Cardiff, municipal and parliamentary borough, seaport, and county town of Glamorgan, at the mouth of the river Taff and on the estuary of the Severn 29 miles W. of Bristol by water and 170 miles W. of London by rail – parliamentary and municipal borough, population 82,761. In 1801 the population was only 1018; in 1841 it was 10,077; and 59,494 in 1871. The rapid prosperity of the town is due to the abundance of minerals in the district. Its exports of coal and iron from the valleys of Taff, Rhymney, &c., are among the most important in the kingdom. The docks have become very extensive, and a tidal harbour and low-water pier have been constructed. There are also very large iron foundries, tin-plate works, and iron-shipbuilding yards. The South Wales University College was opened at Cardiff in 1883. Cardiff Castle, originally founded in 1080, is the property of the Marquis of Bute, who has converted part of it into a modern seat. On the pier-head, Bute Dock, is a lighthouse, with fixed light (Cardiff) seen 10 miles.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)[Note: Cardiff only became capital of Wales in 1955.]
Butetown History & Arts Centre
5 Dock Chambers, Bute Street (opposite the Baltimore Arms), Cardiff Bay
Cardiff CF10 5AG
029 2025 6757
bhac.org.c31.sitepreviewer.com
BHAC collects, preserves and presents the lived history of old Cardiff Bay. The exhibits, books and other materials that we produce draw on the photographs, documents and memories of local people.
Cardiff Castle
Castle Street
Cardiff CF10 3RB
029 2087 8100
Cardiff Castle is situated in the heart of the capital. The castle’s enchanting fairytale towers conceal an elaborate and splendid interior.
Cardiff Story, The
The Cardiff Story, The Old Library, Trinity Street,CF10 1BH
029 2078 8334
In our fun, free and interactive galleries, discover how Cardiff was transformed from the small market town of the 1300s, to one of the world’s biggest ports in the 1900s, to the cool, cosmopolitan capital we know today. The museum, in the beautiful and historic Old Library building, is rich in stories, objects, photographs and film telling the history of Cardiff through the eyes of those who created the city – its people.
Firing Line: The Cardiff Castle Museum of the Welsh Soldier
The Interpretation Centre, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff
Cardiff CF10 3RB
029 20 873 623
www.cardiffcastlemuseum.org.uk
The museum is housed within the fully accessible Interpretation Centre of Cardiff Castle and tells the story of the Welsh Soldier through the history of two of Wales’ oldest and most distinguished regiments, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards and The Royal Welsh.