A BRIEF HISTORY OF CARDIFF...

In 2005, Cardiff celebrated two significant Birthdays.  It has been over 100 years since it was granted City status, and over 50 years since it was declared Capital of Wales by Edward VII.

Cardiff has a long and interesting history and people have lived in Cardiff for thousands of years.  But the real history begins in A.D. 43, when the Romans invaded Britain.

Many historians believe that the capital takes its name (Caerdydd) from the Roman general Aulus Didius (Caer Didi) which means "Fort of Didius" - where Cardiff Castle now stands.  Within 20 years of the Battle of Hastings, the Normans were marching on Wales.

In 1091 Robert FitzHamon began work on Cardiff Castle and a small settlement grew up around it. By the Elizabethan times Cardiff was a lawless, pirate-infested port.  In 1608 King James I granted a Royal Charter and by the 18th century it was a sleepy backwater of 1,500 people.

The Industrial Revolution changed everything.  In the 1790s the local gentry, the Butes, built the Glamorganshire Canal to join Cardiff with Merthyr Tydfil, followed by the first Cardiff dock in 1839. The population reached 250,000 in the first half of the 20th century, after being granted city status in 1905. 

Cardiff became the biggest coal-exporting port in the world.  At its peak in 1913, more than 13 million tons of coal left here.  Today, Cardiff is Europe's most dynamic capital city.

It's a great place to visit and the ideal base from which to explore the coast, culture and heritage of Wales and western Britain.  Finally, the Sci-Fi programmes Torchwood and Doctor Who, are filmed in the City.

WHAT IS THIS WEBSITE ABOUT?

This site aims to be an educational tool, aimed at those who seek information about how important historical events have shaped the town of Cardiff, and helped it to develop into the modern city it is today.

The site also provides little known facts, figures, and reflects upon the lives of people from, or who have an personal connection with Cardiff - and are affectionately referred to as 'Cardiffians'.

The highlight of this site is the large selection of images of old and new Cardiff, that I have collected over the past 15 years. My desire to share these images is why I created this site, and it has evolved as my knowledge of web design increases.

Progress is a necessity, but it's a loss to historians everywhere that so many buildings and streets of long ago have been demolished and cleared away, with hardly any thought about the important historical and social qualities being lost in the process.

Now everyone can have the opportunity to look upon these images to see just much Europe's youngest Capital has changed in such a short space of time, and also how it has managed to retain a lot of character that other modern cities often lack.

THE MODERN GEOGRAPHY OF CARDIFF

Cardiff is bordered by the Valleys to the North, the Vale of Glamorgan to the West, and the City of Newport to the East.

The County is situated on mainly low land, and is divided by the rivers Taff and Ely which snake from the North and West respectively, down into Cardiff Bay.  The City itself is made up of over 30 main suburbs (or wards) which contain some of the largest housing estates in Europe.

Contained within these suburbs are numerous villages and sub-wards, which will be explored in greater detail further on in the site.  To explore the photographic history of a particular ward, please click on the corresponding area on the map at the top of this page.

You can view the history of each ward from the Suburbs pages.  Also included is an old map of each area to compare with modern maps, and even more photos not included in the gallery pages.

DISCLAIMER

This website and its contents are to be used for educational and research related purposes only. 

Many images have appeared in alternate publications with varying quality, over the course of the past 100 years. In most cases, these books are either out of print, or the publications company is no longer trading.  A lot of images have no copyright information, are very rare, and some are exclusive to this site.

I'm always pleased to accept good quality images for inclusion on the site, and will add a credit for each one submitted.  I am not providing citations/credits for sources, due to lack of time, but will add them on request if your work appears on this site.

If you do find one of your images on this site and want it removed, please contact me.  However, I do ask that you to allow the publication of your work, so that everyone may benefit from it.  I am not responsible for the content on external sites.  I do not sell images on this site, unless I own the copyright.  Images have the ''Cardiffians' logo on them, ensuring a visual reference of their origin.