Cardigan is a town of the historic county of Cardiganshire and the second largest town in the modern-day county of Ceredigion. Located to the southwest of Ceredigion, the town’s geography and character is dominated by the influence of the River Teifi and its tributary, the Mwldan.

Cardigan achieved its charter from Henry I in 1110 and developed around the 12th century stone castle, built on the site of a wooden castle established during the Norman conquest. The castle was the first stone castle to be built by a Welshman, Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd, and is acknowledged as the site of the first Eisteddfod, held by Lord Rhys in 1176 to celebrate its completion.

By the Elizabethan era, Cardigan had grown into one of the most important ports in Wales with authority over an area extending from Fishguard to Aberaeron. During the following century, a shipbuilding industry became established and trade at the port of Cardigan grew. By the early 1800s, over 300 vessels were registered here with Cardigan having the third largest port in the UK after Liverpool and London.

Towards the middle of the 19th Century, the Teifi Estuary began to silt up and access became difficult for the increasingly larger ships. By the time the railway came to Cardigan in 1886, the port was already in decline and within twenty years there was little left of the trade that had once been greater than in most British ports.

Recent funding and investment in Cardigan’s built heritage have helped to develop the former market town into a bustling centre for local produce and tourism. The town has emerged as an important cultural and heritage centre as exemplified by the restoration of Cardigan Castle into a heritage attraction, restaurant, accommodation and events venue. Moreover, Cardigan is a centre for services, including further education and health, serving not only the residents of the town, but the wider area.