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Tours > Wales > Cardigan
Cardigan
The Welsh name for Cardigan signifies "mouth of the River Teifi," for the town is situated just above the estuary where the Teifi flows into Cardigan Bay. The town is famous in Welsh cultural circles as being the site of the first recorded eisteddfod, organized by the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd in 1176. The Norman Earl of Pembroke was responsible for the rebuilding of an earlier Welsh castle in 1240, but only the ruined keep and two towers remain.
At one time, Cardigan was the second port of Wales, with over 300 ships registered here. It was also an important ship-building center and point of departure for many emigrants to the Americas. The attractive multi-arched Teifi Bridge was rebuilt in 1726, north of which are the remains of St. Dogmael's Abbey an early Welsh monastery, raided by the Viking raiders, then rebuilt in 1115 for the Benedictine Order, recently arrived from France. The national shrine of the Catholic Church in Wales contains a statue of Our Lady of the Taper. The Parish Church houses a stone inscribed in Latin and Ogham, which provided, in 1848, a key to interpret the Ogham alphabet (used by the Goidelic Celts who came here from Ireland in the fifth century).
The Cardigan Eisteddfod, an important annual event in the cultural life of the region, takes place each June; its four-day event attracts leading musicians and soloists from all parts of Wales, as well as featuring recitals, walks and lectures.
 Just outside Cardigan, on a minor road, set on a high promontory overlooking a deep gorge of the Teifi is Cilgerran Castle, guarding the lowest crossing point of the river at all tides. Coracles are sometimes seen in the river and August sees the annual coracle festival. A livestock market is held on Mondays.
Next Stop: Llandovery
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