Tregaron A small but important rural town at the foot of the Cambrian Mountains. Tregaron is on a bus route from Aberystwyth and from Lampeter so can be accessed by public transport. Extract from The Teifi Valley Trail Guide (due to be published in 2026): “Tregaron is an ancient township, a status granted by Royal Charter in 1292. It is a market town that serves a wide area of scattered rural and farming communities. Also in the 13th century, Edward 1st signed an additional charter which permitted the establishment of an annual hiring and trading fair entitled Ffair Garon. This continues to the present day as a weekly livestock market serving the majority of rural Ceredigion. Ffair Garon has survived as an annual traditional fair, and continues to practice historic traditions of trading and entertainment. In the distant days before the advent of road and rail transport, Tregaron was a major assembly location for drovers who rested themselves and their stock in the vicinity before beginning the long ‘drove’ across the Cambrian Mountains to market in Hereford and elsewhere, and even so far as London and south-east England. In those distant days, Tregaron was well served with pubs, alehouses, hostelries, and lodging houses, services restricted in the present day to the 13th century Talbot Hotel, Y Llew Coch, and to a few licenced clubs and cafes. One son of Tregaron celebrated both for his infamy and his benevolence was Twm Sion Cati. Born Thomas Jones in around 1530, son of Catherine and allegedly Sion, a local squire from whose name his adopted title was derived. Likened in his early life to Robin Hood, he made an early career from robbing the rich, while generally omitting to fortify the poor with his ill-gotten gains. Constantly on the run from the law and from the Sheriff of Carmarthen, Twm found regular refuge in a cave on the densely wooded Dinas Hill in the upper reaches of the Tywi Valley to the east. Later in life, he abandoned his villainous ways, married Joan, the heiress of Ystradffyn, and returned to live in Tregaron. He died aged 79, a much-loved and respected pillar of the local society. A wooden carving in his commemoration presently keeps watch over the town square.” Doctors Surgery – Ty Salop, Tregaron SY25 6HA Spar Store (includes Post Office and ATM) – Rhydyronnen, Tregaron SY25 6JL Y Talbot Hotel – Tregaron SY25 6JL Petrol station Toilets (next to town car park – locked at night – open 8am) B&Bs, bunkhouses and holiday accommodation available in the area Cafés and independent shops.
