Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth holds the National Library of Wales, one of six legal deposit libraries in the British Isles, entitled to a copy of everything published in Britain and Ireland, sitting on the hill above the town with around six million items. The university was founded in 1872 by public subscription, much of it in small sums. The Cliff Railway of 1896 climbs Constitution Hill on a funicular at a gradient of one in two, and at the top is a camera obscura. Students and residents touch or kick the iron bar at the far end of the promenade at the end of a walk, a tradition of unclear origin followed with some seriousness. From October to March a very large starling roost gathers under the pier, murmurating over the bay before dropping into the ironwork, one of the few urban roosts of its kind.

What you actually see

• The National Library - a legal deposit library holding around six million items.
• The Cliff Railway - an 1896 funicular at a one-in-two gradient.
• The starling roost - winter murmurations dropping under the pier.
• The promenade bar - the iron rail kicked at the end of the walk.

When to go

October to March for the starlings, which gather at dusk; April to October for the beach and hills. Term time makes the town noticeably busier and livelier, and much quieter in the summer vacation.

Honest expectations

Aberystwyth is a long way from anywhere, and the rail journey from England is slow. The beach is shingle and the seafront takes serious storm damage in winter. The starlings do not appear every evening and numbers vary.

Nearby

Devil's Bridge is a short drive or a narrow-gauge railway ride inland; the Cambrian coast runs north and south.