Rich industrial history of north Ceredigion inspires new novel
A new historical novel celebrating the building of the narrow gauge railways in and around Aberystwyth is published this week by Y Lolfa.
By
the Banks of the Rheidol is by
Geraint Roberts has a degree in
Mining Geology and therefore, unsurprisingly, local mining history is one of
“I wanted to bring to life parts of
local history that I have read about and utilise the rich industrial history
of the area in the late 19th
and early 20th century,” says
“I also wanted to bring in the
mines and the two local narrow gauge railways; the Rheidol and the Hafan. There
is limited information and literature about
Mining was important in Ceredigion
from the Bronze Age until the early 20th century, with ores such as
silver, zinc and lead being mined in Cwm Ystwyth and the surrounding area,
including the
The local railways also hold a
fascination for Geraint. He currently works as Retail Manager at the Vale of
Rheidol Railway, as well as having family links. “My great-uncle was a driver
out of Aberystwyth shed up to the 1950s and my primary school was next door to
the railway. So I was
The book follows Dafydd to nearby
Talybont, to help in the building of a new railway. After an period as an
apprentice in
The cover of By the Banks of the Rheidol features a beautiful painting of the
old number 3 Rheidol, which actually
features in the book, leaving the
original Aberystwyth station. The painting is by
“Once I had the background, the front story blossomed into one of human interest. By the Banks of the Rheidol should appeal on many levels – history, drama, romance.”
“Those with an interest in the history of the north Ceredigion area should find out a lot about Aberystwyth, Talybont, the local mines and the Rheidol railway.”