Setting the Scene

Ceredigion ~ A Hidden Gem

Ceredigion is a beautiful rural county set in Mid/West Wales. The orange X marks the area I’m going to write about.

I moved here from London thirty years ago. It has become part of me, and my roots feel like they run deep into the community and the landscape.

Climb Pumlumon, the highest peak in the Cambrian Mountains, and you can enjoy unobstructed views that stretch from Eryri and the Llyn Peninsula in the north to Bannau Brycheiniog and Pembrokeshire in the south. The remotest part of this mountain range is known as the Elenydd, which features internationally significant blanket bogs and serves as breeding grounds for red kite, merlin, and peregrine falcon.

The Cambrian Mountains have some of the darkest night skies in Europe, making it much easier to see stars and planets on clear, crisp nights. This is a true delight for stargazers.

Several rivers originate just a few miles apart on the slopes of the Cambrian Mountains. The Severn and the Wye rise here, while the Tywi flows south into Carmarthen Bay. The Teifi meanders in a long, sweeping crescent towards Cardigan Bay, forming the natural southern border of Ceredigion.

The coast is rich in wildlife, and many areas have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The area is home to the largest population of bottlenose dolphins in Europe. The Cardigan Bay SAC extends nearly 20 kilometres along the coast and protects wildlife across 1,000 square kilometres of the Irish Sea.

I’ve made several attempts to write this story but didn’t know where to start. It's been hard to understand what has happened. Hopefully, I have found the words now. It is a tale of how net zero and foreign investment threaten to upend everything we know as normal here.

I invite you to join me.

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