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Cardiff
© 2010 Stig Albeck & Ventus Publishing ApS
All rights and copyright relating to the content of this
book are the property of Ventus Publishing ApS, and/or its
suppliers. Content from ths book, may not be reproduced
in any shape or form without prior written permission from
Ventus Publishing ApS.
Quoting this book is allowed when clear references are made,
in relation to reviews are allowed.
ISBN 978-87-7061-488-7
2st edition
Pictures and illustrations in this book are reproduced according
to agreement with the following copyright owners:
Stig Albeck, Inga Albeck, Wikipedia.
The stated prices and opening hours are indicative and may
have be subject to change after this book was published.
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A visit to Cardiff
A visit to Cardiff
www.visitcardiff.com

Cardiff is the capital of Wales, the incredibly
beautiful country with the many hills and mountains,
the long coast line, and the many charming cities,
which exudes the Welsh atmosphere. All these
things are not far from Cardiff, and have helped
form the historic development of Wales.

Due to the prevalence of especially coal and iron,
Wales has been one of the leading cities in the
industrialisation of Great Britain, and it has created
enormous fortunes throughout time; fortunes that
have been used for buildings in the capital.

The industrial history is history. Through the recent
decades, Cardiff has been transformed, through a
revitalisation of the old docks of Cardiff Bay. In
walking distance from the old city centre, you can
now find a modern area at the water, which adds a
whole new dimension to the city for the many visitors.

Cardiff has experimented with modern architecture,
but also has something for those who wish to
experience pure Edwardian architecture and town
planning. The neo-Gothic medieval look of Cardiff
Castle is also worth a visit.


Enjoy your stay!

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Historical Outline
Historical Outline

The history of Cardiff dates back to the era of the
Roman Empire in the British Isles. Aulus Didius
founded the city in the year 45, and 30 years later a
Roman fort was established at the spot where
Cardiff Castle is situated today. After the Romans'
departure in the 380s, it was not until 445 that
Cardiff is mentioned in the Welsh annals.

Around the year 850, Vikings attack the Welsh coast,
and for a while, Cardiff is used as the area's base and
harbour. Some 200 years later in 1081, Wilhelm the
Conqueror, who was the English King William I, led
an army through the south of Wales. Cardiff was
conquered, and Cardiff Castle was founded on the
site of the old Roman fort.

Around Cardiff Castle, a city grew up of primarily
English settlers. In 1126, the city got its first mayor,
and before the end of the 13th century, Cardiff was
the only city in Wales with more than 2,000 citizens.

From the 1300s, Cardiff was an important port and
received certain trade rights, which further
developed the city. Weekly markets were established
and tradesmen from all around the neighbourhood
visited the city frequently. However, in 1404, the
development stopped short when Owain Glyndwr
conquered Cardiff Castle and burned most of the
city's houses. Owain Glyndwr was the last native
Welshman to bear the title Prince of Wales.
However, shortly after the destruction, the city was
rebuilt and this initiated a new growth.

When England and Wales entered the Act of Union
in 1536, new administrative unities, counties, in
Wales and Cardiff became the main city in one of
these. In the following years, convents were closed
down, a new military system introduced, and Cardiff
became represented in the English Parliament,
House of Commons. The Herbert family was
Cardiff's leading cities at the time, and in 1551,
William Herbert became the first Lord of Cardiff.

During the following centuries, the area
experienced a relatively peaceful period with the
exception of the British Civil War in 1648-1649
where a battle took place in Llandaff outside
Cardiff.

In 1776, the first marquis of Bute, John Stuart
married into the Herbert family, thus making the

Stuart family the leading family in the city. For
instance, John Stuart started a large renovation
of Cardiff Castle. Other large buildings followed
and the city became connected to London by
stagecoach. All this happened in spite of a lack of
increase in number of inhabitants; in 1801, only
1,870 citizens lived here.

However, in the first half of the 1800s, the
prosperity took flight in earnest when John
Crichton-Stuart, the second marquis of Bute,
built docks in Cardiff. The docks were connected
to the areas where coal was mined by the
railroads, and thus Cardiff became a port of
transit of enormous value. This attracted people
from especially England and Ireland, and before
the end of the century, Cardiff had overtaken
both Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea and was now
the largest city in Wales.

In the 1880s, a competing landing port was
established in nearby Barry, and in a few decades,
Barry had overtaken Cardiff with respect to the
amount of discharged coal. However, Cardiff was
still home to the coal exchange where England's
coal prices were set, and this resulted in a lot of
companies and trade. Thus, the coal still enriched
the city. By now, ironworks had sprouted up
making the city a typical industrial city.


King Edward VII bestowed city rights upon
Cardiff in 1905. This became an important
reason for placing many of the national
institutions here in the following decades; e.g.
The National Museum.

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Historical Outline
The 20th century saw an industrial decline for the
traditional industries and thus the sources of income.
The discharge of coal drastically decreased in the
inter-war period due to a lack of demand for the coal,
which had been the backbone of the Welsh economy.

During the Second World War, bombs ruined, among
other things, the cathedral in Llandaff and the industry
suffered from increasingly difficult conditions. In the
midst of all this, Cardiff was appointed the capital of
Welsh in 1955, which caused a certain development of
the administrative institutions and organs. One
example is the British organ, The Welsh Office, which
was located here in 1964. It was the forerunner of the
administration that the Welsh National Assembly has
managed since 1999.


Throughout the 1970s and 1980s a lot of the
city's large-scale industry, such as the steelworks,
closed down. In spite of the hard times, the
population grew in the 1990s and a large new
development took place. The largest stadium in
Great Britain at the time, Millennium Stadium,
was founded, and the sad industrial- and dock
area at Cardiff Bay was redeveloped.

It created a new aspect of Cardiff, which
suddenly acquired several cultural institutions
and a nice area for outdoor living, which is
enjoyed by both tourists and locals.

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Tour 1: Cardiff
Tour 1: Cardiff

1. Millennium Stadium/
Stadiwm y Mileniwm

Westgate Street
www.millenniumstadium.com
Station: Central
Millennium Stadium is Wales' national stadium and is
used for the country's rugby home matches and most

of the football matches. The large stadium opened in
1999 and seats 74,500 spectators. At its opening, it
was the largest stadium in Great Britain. The
dimensions are impressive and the stadium is without
doubt one of the most striking buildings in Cardiff.
The four corner towers reach a height of 90 metres.

2. Central Market/Marchnad
Ganolog Caerdydd

Trinity Street/St. Mary Street
www.cardiff-market.co.uk
Station: Central
Central Market is a Victorian style market building.
The present building was established in 1891, but
a food market has existed here since the 1700s.

The clock inside is a H. Samuel clock donated by
the jeweller's by the same name just outside the
building.

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Tour 1: Cardiff
3. St. David’s Hall/
Neuadd Dewi Sant


The Hayes
www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
Station: Queen Street/Central
St. David's Hall is a concert and conference hall in
central Cardiff. The place often functions as a kind
of national stage for big events in Wales. Different
concerts are held here, famous artists drop by, and
the Cardiff Singer of the World competition is held
in St. David's Hall every other year.

The complex opened in 1982 after a challenging
construction trying to make room for 2,000 seats
and all facilities in an area which in reality could not
accommodate a large new building. But it was
accomplished by building both besides and above
the adjacent St. David's shopping centre.

4. New Theatre/Y Theatr Newydd

Park Place
www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
Station: Queen Street/Central
The New Theatre is one of the leading theatres
in Cardiff, and before the opening of the Wales
Millennium Centre, the theatre was home to the
Welsh National Opera. The preliminary rounds
of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition
are held in the New Theatre, which has more
than 1,100 seats.


5. Cardiff Castle/Castell Caerdydd

Castle Street
www.cardiffcastle.com
Station: Queen Street/Central
The old medieval Cardiff Castle, which is built
on the site of the old Roman fort from the year
75, lies in the centre of Cardiff.

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Tour 1: Cardiff
At the end of the 11th century, the Normans built a
castle tower. A part of this; The Norman Keep, can
still be seen as is stands surrounded by a moat in the
northern part of the castle area. In the many
following centuries, the castle was gradually
extended and often changed owners. In the latter
half of the 18th century, John Stuart, the third Earl
of Bute, bought the place, and the Stuart family later
established the majority of the castle area which is
open to the public today.

In the years 1869-1881, the third marquis of Bute,
the architect William Burges, heavily extended
Cardiff Castle. Primarily, the style is an imaginative

version of a traditional medieval fort.

Several more towers were erected; especially the
Clock Tower, and the image of the city suddenly
became medieval. Inside, the rooms and halls of
the castle are also beautifully decorated with
inspiration from the past centuries. For instance,
there is a bachelor flat in the Clock Tower with the
beautiful Summer Smoking Room. One of the
other notable rooms is Banqueting Hall, which
displays the history of Cardiff Castle.

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Tour 1: Cardiff
6. Bute Park

Castle Street
Station: Queen Street/Central
Bute Park is a large, green area along the River
Taff to Cardiff's town centre. Along the park,
facing Castle Street, you can see the Animal Wall,
designed by William Burges in 1862. However, the
wall with the many animal portraits was not built
until 1890, and was at that time placed south of
Cardiff Castle. It was moved in connection with
the extension of Castle Street in 1925.

In the park, there are great open lawns and small,
cosy areas, and you can also see the stone circle
Gorsedd.

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Tour 2: Cardiff
Trip 2: Cardiff

7. Cathays Park

At Alexandra Gardens
Station: Cathays
Cathay Park is an area in Cardiff, which covers the
green area Alexandra Gardens and the surrounding
houses. The imposing features of the primarily
Edwardian style houses make it one of the grandest
public building complexes from 20th century Cardiff.

The central park, Alexandra Gardens, is named after
the Danish princess Alexandra who became the
Queen of England and Empress of India as a result
of her marriage to the English King Edward VII. In
the park, you can see the Welsh National War
Memorial, a memorial from 1928, erected in
memory of the casualties of the First World War.
The fallen of the subsequent wars have later been
honoured with plaques or other monuments.

A land purchase in 1898 provided the background
for Cathays Park. The Bute family sold the area
where the first marquis of Bute had had his mansion
in the years 1812-1825.

8. Crown Court


King Edward VII Avenue
Station: Cathays
The two towered building, Crown Court, is part
of Cathays Park, and is today home to a number
of Welsh courts.

9. City Hall/Neuadd y Ddinas

Gorsedd Gardens Road
www.cardiffcityhall.com
Station: Cathays
The castlelike building City Hall is Cardiff's town
hall. It opened in 1904 and the style is inspired
by the renaissance. The city hall is built in stones
from the island of Portland in Dorset at the
English south coast, and is the city's fifth city hall.

Inside the city hall, you can see a number of
marble statues of famous persons from Wales'
history. One of them is of Llywelyn Ein Olaf
(Llewelyn II), who was the last reigning Prince of
Wales. By one of the main stairs, is a memorial
for Captain Robert Scott and his crew, which
went on a fatal Antarctic expedition in 1910.

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Tour 2: Cardiff
The beautifully ornamented city hall tower measures
59 metres, and is one of Cardiff's most famous
landmarks.

10. National Museum
Cardiff/Amgueddfa
Genedlaethol Caerdydd

Gorsedd Gardens Road
www.museumwales.ac.uk
Station: Cathays
The National Museum is both a museum and
national gallery, and both departments are worth a
visit. The beautiful museum building is from 1912,
and opened gradually in the period 1927-1932
after a halt on building due to the First World War.
In the National Museum Cardiff, you can
experience a fine exhibition about the
development of Wales in fields such as
archaeology, geology, and art. In the actual gallery,
there are several collections e.g. Dutch art from
1500-1700 and 19th century French artists.

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Tour 2: Cardiff
11. Cardiff University/
Prifysgol Caerdydd

Museum Avenue
www.cardiff.ac.uk
Station: Cathays
Cardiff University was founded in 1883 as
University College of South Wales &
Monmouthshire. Since 2004, the name has been
Cardiff University.

The university is housed in several houses around
Alexandra Gardens; most impressive is the main
building along Museum Avenue. The architect, John
Caroe, was inspired by both Cambridge and Oxford.
The foundation stone was laid in 1905. The building
opened in several stages, the first in 1909, and the
side wings in the 1960s.


12. Crown Building/Adeilad y Goron

College Road

Station: Cathays
Crown Building is the headquarters of the Welsh
government. The role of the government was
handled by the so-called Welsh Office, which
was, in fact, the Welsh post of the British
Government, until 1999. The establishment of
the Parliament and government happened as a
result of a referendum two years earlier.

Crown Building consists of two parts; Cathays
Park 1 and 2. Cathays Park 1 is the oldest building
and faces Alexandra Gardens. Here, Wales' Prime
Minister and head of government, resides along
with a number of top officials, while the modern
concrete building, Cathays Park 2, houses the
majority of the government officials.

13. Temple of Peace/Y Deml
Heddwch

King Edward VII Avenue
Station: Cathays
Temple of Peace is, in spite of its name, not a
religious house, but a public building adapted to
temple style, which houses various organisation.


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Tour 2: Cardiff
14. Glamorgan Building

King Edward VII Avenue
Station: Cathays
Glamorgan Building opened in 1910 as the office of
the administrative unit Glamorgan County. It now
houses parts of the university's faculties.

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Tour 3: Cardiff
Trip 3: Cardiff

15. Cardiff Bay/Bae Caerdydd

Station: Cardiff Bay
The Cardiff Bay area is located south of the Cardiff
centre by the fresh water lake, which forms a sort of
inner harbour in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Bay was where

the large docks of the city were located, but after
having established the dam, Cardiff Bay Barrage, in
the 1990s, the new inner lake was formed. The
purpose of the dam was to create the framework for
a city development, which was able to create
recreational conditions for the citizens and the many
visiting tourists.

16. Wales Millennium
Centre/Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru

Bute Place
www.wmc.org.uk
Station: Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Millennium Centre, one of Wales' centres
for acting, opened in 2004. It houses ballet,
dance, comedies, musicals, and opera. There are
several auditoriums in the centre; the largest has
almost 1,900 seats.

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Tour 3: Cardiff
The purpose of the architecture was to be
immediately recognizable as an icon, and to be a
symbol of what is Welsh. Thus, the chosen materials
are large amounts of slate, wood, glass, and metal, all
of which come from the country. There is an
inscription above the front of the building which
reads "Creu Gwir fel gwydr o ffwrnais/In these
stones horizons sing;" lines written by the Welsh
poet, Gwyneth Lewis. The letters are windows, and
create a spectacular sight when illuminated at night.

17. Pierhead Building

Bute Place
www.wales.gov.uk
Station: Cardiff Bay
The Pierhead Building, one of the city's most famous
silhouettes of the industrial era, is located in the
centre of Cardiff Bay. Pierhead Building opened in
1897 as the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company,
whose former residence had burned down in 1892.
With the opening, Bute Dock Company changed its
name to Cardiff Railway Company. On the building,
the motto "wrth ddwr a than" (with fire and water is
inscribed. It symbolises the force that Wales' industry
used to develop the country.


Pier Building is brilliantly decorated with terracotta
and several styles are used in the ostentatious
decoration, which is echoed on the tower.

In 1947, the building became the seat of Cardiff's
port authorities, but today it serves as a part of the
Welsh National Assembly.

18. The Senedd/Y Senedd

Bute Place
www.wales.gov.uk
Station: Cardiff Bay
The Senedd is the seat of the Welsh National
Assembly. The building is untraditionally built in
glass, but the architect made this choice to signal
transparency for the people. The heart of the
building, which is closed for visitors, is the
circular hall Siambr where the National
Assembly meets.

Queen Elizabeth II opened the Senedd in 2006.

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18

Tour 3: Cardiff

19. Norwegian Church/
Yr Eglwys Norwyaidd

Harbour Drive
www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com
Station: Cardiff Bay
The Norwegian Church is beautifully located in
the outer Cardiff Bay. The Norwegian Seaman’s
Church, a part of the Norwegian national church,
built the church in 1868, as a church for the
Norwegian sea men and the Norwegian citizens
of Cardiff. At this time, the Norwegian merchant
navy was the world's third largest, and Cardiff
was used as one of the junctions. Today, an art
centre is established in the idyllic church building.

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Tour 4: Cardiff
Trip 4: Cardiff

20. Llandaff Cathedral/Eglwys
Gadeiriol Llandaf

Cathedral Close, Llandaff
www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk

Station: Waun-Gron Park
In spite of its location outside the centre of
Cardiff, the cathedral of the suburb Llandaff
functions as the area's most significant Anglican
church building. As a cathedral, it is the
Episcopal residence of the bishop of Llandaff.

There are remains of Christan Celtic
religiousness from the 500s at the spot, and the
first actual church was presumably built here in
the year 560. When the Normans arrived, they
installed the first bishop in 1107, and in 1120,
the building of the cathedral began. The building
was finished in 1290. During the English Civil
War in the mid 17th century, the church was
damaged, and in the beginning of the 18th
century, the tower came close to collapsing.
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Tour 4: Cardiff
The lack of maintenance resulted in the building of a
new cathedral, which began in 1734. Even though the
new building, which was called "the Italian temple,"

was worked on and used for 100 years, it was never
completed. Instead, the old building was restored in
the 1800s and the former tower was rebuilt, however,
on this occasion it was decorated with a spire.

In 1941, during the Second World War, a bomb
exploded next to the cathedral. Of all the cathedrals in
England, only the one in Coventry was more damaged
by these acts of war than Llandaff's. After the war, the
rebuilding began, and in 1958 the cathedral reopened.

21. Saint Fagans National History
Museum/Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa
Werin Cymru

Saint Fagans
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans
Station: Waun-Gron Park
The small Saint Fagan Castle now houses Saint
Fagan's National History Museum, an open-air
museum, which portrays Welsh architecture, culture,
and lifestyle. The museum was founded in 1946
when the Earl of Plymoth donated the castle and
the land belonging to it.

More than 40 buildings now lie on the grounds,
such as a reconstructed Welsh village and many
historic houses, which have been moved here from
their original location around Wales. There are living
quarters and utilitarian buildings from the country, a

customhouse and several buildings from the
industrialisation of the country.
22. Castell Coch

Castle Road, Tongwynlais
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
Station: Taff Well
The castle, Castell Coch, looks like a genuine
medieval fort and is built by William Burgess
under John Chricton-Stuart, the third marquis of
Bute, at the end of the 19th century. Burgess is
also the architect behind the present appearance
of Cardiff Castle, and the Victorian neo-Gothic
features are seen clearly in both places.

Before the present castle was built, a fort was
erected in the 13th century, at this strategically
significant site. It is assumed that the fort was
completely destroyed as early as in the 1300s,
and the ruins were left until the 1800s when
Castell Coch was established on the foundation
of the old fort.

William Burgess attempted to design the castle in
a style, which was true to the medieval
architecture, and he has succeeded. However,
there has been much debate about whether the
type of towers was used at the time. Inside, the
rooms and halls are decorated as beautiful
examples of Victorian neo-Gothic, and as a

visitor you cannot help but to be impressed.

The castle was never used as a permanent
residence, and in 1950, the fifth marquis of Bute
left the place to the unit for preservation of
historic buildings under the Welsh state.
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Tour 4: Cardiff
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Day Trips from Cardiff
Day Trips from
Cardiff

23. Caerleon/Caerllion

High Street, Caerleon, 30 km E
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/caerleon
Station: Newport
Carleon is a village known for its Roman history.
The city was home to the legion Legio II
Augusta in the period 75-300 and thus naturally a

fortified city with the facilities belonging to it.

Among the excavated ruins from the Roman
society, you can see the legionaries' baths, huts,
and the great amphitheatre. The ruins are not
well preserved, but they offer an impression of
the conditions and size of a defence post far
north in the Roman Empire.

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Day Trips from Cardiff
At the ruins, you will find an interesting legion
museum, The National Roman Legion
Museum/Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru, which
communicates information of the lives and works of
the legionaries in a Roman outpost as caerlon. The
Romans' military technique is also described, and the
collection contains a number of archaeological finds.


24. Tintern Abbey/Abaty Tyndyrn

Main Road, Chapel Hill, 60 km E
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
Station: Chepstow
Tintern Abbey is a Cistercian convent church
founded in 1131. The church building itself is
primarily built from 1269-1301. In addition to the
church, there are also ruins of some of the
surrounding convent buildings.

Today, Tintern Abbey appears as a beautiful,
picturesque, and monumental ruin in a wonderful
landscape at the River Wye, surrounded by the hilly
country. The building complex, of which you can
see the ruins of today, was built from the 12th
century to 1536 when the history of the place
stopped short.

During his reign, King Henry VIII attempted to gain
control of the church, especially because of the wealth,
which had been worked up here. This also affected
Tintern Abbey, which was handed over to the Crown
in 1536, and thus, the status of the place as an active
convent became history. The treasures were
transferred to the King's Treasury, and the buildings
handed over to Henry Somerset, the Earl of Worcester.
The lead of the roof was sold, and so the decay
began. Throughout the 1600s and 1700s, people

temporarily lived here, but otherwise Tintern
Abbey was left deserted, and gradually tourists
started coming to see the beautiful ruin.
Throughout the 20th century, the ruin was
renovated, and is now a protected building.

25. Big Pit National Coal Museum/
Pwll Mawr Amgueddfa
Lofaol Cymru

Blaenavon, 50 km NE
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit
www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk
Station: Pontypool and New Inn
The Big Pit National Coal Museum is a museum
dedicated to the Welsh coalmine industry, which
strongly participated in Wales' economic heyday
and the area's industrial development.

The Big Pit itself opened in 1860 and functioned
as a coalmine until 1980. After it closed down, it
was turned into a visitor's centre, which opened
in 1983. The name alludes to the fact that at its
opening, the mine had the largest pit leading
down to the galleries in Wales. At the beginning
of the 20th century, more than 1,100 people
worked in the mine.

The visit to the Big Pit is interesting, especially
because a number of the former galleries are

open to the public, so you can take a walk
underground, that is if you are wearing the
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Day Trips from Cardiff
proper security outfit, because the mine you visit is
the original mine with the risks it implies.

Above ground, there is a simulated mine which shows
the hewing of coal step-by-step. In one of the
buildings for the miners, an interesting exhibition is
organised about the Welsh coalmining. This exhibition
displays many artefacts and tales, which describe the
different aspects in the life of a coalminer.

The city of Blaenavon also has an example of the
many railroads, which has been established in Wales
throughout time.

In 1866, the railroad opened from here to the
nearby city of Pontypool. The reason was the coal
hewing in the Big Pit. The railway functioned until
1980 when the Big Pit closed down. Until 1941, the
railway also transported passengers, and until 1954
other goods than coal. Today, the railway has
opened as a vintage railway.


26. Merthyr Tydfil/Merthyr Tudful

Merthyr Tydfil, 40 km N
www.merthyr.gov.uk
www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk
Station: Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a city with a significant industrial
history and it was one of the cradles of the industrial
revolution of the area. Today, the former basis is
gone; that is the iron and steel works as well as
the area's rich coalmining industry. However,
there are interesting relics from the city's heyday,
which gives the visitors a good impression of the
industrialisation.

In 1759, the first large iron work opened and
several followed in the subsequent centuries.
Merthyr Tydfil became the world centre for
production of iron, of which there was an
increasing demand for. Railways were established
between the city and the discharge ports, and in
1804 the world's first steam locomotive, the Iron
horse, drove from here. Furthermore, the city
had grown to be the largest in Wales in the mid
19th century.

The railway viaduct, Cefn Coed (Pontycapel
Road) is one of Merthyr Tydfil's largest
constructions. It was built in 1866 and consists
of 15 arches in the Brecon and Merthyr track,

which spans the river Taff. Today, the railway is
closed down, but the beautiful viaduct still stands
and a path crosses it, today.

In the centre of the city, the 19th century castle
Cyfarthfa Castle (Brecon Road) lies, which is
built from 1824 by William Crawshay II for the
means created by the iron production. The castle
was occupied until 1889, and in 1908 the city
council bought the castle. They established a
museum and a school in the large building. The
surrounding green area forms the castle park,
Cyfrathfa Park.

From Merthyr Tydfil, you can take the vintage
railway Brecon Mountain Railway (Pant Road) to
the national park Brecon Beacons. The track is a
reconstruction of the many narrow-gauged
industrial tracks of Wales. It is newly established
in the old terrain of Brecon and Merthyr Railway,
which functioned in the years 1859-1864.

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25

Day Trips from Cardiff
27. Brecon Beacons National

Park/Parc Cenedlaethol
Bannau Brycheiniog

N for Merthyr Tydfil, 50 km N
www.breconbeacons.org
www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk
Station: Merthyr Tydfil
The national park Brecon Beacons is a large and
beautiful natural area, immediately north of the
city Merthyr Tydfil, from where you can ride the
atmospheric Brecon Mountain Railway (Pant
Road) into the grand landscape of the park.

The name Brecon Beacon comes from the
mountain range by the same name. The highest
pinnacle is Pen y Fan, which reaches a height of
886 metres.

The national park was established in 1957, and
covers an area of 1344 sq kilometres. As a visitor
you can go for a hike or simply enjoy the grand,
grass covered landscape.

THE BEST MASTER
IN THE NETHERLANDS

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