Areas in the hills above Aberystwyth including Cwmsymlog, Cwmerfyn and Bancydarren were mined for lead in the 18th and 19th Centuries before the industry declined from around 1880, coming to an end at the start of the 20th Century. A Ceredigio
Trefeurig, 10 miles from Aberystwyth, is comprised of four hamlets, Banc-y-Darren, Cwmsymlog, Cwmerfyn and Penbontrhydybeddau, and has a population of around 1,000. Koppel moved to Cwmerfyn at age 12. He described it as