The town of Aberystwyth in Wales has chosen Galway as one of 12 points around the globe to be included on a new compass on its promenade.
The compass is designed to feed the imagination of locals, schoolchildren, and tourists in the west Wales town, inspiring them to think about their place in the world. It will be located on Aberystwyth’s mile-and-a-half-long Victorian promenade, which overlooks the Celtic Sea between Ireland and Wales. From this point, Galway is a mere 216 miles north-west.
Like Galway, Aberysthwyth has a long and proud maritime tradition. A harbour since the 13th century, it was once home to shipbuilding, and cargo arriving from Ireland and the Americas, such as potatoes, molasses, tobacco, and timber. Famously in 1874, two ships, the Hope and Wellington, raced to Aberystwyth from Darien in Georgia, US. Today the harbour is a popular port of call for pleasure boats.
Ann Eleri of Ceredigion Coucil said the compass was a great way to celebrate the area’s links with the wider seafaring community.
“Aberystwyth has a great seafaring history and it’s great to see that this new compass on the promenade reflects that history.”
