Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff City Hall
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardiff_city_hall_pano.jpg
Author: Yummifruitbat


Cardiff is the largest city and also the capital of Wales. It was granted city status in 1905, and made the capital of Wales in 1955. Cardiff has a population of 324,000. It is today the chief commercial center, tourism center and seat of the National Assembly of Wales.

The area in and around Cardiff bear evidence of human habitation going back to the Neolithic age. Following conquest of Britain, the Romans built a fort here, near the mouth of the River Taff, around AD 75. When the fort was abandoned in the early 2nd century, a village has been established here.

Not much is known of the Cardiff village between the Roman departure and the Norman conquest, with all likelihood that the village receded in size and may even be abandoned. Following Norman conquest, King William I of England built Cardiff Castle in 1081. The castle provided the catalyst for a more permanent town to grow around it. By the 13th century, the town has grown to a population of 2,000. Though small in size compared to other towns in English, it was by far the biggest settlement in Wales.

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Wales
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Llandaff_Cathedral.JPG
Author: Adrian Pingstone


Cardiff became a county town following the creation of the shire of Glamorgan through the 1536 Act of Union between England and Wales. On 28 October 1905 it was granted city status. Within the following years, a number of naitonal institutions were established in Cardiff, including a national museum, a Welsh national war memorial and the University of Wales registry building. It also acquired a Roman Catholic cathedral in 1916.

Following a brief period of expansion, the economy of Cardiff faltered with the slump in coal prices. World War II brought much devastation to the city. It was only as late as 1955 that the city was proclaimed capital of Wales, a position Caernarfon also vied for.

Today the city of Cardiff has a modern, well-developed downtown with a number of skyscrapers, including the prestigious waterfront development of Bayscape, which will include a 127-meter 30-storey tower, the tallest building in Wales.

The Pierhead Building, Cardiff
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Pierhead_Building,_Cardiff_Bay.jpg
Author: Philip Halling

Going to Cardiff

By Plane
Cardiff Rhoose International Airport is some 12 miles to the southwest of downtown Cardiff. Budget travelers arriving at the airport can take the bus. At time of writing (April 2010), the bus stop is located near the Short Stay Car park, which is a short walking distance once you exit the terminal building. Bus Route X91 runs between the airport and Cardiff Central station. The journey takes 35 minutes and costs £2.10 per adult.

You can also take the train from the airport to Cardiff Central station. There is an hourly train Mondays to Saturdays and two hourly on Sundays. The fare is usually around £3.30. By Train
The Cardiff Central railway station is the transportation hub for Wales. You can easily take a train from London Paddington station to Cardiff Central. The journey takes two hours.

Going around Cardiff

Downtown Cardiff can be easily explored on foot. It is a compact place with most of the sights near each other. If you plan to go further afield, then take the Cardiff Bus.

Places of Interest in Cardiff

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 PG Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

 Share your travels and/or ask a travel-related question

Join the Penang Travel Tips Facebook Group to share photos, tips and anything related to your travels, or ask travel-related questions.

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

Discover with Timothy

Let me take you to explore and discover Penang through my series of walking tours on YouTube. You may use these videos as your virtual tour guide. At the beginning of each video, I provide the starting point coordinates which you may key into your GPS, Google Maps or Waze, to be navigated to where I start the walk, and use the video as your virtual tour guide.

Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Robbie's Roadmap