Cardiff, Wales

It was evening when we arrived in Cardiff, the sun was not yet ready to set since the summer solstice was not far off which brings long days, but the air was cooling indicating night’s imminent arrival. We checked in, quickly dumped our bags and headed out to find something to eat.

Cardiff Castle with its imposing perimeter walls and massive amounts of green spaces, located directly across the street from our hotel was calling, but would have to wait until the next day. When we first drove past, I thought it was a park because of the abundance of trees, but our taxi driver informed us it is the castle.

Cardiff is a lively and welcoming city with historical monuments, Roman ruins, great food and restaurants, and friendly, welcoming people just to name a few of the enticing options you’ll find here. We visited in mid-June, and although it was a bit windy and cool, and there was some rain one morning, it seemed like a good time of year to come.

Humans have inhabited the Cardiff area for approximately 6,000 years. The Roman ruins found near Cardiff Castle date back to AD 54. The Vikings arrived around 850 and used Cardiff as a port after conquering the settlement. The crowning point for Cardiff happened in 1798 with the completion of Glamorganshire Canal which linked the coal mines with the docks in the city. Quickly after that, the population expanded greatly as the coal exports increased and demanded more workers. In 1955, Cardiff became the capital of Wales, making it the youngest and smallest of European capital cities.

As I mentioned above, Cardiff Castle was the first stop on our itinerary. The castle area covers 8.25 acres (3.3 hectares), so if you visit be sure to allow at least several hours to see everything. Just down the steps from the ticket counter/gift shop is a Roman wall that was part of the fort built here around AD 54. Amazingly, the walls remained buried for centuries until they were discovered by construction workers in 1888, when a new tower was commissioned by the Marquess of Bute III.

The Keep was constructed in the 11th century by the Normans, and is a major focal point of the castle grounds. It stands on a 35 foot (10.7 meter) human-made hill, and its main purpose was to defend the gatehouse. There are some amazing views from the top of the tower.

The Clock Tower is another iconic site in Cardiff. Built around 1870, it was added as part of a restoration project of the south wall.

Touring the Victorian Gothic House on the castle grounds is like taking a step back in time. In the 15th century, work began on the house by the Lords of Glamorgan, but it was the Bute family who created the beautiful Victorian House you’ll see today.

The wealthy, influential Bute family spent only a few weeks a year here since they had many other residences. The house was donated to the City of Cardiff in 1947.

In 1939, Lord Bute agreed to open the outer castle walls for bomb shelters, allowing space for up to 800 people during the air raids. I can’t imagine being in this cold, damp space as the bombs dropped – how terrifying.

Ticket prices start at £12.50; click here for more information.

We worked up an appetite exploring the castle, so we headed to Pasture for a fabulous lunch. Chef/owner Sam Elliott is dedicated to sustainability and innovation. Although Pasture is a steak house offering only pasture raised beef, they also offer a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options.

It has been awarded the highest rating by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which promotes environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices.

Their sister restaurant, Parallel, right next door is also fabulous and offers small plates. It was interesting to watch the chefs at work in the tiny kitchen.

Coming next week, I have more to share about our time in Wales. If you’re curious about where we are at the moment, check out theTravelsketcher’s posts which reflect our current travels.

As always, I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on this post.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia