The Victorian seaside town with quirky railway, award-winning beaches and the best fish and chips

The town is one of the most visited places in Wales

The view from Aberystwyth Cliff Railway(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

We’ve ventured to Wales many times over the years, but for some reason the popular town of Aberystwyth had escaped us.

A three-hour trip from Manchester, it’s not the closest place for a day trip, but during a weekend away in Powys, just an hour from ‘Aber’, as it’s known by locals, it’s seemed silly not to pay a visit.

It certainly doesn’t go unnoticed by tourists. Often referred to as the ‘culture capital’ of Cymru, the town is one of the most visited places in Wales and home to the country’s oldest pier, which opened in 1865.

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Now a shortened version of its original length, the Royal Pier is now billed as ‘a one stop destination for food, drinks, socialising and family fun’, with an arcade, a pub, a chippy, a nightclub and more.

The pier at Aberystwyth(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

On one side of the pier sits Aberystwyth Castle, a Grade I listed Edwardian fortress built in response to the First Welsh War in the late 13th Century.

But it was the attraction on the northern end of the promenade that grabbed our attention – the quirky looking Aberystwyth Cliff Railway.

The longest electric funicular cliff railway in Britain, it’s been transporting visitors to the summit of Constitution Hill since opening in 1896 and operated on a water balance system until electrification in 1921.

Aberystwyth looking towards Constitution Hill (Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

The carriages are hauled to the summit at just four miles an hour, powered by a powerful motor and steel cables. And the slow pace means you have plenty of time to take in the stunning landscape below, with spectacular views of the town, Cardigan Bay, and on a clear day 26 mountain peaks spanning much of the length of Wales.

It’s not just a trip up and down either, as there are things to do at the top of the hill, including a small crazy golf course, frisbee golf, a games room with pool, air hockey and 10-pin bowling, and one of the world’s largest camera obscuras, which offers a live bird’s eye view of 1,000 square miles of land and seascape below.

Costing £1 each we didn’t get to see much, but were told the view is better on a clearer day.

Consti cafe at the top of Constitution Hill (Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

There’s a small gift shop and some historical displays charting the history of the hill – which was once known as Luna Park, a Victorian predecessor to modern theme parks, and featured a helter skelter and an early form of roller coaster known as ‘switchback railway’.

And there’s also a popular Consti cafe selling meals, snacks and drinks. It’s even got its own pick ‘n’ mix stand.

Saving ourselves for fish and chips, we enjoyed a coffee and a cider and it was warm enough to sit in the covered outdoor seating area.

You can walk back down if you want, but it’s only £1 more to get a return ticket (adults £8, children £7) so we took the easy option and got a standing spot in the front of the carriage for an unobstructed view. You can take dogs in the carriages, but the whimpering dog in our carriage didn’t seem too keen on the experience.

Crazy golf at the top of Constitution Hill (Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

Back down and we had time to explore more of the town, which has won awards for both of its beaches, often praised for their crystal clear turquoise waters.

While some visitors were brave enough to take a dip, we kept cool with some ice cream sundaes from Prom Diner, a popular spot along the front selling Italian-inspired luxury Welsh ice cream Mario’s.

Also on the main promenade, which is lined with colourful pastel coloured buildings, is The Original Tram Company, doing a roaring trade selling the likes of crepes, waffles, donuts and drinks.

The Prom Diner(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

Set back from the front are rows of shops with some independent delights including the cute Bookshop By The Sea and no less than three shops from independent clothing brand Polly, established more than 30 years ago in the town.

The seaside village vibe is dwindling by the time you reach Great Darkgate Street and the big names like Bet Fred, Savers and JD, along with banks and mobile phone shops.

With an about turn it was time for our long-awaited chippy tea and we headed back to the Royal Pier.

As inviting as it sounded to enjoy ‘a chipnic on the pier’ – where there are loads of picnic style tables offering more breathtaking views – it was a little too blustery for that, so we chose to grab and go.

Fish and chips from Royal Pier(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)

As much as I love a coastal view while tucking into fish and chips, I have to admit that with so many seagulls circling ahead, we decided to retreat to the car to enjoy ours in peace.

It seemed a little odd to be charged 25p for a tray to eat them from. I’m not sure we’d have managed without them given the sauce and gravy we’d bought to pour on them.

That said, the food was delicious and our ‘chipnic in the car’ was the perfect ending to a fun-packed day.

To find out more about Aberystwyth Cliff Railway, including the timetable and accessibility, visit the website here.