[Marches Farmer]

Anyone on here from the Aberystwyth area?  We're bursting at the seams here and demand for our rare breeds seems to be going up and up, so looking at the practicalities of heading westwards.  We have relatives on the coast of Pembrokeshire but few farms ever come up for sale there.  We were wondering what life is like north of that .....

[henchard]

Very Welsh!, roads to get there are not great, but a lovely part of the world. I seem to remember someone else on the forum (from London?) buying a place there about 5 or 6 months ago so perhaps they will be along in a while to advise.

I'm biased but Carmarthenshire is generally not as expensive as Pembrokeshire and has good communications (mostly) straight along the M4

OK I'm very biased ;-)

[in the hills]

  We are in Powys but my niece did her degree and masters at Aber. Not the same as smallholding  but she loved it there and would have stayed if she could have got a full time job.

[Backinwellies]

Are you set on coastal?    Carmarthenshire is lovely  and lots small holdings for sale.

[Bionic]

I'm in Carmarthenshire too and love it here.
KAZ is up near Aberystwyth but she hasn't been on for a while. I suspect she is busy lambing. You could try pm'ing her.

[Merrie Dancer]

we considered aberystwth area at one point. we stayed in aberaeron for a while too.
the reasons we didn't move there was a) the roads were too twisty which meant my kids were being sick all the time in the car, and b) welsh is the first language at school and we thought it would be too difficult for my son.
it didnt come across as a very affluent area but still nice.

[FiB]

It's all fab op north! Will agree that transport links back to 'civilisation' are not fast or direct, but depends what you are after. Fab Coast, mountains and 12 acres.........I'm in heaven and all for the price of our semi in brum    We are about an hour from aber, but the area is lovely

[SteveHants]

I went to uni in Aber, its nice, I'd love to go back.


Aber itself is fairly 'cosmopolitan' for that part of wales, so if I were you, I'd live close enough so that you can get into town regularly, otherwise it gets a bit....weird up in the hills....

[Marches Farmer]

Are you referring to the, well, shall we say, alternative lifestylers, drawn to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth....?

[FiB]

No he probably means weirder than that! Our hils could host a soap opera.  Actually Mach would be a great place to live near, lovely market town, loads happening.....

[in the hills]

But it becomes the 'norm' after you've lived here for a while  Then everywhere else seems 'weird'.

[SteveHants]

Are you referring to the, well, shall we say, alternative lifestylers, drawn to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth....?

And those...




Just imagine growing up in the vastness of mid-wales, where everyone knows everyone and most settlements are tiny...


If you are a bit.....unusual.....you escape and follow the 'oddball batsignal' to Aber. Which means you get a very eclectic mix of people there (the University further enhances this), vast library, thriving arts scene etc.


Some of the places out in the hills are eerie to say the least. I used to fish Nant-y-moch and you felt like you were miles from anywhere.


I love Aber though and, like I said, were I moving to that part of the world I wouldn't want to be too far out.

[Thyme]

Very Welsh!, roads to get there are not great, but a lovely part of the world. I seem to remember someone else on the forum (from London?) buying a place there about 5 or 6 months ago so perhaps they will be along in a while to advise.

That might be me   Been here just outside Machynlleth since early January.  Love it like crazy.  Really great neighbours, all varied but they have love of the rural life in common.  People help each other out a lot, and there's a lot of local community stuff going on.

[Shropshirelass]

I Personally can't stand the place I lover Aberdovey & Machynlleth & had relatives in Mach for many years & still have in Powys but I find the roads are nasty in place but nice driving roads up to Mach but I find it very isolating up there as apart from Aberystwyth theres no real places to go shopping in proper supermarkets & for clothes & other things.

But I've always found Aberystwyth quite rough & untidy & like a lot of UK costal towns like Blackpool unloved & stuck in the past. Sorry but I'll stick to the Shropshire & Herefordshire borders down here on the flats & near to civilisation & cider orchards ta - also I'm not a fan of Wales x

[cloddopper]

Adding to the above.. the weather can be bloody awful if there is an onshore blow.. They lost half the sea front earlier this year.  There is good sea angling if you can get near to the marks .
One of the best places by the sea is all council offices with loads of menacing don't park here notices all over the place.
 
Parking in the town is horrific , two or three years ago there was not enough money in the coffers to pay the traffic wardens so they all got the boot .. parking & traffic chaos was the result , don't know how it finally panned out .

We couldn't find any big store shops on the main streets & as regards to a reasonable restaurant ..  other than the one on the pier your better off staying at home with the frying pan

 

There are several arts type venues ..we went to see a work acclaimed flautist & a violinist