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EuropeUnited KingdomWales

Penparcau

Wales, United Kingdom · Europe

About Penparcau

Penparcau works well as a base: 10 minutes from Bow Street, 23km from Cwmystwyth Mountain Road.

Penparcau is a town located in Wales, United Kingdom. With a population of 3,088, it is an important destination in Europe.

On a road trip, Penparcau sits in United Kingdom, where you drive on the left. It's in the Europe/London time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Penparcau to your route.

About Penparcau

Penparcau (Welsh pronunciation: [pɛnˈparkai̯]) is a village and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, situated to the south of Aberystwyth. The original village was a hamlet, but the building of extensive Art Deco style semi-detached social housing from the 1920s on transformed it. It lies in the shadow of the Celtic

Read more Iron Age hill fort of Pen Dinas, and between the sea at Tan Y Bwlch beach, the River Ystwyth and the Rheidol. Penparcau has the only UNESCO Biosphere reserve in the Dyfi Biosphere. A section of the Wales Coast Path runs over Tan y Bwlch beach. There is an Anglican church named after the Saint Anne, a Roman Catholic church named after the Welsh Martyrs, which is noted in "Architecture of Wales, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion" and is home to a Lampedusa Cross, as well as two Methodist chapels and a Quaker meeting house. The recently closed Tollgate pub was named after the original tollgate that stood on the old toll road at the top of Penparcau and is now in St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff. Penparcau has its own woodland, Coed Geufron run by the Woodland Trust and its own police station. Other amenities have included a post office, two supermarkets, a garage, holiday park and hotel and two fish and chip shops. Until late 2007, it also had its own travel agent. In 2008, Penparcau played a part in the transition town movement in Wales when it hosted the "Alternative Energy and Transport Festival" in Neuadd Goffa, attended by the local MP and mayor. At the bottom of the valley, just below Penparcau, is a Welsh Government office building, designed to house more than 550 staff.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Penparcau

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Penparcau?

Penparcau offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.

How do I plan a road trip to Penparcau?

Plan your road trip to Penparcau with Plan Your Road Trips! Add Penparcau as a destination, and we'll help you find the best route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Where is Penparcau located?

Penparcau is located in Wales, United Kingdom, Europe. The coordinates are 52.4033 latitude, -4.0742 longitude.

What is the population of Penparcau?

Penparcau has a population of approximately 3,088 people, making it a town in United Kingdom.

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Quick Information

Population
3,088
Continent
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Wales
Timezone
Europe/London
Coordinates
52.4033, -4.0742

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in United Kingdom

Police
999
Ambulance
999
Fire
999
Non-emergency police
101
Driving side
left

112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.

Full driving guide for United Kingdom

Tags

EuropeUnited KingdomWalesTown

Worth the detour from Penparcau

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

waterfall

Devil's Bridge Falls

Dramatic series of waterfalls plunging through a deep wooded gorge spanned by three bridges built on top of each other across eight centuries.

16 km · about 30 min drive

cafe

Devils Bridge Falls & Biker Stop

A scenic biker destination in mid-Wales where riders gather after tackling the spectacular mountain roads around Aberystwyth.

16 km · about 30 min drive

cafe

Devil's Bridge Tea Rooms

A charming tea room perched above the dramatic Devil's Bridge waterfalls in mid-Wales, a classic stop on scenic Welsh driving routes.

16 km · about 30 min drive

famous road

Cwmystwyth Mountain Road

Wild, lonely mountain road from Rhayader to Aberystwyth over the Cambrian Mountains, passing the Elan Valley dams and old lead mines of Cwmystwyth. Often called one of Britain's remotest drives.

23 km · about 25 min drive

mountain pass

Abergwesyn Pass (Devil's Staircase)

Remote 16-mile single-track mountain road from Abergwesyn to Tregaron over the Cambrian Desert, its Devil's Staircase section stacking hairpins at 20%+ gradients. One of the emptiest drives in Britain. No fuel, little signal.

34 km · about 40 min drive

landmark

Elan Valley

Chain of Victorian dams and reservoirs built to supply Birmingham, their stone spillways thundering after rain, linked by a superb driving road through mid-Wales moorland. International Dark Sky Park with red kites overhead.

37 km · about 40 min drive

landmark

Portmeirion

Fantastical Italianate village on the shores of Cardigan Bay, designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis and famous as the setting of The Prisoner.

48 km · about 55 min drive

castle

Harlech Castle

Mighty concentric fortress built by Edward I in the 1280s, perched on a dramatic crag with sweeping views across Cardigan Bay to Snowdonia.

51 km · about 60 min drive

Driving roads near Penparcau

  • 23 kmCwmystwyth Mountain RoadWild, lonely mountain road from Rhayader to Aberystwyth over the Cambrian Mountains, passing the Elan Valley dams and old lead mines of Cwmystwyth. Often called one of Britain's remotest drives.
  • 34 kmAbergwesyn Pass (Devil's Staircase)Remote 16-mile single-track mountain road from Abergwesyn to Tregaron over the Cambrian Desert, its Devil's Staircase section stacking hairpins at 20%+ gradients. One of the emptiest drives in Britain. No fuel, little signal.
  • 66 kmBlack Mountain Pass (A4069)Exhilarating mountain road through the Brecon Beacons, a favourite of motoring programmes and often called the best driving road in Wales.
  • 67 kmAberglaslyn PassA gorgeous wooded gorge where road, river and steam railway thread beneath steep crags near Beddgelert.
  • 69 kmCrimea PassThe A470's dramatic 385m crossing between Dolwyddelan and Blaenau Ffestiniog, threading slate-strewn peaks at the heart of Eryri. One of the highest and most scenic main-road passes in Wales.
  • 72 kmPen y FanThe highest peak in southern Britain at 886 metres, the flat-topped summit of the Brecon Beacons offering sweeping views across Wales.

Driving in United Kingdom

Drives on
the left
Petrol
~€1.73/litre
Motorway tolls
None

When to drive here

April to October

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Penparcau.

Aberystwyth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 km awayPop. 18,749

Bow Street

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

5 km awayPop. 1,572

Llanilar

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

6 km awayPop. 1,085

Borth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

10 km awayPop. 1,269

Lledrod

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 km away

Tywyn

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

20 km awayPop. 3,097

Aberaeron

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

22 km awayPop. 1,422

Tregaron

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

23 km awayPop. 1,213

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence