Cardiff

:This article is about the Welsh capital. For the place in United States, see Cardiff, California.

History

The name Cardiff is an Anglicisation of Welsh name "Caerdydd". There is uncertainty concerning the origin of "Caerdydd"—"Caer" means "fort" or "castle," but although "Dydd" means "Day" in modern Welsh, it is unclear what was meant in this context. Some believe that "Dydd" or "Diff" was a corruption of "Taff" the river on which Cardiff castle stands, in which case "Cardiff" would mean the fort on the river Taff (in Welsh the T mutates to D). Others favour a link with Aulus Didius Gallus, as it is known that the Romans established a fort in Cardiff when he was governor of the nearby province. Considering this some believe that Cardiff means the Fort of Didius. A Norman castle still exists, within the site of the earlier Roman fort, but was substantially altered and extended during the Victorian period by John Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, and the architect William Burges.

Related Topics:
Welsh - Cardiff castle - Romans - Roman - John Crichton-Stuart - 3rd Marquess of Bute - Architect - William Burges

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There is a second castle north of the city, called Castell Coch (Welsh: "the Red Castle"). The current castle is an elaborately decorated Victorian folly designed by Burges for the Marquess and built in the 1870s. However, the Victorian castle stands on the site of a much older medieval castle built by Ivor Bach, a regional baron with links to Cardiff Castle also. The exterior has been used for filming several television series, for example as the outside of Cackles Academy in the ITV presentation of The Worst Witch.

Related Topics:
Castell Coch - 1870s - Ivor Bach

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King Edward VII granted Cardiff city status on October 28, 1905. It was then proclaimed capital city of Wales on December 20, 1955. Therefore, Cardiff celebrates two important anniversaries in 2005.

Related Topics:
King Edward VII - October 28 - 1905 - December 20 - 1955 - Anniversaries - 2005

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The city was county town of Glamorgan until council reorganisation in 1974 paired Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan together as the new administrative county of South Glamorgan. Further local government restructuring in 1996 resulted in Cardiff City's district council becoming a unitary authority.

Related Topics:
County town - Glamorgan - 1974 - Vale of Glamorgan - Administrative county - South Glamorgan - 1996 - District - Unitary authority

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On March 1, 2004, Cardiff was granted Fairtrade City status.

Related Topics:
March 1 - 2004 - Fairtrade City

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