| Cardiff Town Guide |
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| History of Cardiff |
| Cardiff was first settled in Roman times, when a fort was first built on the banks of the River Taff. However, once the Romans left the area there is little archaeological evidence that the area remained settled. The next significant era in the development of the city then came in the 11th century, after the Norman Conquest of 1066. This is because Robert Fitzhamon built a fortified Castle on the banks of the River Taff in 1095, and a small settlement quickly grew up around it. It is from Fitzhamon's Castle that the name Cardiff is derived, for the Welsh name for the city is "Caerdydd" - from the Welsh word "Caer", meaning "fortress". And the remains of this castle can still be seen in the form of the Castle Keep, which survives to this day. The area has remained settled ever since the Norman era, however, for around 700 years Cardiff was just a small fishing community. By the start of the 19th century the village had only 1000 citizens, but then the next 100 years saw a dramatic transformation. The impetus for change came from the Bute family, who owned much of the land around Cardiff. Seeing that industrialisation would bring lots of new opportunities, the family set about transforming the town in order to take advantage. By the turn of the century they had built a canal from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil, which at the time was the largest and most important city in Wales. And in 1839 they built the first of several docks in Cardiff in the area that is known today as Cardiff Bay. The main industrial opportunity that the Bute family was able to exploit as a result of these developments was the exporting of coal and iron. Cardiff was in a prime position to benefit from the rich coal producing regions of the Welsh valleys, large areas of which were owned by the Butes. The family took full advantage by making sure that all the coal that was mined on their land was exported through their own docks in Cardiff. The ploy was very successful and by the end of the 19th century Cardiff was one of the busiest docks in the world. The effect on the town was equally significant, for example, by the end of the 19th century, the population had reached more than 150,000. The city's wealthy industrialists developed large areas of the city with sweeping avenues lined with elegant Victorian town houses. Cardiff's superb City Hall is a lasting testament to this era of prosperity and civic pride. But then in the early 20th century the city's fortune changed. The world-wide economic depression of the 1930's affected Cardiff and its docks badly and the city quickly went into decline. And matters were only made worse during the Second World War when German bombs destroyed large areas of the city. During the post-war years the city gained an unenviable reputation for poverty and desolation, and even violence. Nevertheless the city was made the Welsh capital in 1955, and in recent years it has done a great deal to live up to that title. Large areas of the city have undergone extensive redevelopment, particularly the docklands area of the city, which is now one of the jewels in the crown of Cardiff. The city is now home to fabulous shopping districts, a world class Opera company, some superb museums, excellent sporting venues including the Millennium Stadium, and a vibrant nightlife worthy of any capital city. And to top all that, Cardiff is also one of the liveliest cities in Britain with an excellent atmosphere of pride and optimism, and so it is definitely well worth a visit. |
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