleys feel like they have not changed in centuries, the Ceredigion Uplands will not disappoint. Stay a few days, walk every morning, and eat well in the evenings. Find accommodation in the Ceredigion Uplands to start planning your stay.