( in
Ceredigion ,
Wales ,
United Kingdom , lying at the confluence of the
River Teifi and the River Dulas.
In
1991 , the population of the town was recorded as 1,989 people, of which 1,410 were
Welsh speaking. Lampeter is therefore among the smallest towns in
Wales and the
United Kingdom . The university, in a normal year, adds a further 1,000 people to the town's population, which gives the tiny rural town a somewhat cosmopolitan feel. Indeed, Lampeter was the first town in Wales to appoint a
Mayor from an
Ethnic Minority .
The town is best known for the
University Of Wales, Lampeter (formerly St David's University College), originally founded in
1822 as a college for ordinands and now a constitutuent part of the
University Of Wales , primarily awarding degrees in the
Liberal Arts . Its central building, based on an
Oxbridge Quadrangle was completed in
1827 , and was designed by
C. R. Cockerell . Its construction is recorded as having cost £16,204 6s 7d.
It was also from Lampeter, in
1968 , that
William Julian Cayo-Evans first marched his paramilitary nationalist '
Free Wales Army '.
Lampeter and its surroundings are home to a
Theatre (Theatr Felinfach at Felinfach), a
Museum and a number of locally owned
Shops .
Ceredigion was one of the royal counties established by
Edward I after the defeat of
Llywelyn The Last (Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf) at
Cilmeri in
1282 — Lampeter fell under direct Royal Control. This however had little effect on the culture of the
Town , as the
Welsh Language and
Culture have continued to thrive. The first Borough Charter was granted in 1284 and successive charters allowed many markets and fairs to be held in the wide High Street until the 1930s. One of these fairs was the
Dalis Horse Fair .
The earliest reference to Lampeter is believed to be
1187 , when
Owain Gwynedd destroyed the King's castle of Pont Steffan ('Stephen's Bridge' in
Welsh ). The remains of this
Castle later became the foundations for
C. R. Cockerell 's college building, and still form part of the
University Campus .
Lampeter hosted the
National Eisteddfod in
1984 .
