79-608: White Grit is a small, scattered village beneath Corndon Hill in Powys , Wales, directly on the border with (and partly in) Shropshire . The nearby village of Priest Weston , despite being in England , actually lies to the west of White Grit. To the east is the A488 road . The nearest town is Bishop's Castle . White Grit lies in the community of Church Stoke (the small parts in Shropshire are in
158-516: A Marilyn . It is surrounded on three sides by the English county of Shropshire , and forms a prominent landmark in the England–Wales border . Corndon's prominent western edge appears to form a separate hill and is known locally as Lan Fawr (Welsh: 'Big Hill'). It is frequented by walkers and ramblers from car parks nearby, at Mitchell's Fold for example. There are spectacular panoramic views from
237-455: A minor kingdom which occupied approximately the area of the county in the fifth century AD. The contemporary county has the same borders as Cardiganshire, which was established in 1282 by the English king Edward I after his conquest of Wales . In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the county was more industrialised than it is today; lead , silver and zinc were mined in the area, and Cardigan
316-425: A cost of about £1,100 or, if the pumps were smaller, a 30" at a cost of about £900. His letter gave details of coal consumption and the premium to be paid to the partnership for use of their invention, i.e. In February, Mr Joshua Blakeway, another of the mine adventurers, wrote to James Watt to say that they had discussed the engine and were apprehensive about the length of the stroke. They did not think that 6 ft
395-581: A five year lease on a Shelve lead mine at a cost of 40 marks. In 1182, a church in Amesbury, Gloucester paid 10 guineas for 34 loads of lead and had similar amounts again in 1184. Working since that time would have been intermittent and relatively shallow. In 1760, John Lawrence created the Whitegritt Mining Company with some partners and took on the lease of Grit and Ladywell Mines. On 18 January 1783, Lawrence contacted Boulton & Watt on behalf of
474-573: A license to the said company to erect a steam engine at the Whitegrit Mine with a cylinder of 30" in diameter which will effectively and properly work a pump of 101/2" in diameter, eight foot stroke and eight strokes/minute, to raise the water 60 yards and to consume only 136 lbs of coal per hour. The said company paying them the said Messrs Watt and Boulton £90 per year and that if the said engine shall by any accident that may happen thereto stand and not be worked for one month or more at any time they
553-562: A long legal agreement drawn up between the two parties. There was also a short agreement covering the annual premium, viz "27th March 1783 Memorandum that Joshua Blakeway Esquire, John Lawrence Miner and Thomas Lloyd Anwyl, Gentleman, on behalf of themselves and the rest of a Company called and known by the Name and Description of the Whitegritt Company and Messrs Watt and Boulton Engineers agree as follows: The said Messrs Watt and Boulton grant
632-461: A new boiler, it being proposed to use a round one, similar to the original, but with a tube through it. In June 1785, Grit Mine was said to be worked out and so the engine was stopped. By the end of the year, the company offered to sell the engine to a mine at Logelas in Cardiganshire or anyone else that Boulton & Watt cared to recommend after a valuation. Lawrence confirmed that he would run
711-575: A permanent presence of bottlenose dolphins . Another member of the fauna is the red kite ; these may be seen in various localities in the county, but at the Red Kite Feeding Centre near Tregaron, they are fed each day, and large numbers congregate along with hungry crows and other birds. Between 1991 and 2003 Ceredigion had the largest population growth of any county in Wales, with a 19.5% increase. Tourism and agriculture, chiefly hill farming, are
790-461: A population of 71,500; the latter is a decline of 4,492 since the 2011 census . After Aberystwyth (15,935), the largest towns are Cardigan (4,184) and Lampeter (2,970). Ceredigion is considered a centre of Welsh culture and 45.3% of the population could speak the Welsh language at the 2021 census. To the west, Ceredigion has 50 miles (80 km) of coastline on Cardigan Bay , which is traversed by
869-726: A series of rapids near Llandysul where canoeing, kayaking and white water rafting take place. The county's main football team, Aberystwyth Town in the Cymru Premier , play their home matches at Park Avenue Stadium . Cardigan Town Football Club, also known as the "Magpies", play in Division 1 of the Ceredigion League. The Cambrian Line provides main line railway services between Aberystwyth , Shrewsbury and Birmingham , where passengers can join services for London and elsewhere. Passengers can change at Dovey Junction for trains along
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#1732898150454948-552: A stone cyst or box within the mound. The Bronze Age stone circles of Mitchell's Fold and the now largely destroyed The Whetstones lie at the foot of the hill within Shropshire and Powys respectively. There is another circle nearby in Shropshire, the Hoarstones . The hill lies about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Offa's Dyke , built during the 8th century to mark the border between Wales and England (or Mercia ). In 1951 Professor F W Shotton of Birmingham University identified
1027-693: Is Bryan Davies of Plaid Cymru . The entire county is a Senedd constituency , with its Member of the Senedd being Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) for the Ceredigion constituency . At Westminster, all of Ceredigion is in the Ceredigion Preseli constituency since 2024, replacing Ceredigion . With Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru) being re-elected as the Member of Parliament in the 2024 election . Farming has traditionally been
1106-552: Is a county in the west of Wales . It borders Gwynedd across the Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. Aberystwyth is the largest settlement and, together with Aberaeron , is an administrative centre of Ceredigion County Council . The county is the second most sparsely populated in Wales, with an area of 688 square miles (1,780 km ) and
1185-636: Is a coastal county, bordered by Cardigan Bay to the west, Gwynedd to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire to the south and Pembrokeshire to the south-west. Its area is 1,795 square kilometres (693 sq mi). In 2010 the population was 76,938, making it the second most sparsely populated county in Wales. The main settlements are Aberaeron , Aberporth , Aberystwyth , Borth , Cardigan , Lampeter , Llanarth , Llanddewi Brefi , Llandysul , Llanilar , Llanrhystud , Llanon , New Quay , and Tregaron . The largest of these are Aberystwyth and Cardigan. The Cambrian Mountains cover much of
1264-517: Is a squeeze into Rider Shaft and workings heading west for 40 ft to a collapse. From Rider Shaft, the line of the vein can be followed to the remains of Old Grit engine house. The pumping shaft here is open but flooded a short distance down. The three other shafts in the area, including Foxhole Air Shaft to the north-west and Bye Pit to the south-west, are blocked. Excavation of the tips at Old Grit has revealed that they consist largely of boiler ash. South-west of Old Grit there are dressing floors and
1343-436: Is backed up (calculated depth is 230 ft below Rider Shaft collar). It was descended in 1994 to a blockage (including a dead cow) at 130 ft. At 100 ft there is a level off the shaft but this has collapsed after 5 ft. A short distance to the south is another unnamed shaft, now blocked, and a few yards to the north is an open stopehead. The latter was descended for 30 ft in 1994 into an excavated vein. There
1422-479: Is being developed as West Wales Airport for domestic flights within Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom . The airport is also developing as a centre for the deployment of civil and military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as 'drones'. The airport underwent major improvements in 2008, which extended the length of the runway from 945 to 1,257 m (3,100 to 4,124 ft). Ceredigion Library has
1501-407: Is by the side of the road and is blocked. 52°34′15″N 3°00′27″W / 52.570791°N 3.007459°W / 52.570791; -3.007459 Corndon Hill Corndon Hill ( Welsh : Cornatyn ) is a hill in Powys , Mid Wales , whose summit rises to 513.6 metres (1,685 ft) above sea level . It has a topographic prominence of 203.1 metres (666 ft), so is listed as
1580-423: Is employed by the said company. And they the said Joshua Blakeway, John Lawrence and Thomas Lloyd Anwyl on behalf of themselves and the rest of the said company agree to pay to the said Messrs Watt and Boulton for the considerations and subject to the allowances aforesaid the said sum or premium of £90 per year and also to the beforementioned proper person apportion the said sum of £1 6s 0d per week. In witness whereof
1659-403: Is filled but the vein can be followed further up the hill, past some opencast workings and a collapsed shaft, to Rider Shaft on the other side of the fence. This small square shaft is open and is situated in a large spoil tip, which bears a circular depression which may mark the position of a horse gin. Rider Shaft has been measured in the past as 200 ft to water, which suggests that Wood Level
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#17328981504541738-548: Is no other evidence of Roman working but references indicate that mining was being carried out in medieval times. Henry II laid down conditions governing the mining of lead in the Forest of Stiperstones and it is believed that the Grit Mine was working at this time. In 1181, Hugh Pantulf, High Sheriff of Shropshire accepted £55 from the King's lead mines at Shelve and Madoc ap Einion took out
1817-411: Is open and is 3 ft diameter with ginging, blocked at 10 ft depth. Another just to the east of the road has been filled but this is slipping. Rider Vein can be followed east from White Grit towards the trees on the hilltop. Three blocked shafts without names are encountered before Blue Pit, situated in a large spoil tip. On the way up, the unique circular magazine is passed on the right. Blue Pit
1896-586: Is rich in archaeological remains such as forts, earthworks and standing stones. Historic sites that can be accessed include Aberystwyth Castle and Cardigan Castle , as well as Strata Florida Abbey . Other visitor attractions include the Cwmystwyth Mines , Llywernog Mine , Devil's Bridge , the Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre, Elvis Rock , Cors Caron (Tregaron bog), the Vale of Rheidol Railway , and
1975-554: Is situated at the junction of the A488 with the road to Priest Weston . The shaft, which was sunk on the intersection of the Rider and Dingle Veins, is completely blocked but a reasonable amount of the engine house still remains. The tips have been completely removed for roadstone. The arched drainage level is in the wood to the south, it is almost silted up but still issuing water. There is a line of air shafts heading north-east, mostly collapsed. One
2054-476: The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway . Leisure activities available in the county include beach activities, rambling, cycling, sea fishing, canoeing, sailing and horse riding. Many of the towns and villages along the coast have small harbours and facilities for sailing, dolphin watching and other maritime activities. The Ceredigion Coast Path from Cardigan to Ynyslas runs about 60 miles (97 km) along
2133-614: The Afon Mynach in a 300 feet (91 m) plunge at the Devil's Bridge chasm. The largest river is the River Teifi which forms the border with Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire for part of its length. The towns of Lampeter, Llandysul, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan are all in the Teifi Valley, and each has communities on each side of the river, in different counties. Other significant rivers include
2212-817: The Cambrian Coast Line to Pwllheli . There are no motorways in Ceredigion; the nearest is the western end of the M4 motorway at Pont Abraham , near Pontarddulais in Carmarthenshire . The Fishguard to Bangor trunk road , the A487 , travels in a north-east direction following the coast from Cardigan to New Quay , through Aberaeron and Aberystwyth . The A44 travels eastwards from Aberystwyth to Llangurig , before turning south then east through Rhayader , Leominster and Worcester . There are local bus services between
2291-584: The Ceredigion Coast Path . Its hinterland is hilly and rises to the Cambrian Mountains in the east, where the highest point is Plynlimon at 752 metres (2,467 ft). The mountains are the source of the county's main rivers: the Rheidol , Ystwyth , Aeron and Teifi ; the last of these is Ceredigion's boundary with Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire for most of its length. Ceredigion is named after
2370-691: The River Aeron which has its estuary at Aberaeron , and the River Ystwyth and the River Rheidol both of which reach the sea in Aberystwyth harbour . Ceredigion's 50 miles (80 km) of coastline has sandy beaches. In 2011 Ceredigion's beaches were awarded five Blue Flag Awards , four Green Coast Awards , and fourteen Seaside Awards . Ceredigion is one of only two places in the United Kingdom with
2449-484: The civil parishes of Chirbury with Brompton and Worthen with Shelve ). Adjoining is a hamlet called The Marsh. There is a stone-built Methodist chapel in White Grit, no longer used as a place of worship, and a corrugated-iron chapel, both of which are marked on Ordnance Survey maps. A former mining village, it took its unusual name from the White Grit (or West Grit) Mine, lead having been mined intermittently in
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2528-523: The A488, near which it crosses over Dingle or Squilver Vein. On the south side of the track, Dingle Shaft is completely blocked, though a large stream sinks in this area. Footway Shaft, just to the north of the track, is also blocked. On the brow of the hill, Hampsons Shaft is filled but Flat Rod Shaft is open to a rubbish infill at 60 ft. The next shaft encountered is Stone Shaft, now blocked, followed by an area of gruffy ground in which Gardens Shaft and Old Shaft are located. The last shaft, Gough's Shaft,
2607-499: The Boulton & Watt draughtsmen in 1783 indicates that the building was tall and graceful. The mine was acquired by Messrs Lewis & Phillips in 1825 and, despite several lawsuits being taken out by Lawrence the previous lessee, much development took place. It was during this period that several shafts were sunk, including New Engine and White Grit Shafts, an engine house being erected at the latter. White Grit Shaft has now collapsed and
2686-539: The Church in Wales. Further local government reform under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 saw the area become a unitary authority on 1 April 1996. The 1994 act specified that the reformed council was to have both a Welsh and an English name: Sir Aberteifi / Cardiganshire. Before the new arrangements came into force the incoming council resolved to change the name to Ceredigion in both languages. The government agreed
2765-459: The Company and asked for the approximate costs of erecting an engine at the mine to lift water 60 yards up 13" diameter pipes. He also asked for an estimate of the daily coal consumption for such an engine. The shaft was stated to be only 12 yards below adit level (22 yards total depth) and it was proposed to use the engine to sink 60 yards. James Watt replied that the engine could either be a 371/2" at
2844-534: The Irish Sea. In the 19th century, many of the rural poor emigrated to the New World from Cardigan, between five and six thousand leaving the town between 1790 and 1860. Aberystwyth became the main centre for the export of lead and Aberaeron and Newquay did brisk coastal trade. The building of the railway from Shrewsbury in the 1860s encouraged visitors, and hotels sprang up in the town to accommodate them. This area of
2923-627: The Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age did not employ the same flaking techniques as flint stone axes, which leave recognisable flaking debris, the site or sites of the Corndon Group XII implements production will be harder to identify. However, the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust did excavate several small quarry depressions in 2008, but found only evidence of fairly recent disturbance . A stone slab with striations, which
3002-539: The United States, Canada, Patagonia and Australia. Furthermore, the owners of the great landed estates, who had for so long dominated the politics of the county, were in many cases heavily in debt. This led to the loss of landowner influence in the running of the county; this became very apparent at the first elections to the Cardiganshire County Council in 1889. By the second half of the 20th century,
3081-452: The abbey and Llanbadarn Fawr were important monastic sites of scholarship and education. Place names including ysbyty denote their association with pilgrims. In 1282, Edward I of England conquered the principality of Wales and divided the area into counties. One of thirteen traditional counties in Wales . Cardiganshire was split into the five hundreds of Genau'r-Glyn, Ilar, Moyddyn, Penarth and Troedyraur. Much later, Cardiganshire
3160-454: The area since mediaeval times. Its name is sometimes spelled "Gritt" with two letter "t"s. A stone circle known as the Whetstones was located to the west of the village, but it was largely destroyed in the 19th century. This mine was originally worked as a single sett but it was split into two separate entities for a period, viz Although a Roman pig of lead was found here in 1767, there
3239-465: The basis of Cardiganshire's economy, with dairying and stock-rearing being the main occupations. Before the first railway was built in 1866, the stock used to be herded over the mountains to England, where Rugby , Northampton and London were important destinations. At one time there was a sizeable mining industry in Cardiganshire, but the reserves of lead, silver and zinc became unprofitable to mine by
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3318-415: The boilers would be of the best and largest, coming from one of the neighbouring collieries. The mine at that time was coping with water by using 2 horses, 6 hours at a time, to work a horse gin . The water was drawn in a 72-gallon barrel, which usually "lacked only 5 or 6 gallons", but at the time of writing the horses were having difficulty in keeping up with the water. The sale was eventually approved and
3397-599: The capital of Welsh culture. The National Library of Wales is at Aberystwyth and there is information on local history at the Ceredigion Museum . There is a technical museum Internal Fire – Museum of Power , which is at Tan-y-groes near the coast road. Stately homes in the county open to the public include the Hafod Estate and Llanerchaeron . It is home to the Aberystwyth Arts Centre . The county
3476-495: The centres of Methodism in Wales; the Aeron Valley was at the centre of the revival. Cardigan was one of the major ports of southern Wales until its harbour silted in the mid-19th century. The Industrial Revolution passed by, not much affecting the area. In the uplands, wheeled vehicles were rare in the 18th century, and horses and sleds were still being used for transport. On the coast, herrings and corn were traded across
3555-401: The change of name, which took effect on 2 April 1996, one day after the new authority formally came into being. A referendum was held on 20 May 2004 on whether to have a directly elected mayor for the county, which would have been the first in Wales. The Llais Ceredigion political initiative had been formed with this aim, but the proposal was rejected. As of 2024, the council leader
3634-485: The coast with spectacular scenery. It can conveniently be divided into seven sections. When Dylan Thomas lived in New Quay and Talsarn, he frequented Aberaeron and Lampeter. The Dylan Thomas Trail links places associated with him. The Welsh Government's Visit Wales website describes the River Teifi as "one of the major game rivers of Wales," although there has been concern that salmon stocks are in decline. There are
3713-413: The company. On April 10, however, Lawrence wrote to Watt to inform him "that evening at about four o'clock we put the engine to work and mean to continue working it for some time". The former hoped that this would be for at least 3 months. In December, a further letter confirmed that the engine "goes very prosperously being steam and air tight but that the boiler is very bad". Watt was asked for his advice on
3792-588: The county and there are many standing stones dating back to the Bronze Age . Around the time of the Roman invasion of Britain , the area was between the realms of the Demetae and Ordovices . The Sarn Helen road ran through the territory, with forts at Bremia and Loventium protecting gold mines near present-day Llanddewi Brefi . Following the Roman withdrawal , Irish raids and invasions were repulsed, supposedly by
3871-519: The county of Dyfed became a district of Wales under the name Ceredigion in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , and since 1996, has formed the county of Ceredigion. According to the 2021 census 45.3% of the population can speak Welsh , the third highest proportion after Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey . Nevertheless, this was a decline from 47.3% in 2011 and 52% in 2001. Ceredigion
3950-479: The county was governed by Cardiganshire County Council , which took over the local government functions of the quarter sessions . The county council was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 , with the area becoming the lower-tier district of Ceredigion within the larger county of Dyfed . Until 1974, Cardiganshire had been governed locally by civil parishes ; these in large part equated to ecclesiastical parishes , most of which still exist as part of
4029-536: The early 20th century. Shipping was also important in the county, with coal and lime being imported in coastal vessels, and mineral ores and oak bark for tanning being exported. Shipbuilding was an important industry: most of Wales' sailing vessels were built in Cardiganshire. Cardiganshire had a substantial population in the early modern period, but this declined during the 19th century as wider social and economic developments affected all aspects of Cardiganshire life. Traditional industries were in decline, agriculture
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#17328981504544108-605: The east of the county; this large area forms part of the desert of Wales . In the south and west, the surface is less elevated. The highest point is Plynlimon (Pumlumon) at 2,467 feet (752 m), other Marilyns include Pen y Garn and Llan Ddu Fawr . On the slopes of Pumlumon five rivers have their sources: the Severn , the Wye , the Dulas , the Llyfnant and the Rheidol , the last of which meets
4187-457: The engine "in 10 or 12 days time to wash out the pumps". It was dismantled in May 1786 and taken to Shrewsbury , where it was last heard of on the quay awaiting transport to Popham & Partners. The site of this engine is now believed to be on what is known as Old Grit Shaft. The shaft is still open here but only two walls of the engine house are still standing. An engraving of the engine as envisaged by
4266-402: The engine house has fallen. There are a number of other shafts on the sett and one of these to the south west is called Flat Rod Shaft. This seems to indicate that the shaft had pumps operated by flat rods from one of the engine houses, possibly the one at New Engine Shaft. There is another building at the mine which is worthy of examination and this is the small round powder house to the east of
4345-469: The engine house has suffered badly over the years, leaving only the lever wall and parts of two others standing to the west of the road. Lewis & Phillips gave up the lease in 1848 and the sett was worked separately as East Grit and White Grit until 1860. In 1862, John Taylor & Company acquired the lease and drove exploratory levels from the old White Grit Shaft. His main effort was at East Grit, however, and he erected an engine on New Engine Shaft. This
4424-588: The far west. The Stiperstones and Shelve lie to the immediate north-east, with Caer Caradoc and the Long Mynd to the east. There is a large Bronze Age cairn near the hill summit, and several more exist in the area around the summit. Such circular stone burial cairns are common on most summits in Wales, and they commonly date from ca 2500 BC until ca 700 BC, when iron slowly started to displace bronze for tools and other goods. Such cairns usually contain one or more cremation urns , which are often placed within
4503-460: The flagstones as roofing slates, including the Old Post Office at Church Stoke and the porch to Hurdley Farmhouse. 52°33′56″N 3°01′31″W / 52.56548°N 3.02528°W / 52.56548; -3.02528 Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( [kɛrɛˈdɪɡjɔn] ), historically Cardiganshire ( / ˈ k ɑː r d ɪ ɡ ə n ˌ ʃ ɪ ə r , - ʃ ə r / ),
4582-632: The forces under a northerner named Cunedda . The 9th-century History of the Britons attributed to Nennius records that Cunedda's son Ceredig settled the area around the Teifi in the 5th century. The territory supposedly remained a minor kingdom under his dynasty until its extinction upon the drowning of Gwgon ap Meurig c. 871 , after which it was administered by Rhodri Mawr of Gwynedd before passing to his son Cadell , whose son Hywel Dda inherited its neighbouring kingdom Dyfed and established
4661-427: The highest proportions of its population working in agriculture, forestry and fishing, close behind such other places as Orkney and Shetland . Exposed, marginal land is also used for wind farms : Cefn Croes Wind Farm near Devil's Bridge has 39 turbines and a nominal capacity of 58.5 MW. Farm incomes have been in decline over the years; and, as well as being a European Objective I area , in 2001 Ceredigion
4740-422: The main centres of population, with long distance services between Aberystwyth and Cardiff , via Aberaeron and Lampeter . A bus service known as Bwcabus operates in the south of the county, offering customised transport for rural dwellers. TrawsCymru T1 service runs between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen, with some journeys through Aberaeron and Lampeter. Aberporth Airport , located south-east of Aberporth ,
4819-629: The most important industries. In addition, two universities are within the county boundaries: Aberystwyth University and the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David . The Welsh Plant Breeding Station is near Aberystwyth and linked to the University. The National Library of Wales , founded in 1907, is also in Aberystwyth. Ceredigion is an extremely rural county; the largest town, Aberystwyth, has fewer than 15,000 permanent residents and
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#17328981504544898-624: The population was increasing again. More retired people were arriving to make their home in the tranquil surroundings, and after the Beacham Commission in the 1960s, the British government realised that the rural way of life in parts of Wales was in crisis, and started to react. Through government initiatives and local actions, opportunities in tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and added-value food products began to emerge. However, in 2011, at 3.1%, Ceredigion still had one of
4977-483: The realm of Deheubarth . Records are highly obscure; some historians believe that Hyfaidd ap Bledrig , the Dyfed ruler, may have annexed Ceredigion before his heirs lost it to Hywel through war. Many pilgrims passed through Cardiganshire on their way to St Davids . Some came by sea and made use of the churches at Mwnt and Penbryn , while others came by land seeking hospitality at such places as Strata Florida Abbey . Both
5056-510: The remainder of the population of the county is scattered over 150 small towns, villages and hamlets. According to the 2011 UK census the population of Ceredigion was around 75,900. By the time the 2021 UK census was taken this had fallen by 5.8% to 71,500. The county has no large commercial areas. The nearest substantial settlements are located at least 1 hour 45 minutes drive away. Approximate road distances from Ceredigion's largest town, Aberystwyth, are: Swansea , 75 miles (121 km) to
5135-424: The road. It consists of two concentric circular stone walls with a roof which enclosed the whole. The outer wall has a door and the inner wall a serving hatch, allowing for one way movement of miners collecting explosives. The building is in an advanced state of decay and the drawing is a reconstruction. Although a pointed roof is shown, it is possible that it had a flat sloping roof. White (or West) Grit Engine Shaft
5214-462: The said Messrs Watt and Boulton shall and will make to the said company an allowance of the above-mentioned sum or premium of £90 per year proportional to such space of time exceeding 30 days as the said engine shall stand without working at each such time of stopping. And they the said engineers also agree to send a proper person to the said mines to assist in putting the said engine together, the said company paying such person £1 6s 0d per week whilst he
5293-457: The said parties have here unto signed their names the Day and Year above written. Witness Signed ..........John Scrymster Boulton & Watt contracted out the manufacture of the cylinder to Bersham Foundry and sent a man named Law to supervise the erection of the engine. The job did not go smoothly, however, due to delays in delivery of essential parts and Lawrence complained about the financial loss to
5372-468: The source of the rock used for shaft-hole battle axes , splitting mauls and axe hammers as picrite which had been quarried from Corndon Hill. Picrite is a hard volcanic or igneous rock. Production sites of stone hand axes and shaft-hole implements have been grouped by petrology , and the Hyssington/Corndon Hill implements are known as Group XII. As the production of these implements in
5451-531: The south-western slopes of Corndon Hill and date from medieval times. From the air, the quarries are still a prominent feature in the landscape. In this area, the altered Hope Shales of the Ordovician Period on the margin of the dolerite ( diabase ) produce finely laminated flagstones, which were widely used on building on the Shropshire–Montgomeryshire border. Only a few buildings still have
5530-585: The south; Shrewsbury , 76 miles (122 km) to the east, in the English county of Shropshire ; and Wrexham , 82 miles (132 km) to the northeast. The capital, Cardiff , is over 100 miles (160 km) from most parts of the county. Although Ceredigion and Gwynedd share a boundary, it is not possible to travel directly between the two by land as all road and rail links avoid the Dyfi estuary and pass through Dyfi Junction or Machynlleth in Powys. Between 1889 and 1974,
5609-549: The summit, and it is itself an important landmark for the surrounding countryside and towns like Montgomery . It is close to villages such as Church Stoke and Hyssington . The hill is geologically part of the Shropshire Hills range, which lies mainly to the north, east and south of the summit. The immediate area to the west is the Vale of Montgomery and the River Severn . The Cambrian Mountains are visible beyond to
5688-416: The winding engine house of New Engine (or East Grit) Shaft. This led to workings on Engine Vein, which intersects Rider Vein at Rider Shaft, but the shaft is completely filled. The engine house is similar to the one at Ladywell in that the rear wall contains a slot, presumably for a flywheel to drive winding or dressing machinery. Near this are the remains of ore bins. The track from here can be followed back to
5767-426: Was adequate and thought that 8 ft would suit them better. Watt was asked to give his opinion on such an engine, which was to be similar in all respects to the 30" erected at Bog Mine shortly before. They expected "1/4 more execution" from the engine due to the longer stroke and stated that the engine would not be expected to exceed 120 gallons per minute at first, although this would be increased with depth. Coal for
5846-569: Was designated a regional "Tourist growth area" by the Wales Tourist Board . There is little industry other than farming, so tourism plays an important part in the county's economy. Visitors stay in hotels, guest houses and homes offering bed-and-breakfast, self-catering cottages, caravans and camp sites; they spend money in local shops, dine in local establishments and visit the county's many attractions. Ceredigion prides itself on offering an unspoilt natural landscape, and Aberystwyth claims to be
5925-425: Was designated as a vice-county . Pen-y-wenallt was home to 17th century theologian and author, Theophilus Evans . In the 18th century there was an evangelical revival of Christianity, and nonconformism became established in the county as charismatic preachers like Daniel Rowland of Llangeitho attracted large congregations. Every community built its own chapel or meeting house, and Cardiganshire became one of
6004-425: Was in decline and it was becoming increasingly difficult for a still-rising population to earn a living within their native parishes and communities. By the first half of the 20th century, falling livestock prices and greater international competition made farming unprofitable. Many residents of Cardiganshire moved to other parts of South Wales, where there were better employment opportunities, and many more emigrated to
6083-596: Was suggested was an example of Neolithic art, could equally well have been early plough marks or a hone for sharpening stone edges The main distribution of Group XII implements is in mid-Wales, the Midlands, the Cotswolds , and stretching across to East Anglia. By 1988, 93 examples of these implements had been identified; all of these implements have shaft holes for hafting , and there are no examples of picrite being used to produce axes. The Corndon flagstone quarries are on
6162-567: Was the largest port in South Wales. The economy later became highly dependent on dairy farming , but is diversifying into areas such as tourism as farming becomes less profitable. The county is home to the National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth University , and the Lampeter campus of University of Wales Trinity St David . Ceredigion has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A total of 170 hill forts and enclosures have been identified across
6241-415: Was undoubtedly used for both winding and pumping but no details are known about the engine. The most striking feature is the large slot in the north wall which housed the flywheel, the axle of which was inside the building. The pit on the east side housed the winding drum and the cylinder was mounted on the raised foundation in the centre of the building. New Engine Shaft has now collapsed and the lever wall of
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