Aberaeron, a picturesque town in Ceredigion, has been crowned Wales' best place to live by the sea, beating other coastal favourites like Tenby. The town is famous for its rows of colourful Georgian and Victorian houses, which create a stunning visual spectacle for visitors and residents alike.
A Town Built on Colour and History
The town was planned and construction began in 1805 by the Reverend Alban Thomas Jones, who upgraded the harbour to create a functional port. Architect Edward Haycock also played a key role, and their efforts earned Aberaeron recognition as 'one of the best examples of a planned township of small scale in Wales'. Many of the houses around the harbour were owned by sea captains, with some named after distant destinations like Gambia and Melbourne.
This single phase of construction gives the streets a striking consistency, though more recent developments are visible further from the centre. The town once boasted as many as 35 pubs, but its seafaring heritage faded with the arrival of railways around 1911.
A Thriving Community and Tourist Destination
Today, Aberaeron is a bustling tourist destination, swelling its resident population of 1,274 with hundreds of visitors. Even on a cold, wet Tuesday in November, it retains a warm, community spirit. The town is also becoming a culinary hotspot, with dining spots like the Harbourmaster, The Hive, McCowans, and The Stubborn Duckling, among others.
Residents like Chris and Jen, who moved to the area in 2019, appreciate the town's vibrant atmosphere. Chris says: "We fell in love with Aberaeron when we came to visit and looked at a variety of properties because we love the sea, it's an ideal place and it was a beautiful house as well so we were very lucky to find this." He adds: "I don't see it as an intrusion, of course it gets busy during the summer season and the holiday season but that's part of the nature of a town like this."
Preserving Heritage and Colour
Local resident Sian has a deep connection to her home, Portland House, which was the first house in the town to be painted. In the 1950s, former owner Phyllis Sewell painted it bright pink, causing an uproar, but the trend gradually caught on. Sian says: "There was an absolute uproar, everyone thought it was terrible, what was she doing to Aberaeron? The council even got involved, but gradually people started coming round to the thought that it was a lovely idea and everybody started painting their houses."
Portland House has since been restored to a serene deep green, and now offers three floors of living space plus a holiday let basement flat. Lucy, another resident, recently painted her terraced house pink, saying: "It was recently painted last year, I just wanted something different to stand out really, the painter gave us a chart and we just chose it from there, it's in a conservation area so there are only certain colours that you're allowed."
Despite the attention from visitors, residents are proud of their town's unique character. Chris sums it up: "It's a real feature, Aberaeron is well photographed, it's so picturesque, every angle seems to have a lovely view, we're really proud of how the town is kept and you can see it all around, it's echoed in the way the people keep their houses looking so good."
