Museum delays, Old College calamity and more impact Aberystwyth’s cultural events

When our friends from Kronberg visit Aberystwyth next year for the second half of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the twinning of our towns, I know they will be greeted with open arms, but I’m not sure where that greeting will take place…

I say this because there are fewer historical places open in our beloved seaside town where we can hold functions that will impress our German guests.

They took us to some fabulous buildings when we visited them in July, and I thoroughly appreciated their architecture and history. However, my thoughts quickly turned to where we could possibly take them to reciprocate because...let’s start with the prom.

If we ask our visitors to stand with their faces to the sun and stare at the sea I have no doubt they will be in awe of our cracking coastline. But if they turn around… well, that’s when the problems begin building-wise.

There’s the Belle Vue Hotel, which has been out of action since a devastating fatal fire next door in 2018 and looks set to stay that way for the foreseeable.

Then there’s the poor Old College, which, I fear, will be hidden behind scaffolding for many more years to come now that Aberystwyth University has decided to pause work on their project to turn it into a hotel, exhibition area and museum.

And speaking of the latter, what is going on with Ceredigion Museum?

I have spent hours in that beautiful building looking at the exhibits, singing in shows, acting in plays, taking my daughter to various activities, partying the night away for people’s birthdays; I even held my own big-ish birthday party there! I am bereft without this building – even more than I am without the Belle Vue and the Old College, which I also used to frequent a lot – because for me, there is something incredibly special about Ceredigion Museum and I long for the day when its doors will open again.

When it closed for renovations and roof repairs in May 2025 it was expected to reopen 12 months later, but here we are, almost four months after that deadline, and there is no sign of it opening.

I asked Ceredigion County Council for an update and received the following: “Work to repair the roof of the Ceredigion Museum building is progressing well as part of a carefully planned programme to protect and preserve one of Aberystwyth’s historic buildings.

“Plans for the roof repairs have been in place since summer 2025. As Ceredigion Museum is housed within a Grade II listed building, the works are being carried out with particular care to ensure the long-term sustainability of the building while preserving its special historic character and architectural features.

“The programme has involved a number of preparatory measures, including the removal of current displays, the protection and relocation of collections off-site, and the creation of bespoke infrastructure to support the works. These arrangements have been put in place to safeguard the building, protect the collections and ensure the safety of the workforce throughout the project.

“The works are being completed to the highest possible standard and in line with a timetable that supports the careful and specialist nature of the renovation. While the roof repairs are now nearing completion, work continues to preserve and improve the internal infrastructure of the building in accordance with the original plans.

“During this period, the museum shop and café, along with the Tourist Information Centre, have remained open to the public.

“The museum also continues to deliver community engagement activities and a range of projects supporting the reimagining of exhibitions ahead of reopening.

“Further updates on the renovation work, community activities and plans for reopening will be shared through Ceredigion’s communications channels, including press releases and social media.”

When I asked if the council could give us a rough estimate of when it will reopen, they said: “While a confirmed reopening date has not yet been agreed, plans continue to progress, and we look forward to sharing further details in due course.”

Oh...

I thought at a push we might be able to host functions in Buarth Hall, another venue I have enjoyed rehearsing and performing in. It needed a lot of work but in the right hands it could have been a magnificent space for the community, and although I was unlikely to have used it personally if Bowldro Buarth’s bid to turn it into a climbing wall centre had been granted, I supported their goal to keep this space for community use. Alas, it looks likely to be turned it into flats instead.

So sorry Kronberg friends, but I think it is safe to say that visits to the Buarth Hall, Belle Vue Hotel, Old College and Ceredigion Museum are off the cards next year. Perhaps some of these once magnificent jewels in Aberystwyth’s crown will be ready by 2037 in time for the 40th anniversary of the twinning. We can but hope!