Aberystwyth - a small seaside town situated on the West coast of Wales, overlooking the expanse of Cardigan Bay. The name means "mouth of the Ystwyth", the Ystwyth being one of the two rivers that flow into the sea here. Its promenade is lined by terraces of Victorian hotels, many now used as student accommodation. The building in the foreground, "Alexandra Hall" was a Hall of Residence for female students until the mid-1980s, but is now empty and in a state of disrepair. Other buildings further along the prom were damaged or destroyed in a fire in early 1999, but are being rebuilt. The promenade is bounded at one end by the harbour (now converted to a "marina") and at the other by Constitution Hill, with its twin boasts of "the longest electric cliff railway in Britain" and "the largest camera obscura in the world".

In the middle distance of the photograph is another hill - Pen Dinas, site of an ancient hill-fort. To the right (on the prom) is the "old university", and further still to the right the remains of Aberystwyth's castle.

The "new" university is on a campus behind the town (on yet another hill!).

As well as being an academic centre, Aberystwyth is also the largest commercial centre in this part of Wales, and a market town.

The town used to hold the sunshine record for Great Britain - until they took the weather station away! Even without the weather station, the climate is pretty good - often the sun shines on Aberystwyth whilst only a few miles inland the mountains brood amongst mist, fog, rain or drizzle. Frosts are infrequent and fairly tame, whilst snow is rare.
For more detailed information on Aberystwyth, try here.