Cerdded Cymru - The Welsh Walks Guide

Aberystwyth Edition


Walks Menu  |  Aberystwyth Walks  | Aberystwyth Castle, Marina, Pen Dinas Hill Fort and the Afon Rheidol (4 miles)

Summary 
Distance: 4 miles Grade: C+
Starting place: 
Aberystwyth Band Stand on the Promenade.
Starting place map reference:  SN582818
Parking place: 
Any car park in Aberystwyth, then make your way to the Promenade.
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500 feet
250 m
Image courtesy of Ordnance Survey, © 2024 Microsoft Corporation

Route description
Leg 1:     Start of leg GR: SN582818   
From the Bandstand walk along the promenade past the Pier then past the old University building on your left with its two statues in front (recognise anyone?). Then walk on a further couple of minutes until just off a minor road junction you see a flight of steps into the Castle grounds.

Leg 2:     Start of leg GR: SN580816  
At the road junction ascend the two flights of steps and then keep right to arrive at the base of the War Memorial.

Leg 3:     Start of leg GR: SN579816  
From the War Memorial walk over the wooden bridge to-wards the castle tower. Go onwards into the grassed area which is the castle Keep. Within this area you will see the 12 standing stones, one for each of the then Welsh counties, erected when the National Eisteddfod was held in Aberystwyth in 1916.

Leg 4:     Start of leg GR: SN580816    
Continue along the footway out of the castle keep. When you pass out through the castle wall turn right at the toilets and follow the tarmacked path through the gap in the relatively modern wall until you meet the road.

Leg 5:     Start of leg GR: SN579814   
Carefully cross the road to reach the promenade, turning left along the promenade with the early twentieth century three storey houses of South Parade across the road on your left. Proceed to the end of the terrace.

Leg 6:     Start of leg GR: SN580813   
At the end of South Marine Terrace cross the road at its junction with an access road to arrive at a small viewpoint with upright cared totem poles, an information board and a view of the Marina

Leg 7:     Start of leg GR: SN580812   
Follow the access road down the short hill and follow the road and subsequent path around the small circular inlet until you pass the brick built pumping station and come up against the whitewashed brick wall of Rimmer's Wine Bar

Leg 8:     Start of leg GR: SN582814        
At the white washed wall turn left and follow the short alleyway the few yards until it meets a road. Turn right along the road until after just 30 m. or so you meet the main road at Trefechan Bridge.

Leg 9:     Start of leg GR: SN583814   
Turn right at the road to cross Trefechan Bridge using the right hand pavement. Take care as the pavement is narrow. Look for the pedestrian gap on your right at the end of the bridge.

Leg 10:     Start of leg GR: SN583813   
Turn right to go through the pedestrian gap and walk down into a boat storage area. Look to your left and walk the few yards to the old oast house (or hop kiln).

Leg 11:     Start of leg GR: SN582813   
Walk on from the oast house past the Aberystwyth Justice Centre. Veer right on to the walk way which goes along the side of the Marina with apartments and their front lawns on its left. Walk along this path past the Aberystwyth Yacht Club to the lane.

Leg 12:     Start of leg GR: SN581808
Turn right along the lane passing a World War 2 'pillbox' on your right and then walk down to the bridge over the canalised Afon Ystwyth (just before its confluence with the Afon Rheidol)

Leg 13:     Start of leg GR: SN580807   
After looking around from the bridge about 90 yards beyond it and immediately after the first private driveway on the right look for an entrance to a signposted footpath. Follow the footpath until you emerge out on to a lane opposite the bungalow named Belvedere.

Leg 14:     Start of leg GR: SN581806   
Turn right along the lane and after about 150 m., passing palm trees on your left, you will arrive, on your left, at the signposted footpath into the Pen Dinas Nature Reserve.

Leg 15:     Start of leg GR: SN581805   
Follow the footpath around Pen Dinas hill. The climb is steepish at first but then levels out to follow the contour. Walk along, admiring the view, through a metal gate,until you come to a wooden 'kissing gate' just short of the Pen Parcau houses. Watch out for dog dirt on this section.

Leg 16:     Start of leg GR: SN588800   
Immediately in front of the wooden kissing gate turn sharp left on to a bare earth path. Follow this path to the top of Pen Dinas with its monument to the Duke of Wellington

Leg 17:     Start of leg GR: SN584802         
From the top of Pen Dinas retrace your steps down the hill until you arrive back at the wooden kissing gate.

Leg 18:     Start of leg GR: SN588800         
At the kissing gate turn left and follow the track through the metal gate above the Pen Parcau housing estate. Take first exit at the mini roundabout and turn left at the T junction at the closed Tollgate public house then proceeding the short distance to the public road

Leg 19:     Start of leg GR: SN591801   
On arriving at the main road, look across a few yards to your right to see a red painted pedestrian gate. Carefully cross the road and go through the gate then through the small park, turning left just before the subway, so that you arrive at the main road.

Leg 20:     Start of leg GR: SN593801   
At the main road turn left and follow the footway down the steep hill until you reach the bridge over the Afon Rheidol. Look left for a building with the plaque denoting the National School established in 1846. The National Society for Promoting Religious Education was then a Church of England body in England and Wales for the promotion of church schools and Christian education.

Leg 21:     Start of leg GR: SN594803         
Immediately before the river bridge turn left through a pedestrian gate and walk along the riverside path with the playing field, and after that allotments, on your left, to the St Brieuc Bridge. Turn right to go over the bridge.

Leg 22:     Start of leg GR: SN590809         
After crossing the bridge turn left to follow the tarmac track a short distance until you meet the main road at a pedestrian crossing.

Leg 23:     Start of leg GR: SN590810   
Do not cross the road but walk on the left hand pavement until you reach the road sign for Aberystwyth. Then keep left on the footpath (also cycleway) and walk along the river until you reach a suspension bridge for pedestrians - but do not cross the bridge.

Leg 24:     Start of leg GR: SN584812         
Walk along the pedestrian/cycle path past the suspension bridge and follow it around a short distance to emerge from the car park. Continue straight on along the street passing Heol Minafon/Riverside Terrace on your right. Continue the short distance until a footpath or cycleway leaves the road on its left. Either follow the footpath to retrace your earlier route, in the reverse direction, to the promenade and the bandstand. Or keep right on the road to the junction a short distance away and turn right to go into the town.



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