Vale
of Rheidol Railway,
Park Avenue,
Aberystwyth,
Cardiganshire,
SY23 1PG
Telephone 01970 625819
Fax 01970 623769
Web:http://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk
Email:: vor@rheidolrailway.co.uk
Map Link: Here
Introduction...
The Vale of Rheidol Railway is one of the Great Little Trains of
Wales, and was the last steam railway owned by British Rail until
it was privatised in 1989.
Opened in 1902, it was originally built to serve the lead mines
in the Rheidol Valley. Passengers and timber also formed the mainstay
of traffic on the 1ft 11¾ in gauge route which passes through
some of the most rugged terrain of any railway in the United Kingdom.
Despite the narrow gauge of the rails, the locomotives and carriages
- built at the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works - are as wide
as their standard gauge equivalents.
The line today...
The VoR Railway runs for 11¾ miles from Aberystwyth to Devil's
Bridge. The terminus is adjacent to the national network station
at Aberystwyth, and on the hour-long journey passengers have spectacular
views of the wooded Rheidol Valley - views unseen for decades until
the VoRR began its renovation programme ten years ago. This programme
continues today, and will see more views opened up for VoRR passengers,
and improved facilities at both terminal stations.
At Devil's bridge, there are walks to Mynach Falls, Devil's Punchbowl
and Jacob's Ladder.
All trains normally wait 1 hour at Devils
Bridge before returning, and although you can catch a later train
if you need more time for sightseeing, make sure you do not miss
the last train of the day. If in doubt, confirm last times with
the guard.
Your GLTW Discount Card also entitles you to discounts at the following
accommodation providers.Please Note: You must disclose that
you are a GLTW card holder at the time of booking and show your
card on arrival.
Brynarth Country Guesthouse
Lledrod, Aberystwyth
01974 261367
www.brynarth.co.uk
10% off two nights or more B&B |

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Whilst you are in the area, why not visit some of the other nearby
places of interest:
Among the holdings
of The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, there are several
hundred archives, some of them created by prominent individuals,
others created by institutions, societies and national bodies.
They relate to a wide variety of subjects relating to Wales and
the Celtic countries – history, literature, religion and
politics in particular – and range in date from the Middle
Ages to the present day. At the same venue is The National Screen
and Sound Archive of Wales - home to a comprehensive and unequalled
collection of films, television programmes, videos, sound recordings
and music relating to Wales and the Welsh.
Also
in Aberystwyth, the Ceredigion Museum is housed in a restored
Edwardian Theatre. It has been described as 'one of the most beautiful
museum interiors in Britain'. The museum displays objects of all
ages from the county of Ceredigion (Cardiganshire). Most of the
displays are of the Victorian period and later, including infomation
on local lead mining and the seafaring tradition of the area.
. The museum has a lively programme of temporary exhibitions in
the Coliseum auditorium and the gallery.
The first
camera obscura was built in Aberystwyth in 1880 in the grounds
of the castle, at the opposite end of the promenade, and was later
re-located to Constitution Hill to give a better viewpoint. By
the 1920's it had gone - a casualty of the public's changing demand
for entertainment. This popular re-creation was completed in 1985.
The massive 14 inch lens makes it the worlds largest camera obscura
and visitors can view the moving colour pictures that fascinated
our forefathers. Visitors benefit from a level of precision and
clarity that the Victorians could barely have dreamed of, and
the delightful camera obscura of the present day was almost entirely
designed and manufactured in Wales. It provides a fascinating
learning experience for the entire family, whether you wish to
understand more about optical technology or simply spy on friends
on the beach!
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