With high cliffs either side of two long bays, Aberystwyth has a naturally enclosed feel that affords a feeling of safety – even during the worst ravages of the Irish Sea storms.

The town itself is a strange mixture of new and old, which seems not to have settled on any particular historic period for its design. The cliff railway still lurches up the incline, as it has done for more than 100 years. The Old College seems to have a design totally at odds with its surroundings, but somehow still remaining captivating. The castle remains, however, still feel totally at ease with their position overlooking the South Beach .

It is a lively, cosmopolitan town, helped on by the influx of students at the university. But the beauty of this location is as a base to visit the spectacular scenery of Mid Wales, a job to which it's extremely well suited.