The history of the suburb of Caerau

View a map of Caerau from 1940

Named after the Welsh word for 'Fort', Caerau became part of Cardiff in 1922, and lies south of Cowbridge Road West. Places associated with Ely's history, such as the racecourse and Ely Homes, actually lay in Caerau due to the area's history being closely linked with Ely. The remains of an Iron Age hill fort overlook the modern housing estate. Even today, though much reduced in size, the earthworks remain clearly visible.

At the summit, a wooden palisade would have provided cover for defenders to bombard their enemy with stones. For hundreds of years, this stronghold allowed the Roman forces (called l the Taff-Ely Estuary. In Latin, 'Silures' means 'the people of the rocks', reflecting to the mountainous region in which they lived. 1,000 years later the Normans recognised its importance when they built a castle inside the fort.

Safeway Superstore - Cowbridge Road in Caerau (late 1990's)

In 1894 a Roman villa was discovered on Ely Racecourse and excavations were carried out in 1922. The results showed several outbuildings and a bath suite used to exist there.

Caerau House which unfortunately no longer exists, was built in 1903 and was set near Caerau Wood and St Mary's Church. Its grounds included a farm used mainly for breeding horses.

By 1864 racing at Ely was a regular event and the races that year were acclaimed as 'the most brilliant and successful ever held'. In 1895 the first Welsh Grand National was held and crowds of 40,000 were not uncommon for such an event.

Unfortunately, the racecourse never recovered from a fire in 1937 which destroyed the grandstand. In 1939 the last race to be held there was won by Grasshopper, ridden by Keith Piggott, father of the famous Lester Piggott.

Ely Industrial School (or Ely Lodge, as it was also known) provided education and training for orphan or destitute children who were taught simple trades. Ely Lodge became Ely hospital in 1948 and was given the responsibility of treating patients with psychiatric problems. The hospital closed in 1999.

The opening of a depot by the Western Welsh Omnibus Company along Cowbridge Road in 1931 was welcomed at a time of high unemployment. The unemployment levels were increased when the Depot closed in 1981, but there was hope when the Safeway superstore was opened in its place. In 1939 the Air Ministry purchased land in Caerau Lane to service barrage balloons for the defence of Cardiff in the second world war. They were sent to various parts of the city to be deployed as a deterrent against low-flying aircraft.

Ely Racecourse became a site not only for balloons but also for anti-aircraft guns and a rocket battery. Not until 1939 were plans put forward to build a major housing estate in Caerau and when the war ended, prefabricated houses were erected as an emergency measure to combat the post-war housing shortage. Many homes and schools were built on the old racecourse, although enough of it was preserved to become Trelai Park. In 1999, Safeway was forced to close after increasing competition from Tesco in Culverhouse Cross, and now a Lidl store occupies most of the original complex.

Panoramic view of Caerau from the ancient ringwork - 2005

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