Ceredigion from Cardigan, between five and six thousand leaving the town between 1790 and 1860. Aberystwyth became the main centre for the export of lead and Aberaeron and Newquay did brisk coastal trade. The building of the railway from Shrewsbury in the 1860s encouraged visitors and hotels sprang up in the town to accommodate them. This area of the county of Dyfed became a district of Wales under the name Ceredigion in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, and since 1996, has formed the county of Ceredigion. According to the 2001 census, Ceredigion has the fourth highest proportion of Welsh
Ceredigion ground in the town. It has yet to come higher than third in the League but won the Welsh Cup in 1899/1900 and the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1930/31, 1932/33 and 1969/70. Cardigan Town Football Club, also known as the "Magpies", play in Division 1 of the Ceredigion League which they won in 1968/69, 1995/96, 1999/2000, 2000/01 and 2002/03. Leisure activities available in the county include beach activities, rambling, cycling, sea fishing, canoeing, sailing and horse riding. Many of the towns and villages along the coast have small harbours and facilities for sailing, dolphin watching and other maritime activities. The