Aberystwyth

Park Avenue

ds 'D' Squadron Pembroke Yeomanry - Park Avenue

Cardiganshire Battery 2nd Welsh Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery Glyndwr road?

According to W J Lewis, 'Born on a Perilous Rock: Aberystwyth Past and Present' *, there were two military bodies in Aberystwyth history: first, the Cardiganshire Militia (which seems to go back to the Middle Ages); and second, the Volunteers. The latter were first formed in 1860 as 'Cardiganshire Volunteer Rifle Corps'. In 1901 they were reformed as the Cardiganshire Artillery Volunteers and redesignated the Cardiganshire Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers the following year. In 1908 they were transferred into the new Territorial Force and known as the Cardiganshire Battery, 2nd Welsh Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

There were two Volunteers companies, one in Tal-y-bont and the other in Aberystwyth. The Aberystwyth company drilled on the Sand Marsh and moved north as that was built over. The Town Hall served as their armoury. Their shooting range was at Craiglais (bottom of Constitution Hill) and manoeuvres were held on the beach.

In 1904 the new Drill Hall in Glyndwr Road, off Park Avenue was opened.

* Cambrian News (Aberystwyth) Ltd, third edition, 1980, p. 213-7