Cardigan Bay

Cardigan Bay (Bae Ceredigion) is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales. Cardigan Bay has numerous beaches, and marine life. Much of the coast surrounding the bay is fertile farmland, dotted with towns and seaside resorts such as Fishguard, New Quay, Aberaeron, Llanon, Aberystwyth, Borth, Aberdyfi, Tywyn, Barmouth, Porthmadog, Criccieth and Pwllheli on the Cambrian Coast. Smaller coastal villages include Cwmtydu, Nanternis and Llangrannog. Major rivers flowing into the bay include the Glaslyn, Mawddach, Dysynni, Dyfi, Rheidol, Ystwyth, Aeron and Teifi. Until the early 20th century, Cardigan Bay supported a strong maritime industry. Cardigan is located at the mouth of the River Teifi; hence the Welsh name, Aberteifi (Mouth of the Teifi). At the turn of the 19th century, the heyday of the port, it was a more important port than Cardiff. At this time more than 300 ships were registered at Cardigan—seven times as many as Cardiff, and three times as many as Swansea. The central and northern areas of the bay are the location of the legendary Cantre'r Gwaelod, the drowned "Lowland Hundred" or "Hundred under the Sea". During the winter storms of 2014, parts of the lost ancient forest of Borth, which 4,500 years ago stretched on the boggy land to Ynyslas, reappeared on the shoreline in the form of preserved exposed tree stumps. Due to climate change and rising sea levels, the forest was buried under layers of peat, sand and saltwater. The Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation was set up to preserve the natural wildlife in the area, both in the sea and on the surrounding foreshore. From the Ceredigion Coast Path it is often possible to observe the Bay's "Big Three" species of harbour porpoise, grey seals, and bottlenose dolphins, of which the bay has the largest population in the UK.

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Related concepts (6)

Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth (abɛˈrəstʊɨθ) is a university and seaside town and a community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's administrative centre. In 2011, the population of the town was 15,935. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, Aberystwyth means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". It has been a major educational location in Wales since the establishment of University College Wales, now Aberystwyth University, in 1872.

Irish Sea

The Irish Sea is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey, North Wales, is the largest island in the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man. The term Manx Sea may occasionally be encountered (Môr Manaw, Muir Meann Mooir Vannin, Muir Mhanainn).

Ceredigion

Ceredigion (UKˌkɛrəˈdɪɡiən , US-iɒn , kɛrɛˈdɪɡjɔn), historically Cardiganshire, 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 and a population of 71,500; the latter is a decline of 4,492 since the 2011 census.