CARDIFF (the “Caer,” or castle on the Taff), a municipal and parliamentary borough in the county of Glamorgan, 170 miles from London by the Great Western Railway, in 51° 28' N. lat. and 3° 10' W. long. This town is the chief emporium of the coal and iron trade of South Wales, and is remarkable for its rapid progress and development. The population of the parliamentary borough, by the census of 1871, was 56,911 and since that date it has largely increased. There is a striking contrast of dirty narrow thoroughfares and the wide streets of new houses now opening up in the modern quarter of the town.
Historically, Cardiff is well known, but the castle remains and the old church of St John and its noble pinnacled tower are almost the only remnants of antiquity. The ancient walls and gates, Blackfriars and Greyfriars, have been swept away, and the old church of St Mary, finer than any local churches that succeeded was washed away by the sea. The Arthurian legend of the bparrowhawk refers to Cardiff. Its position between the rivers Taff and Rhymney, and also between the mountains and the sea, marked it out, probably for the Romans, certainly for the Normans, as a fortified station. In the year 1108 Henry I. having taken prisoner his brother Robert duke of Normandy, imprisoned him in Cardiff Castle for twenty-six years until his death in 1134. Contrary to the prevalent tradition Te was most probably treated with kindness, and perm'' j ted at times to change his abode. In the time of the Civil War Charles I. came to Cardiff, and the castle was alternately occupied by Royalists and Parliamentarians. There was severe fighting at St Fagan’s in the neighbourhood. In 1661 we find the Cardiff authorities complaining of being ruined by the competition of the neighbouring town of Caerphilly, but Caerphilly Castle is ruined and the town decayed, while Cardiff has greatly flourished. The local histories are full of the succession of different owners of the castle until the lordship of Glamorgan passed by marriage to the Bute family. The castle occupies a quadrangular space, and was probably once surrounded by earthworks, except towards the river. The area within the walls was 10 acres, within the counterscarp of the moat 13 acres. The mound within the great enclosures has the remains of the keep, or the White Tower. On the town or south side of the court are the Black or Curthose tower, the scene of Duke Robert’s imprisonment, and the gateway. The castle was once of enormous strength, and so constructed to resist the incursions of the Welsh. The Lodgings or habitable part are now undergoing extensive demolition and reconstruction. Under the advice of “Capability Brown” the whole structure was modernized, and many precious remains swept away. A thorough restoration is now in progress under the care of Mr Burgess. The new clock tower is a gorgeous example of most thorough ornamentation. On the side of the Taff, opposite to the castle grounds, are the Sophia Gardens, given to the town by the late marchioness of Bute.
There is a great deal of activity and public spirit in Cardiff. The gas, sanitary, and water arrangements are excellent. There are both public library and infirmary, and plans for new and enlarged buildings for both institutions are in progress. The exports of Cardiff are almost entirely coal and iron; the imports, insignificant in comparison, are mainly iron ore, esparto fibre for paper-making, timber, and corn.
At the commencement of the present century Cardiff possessed a population which scarcely amounted to 1000, and was not even called a port. It was simply designated as a “creek” attached to the great port of Bristol. The peculiar resources of the district were not unknown or neglected, and it is interesting to notice the first rudimentary steps in their development. Coal was brought down from the hills and valleys on the backs of mules. The burdens were laid down at a primitive quay, where vessels of small tonnage awaited them to carry the cargo to Bristol or other ports. The iron was transported in waggons of 2 tons, and to avoid delays from frost, snow, and storms, the minerals, as much as possible, were brought down in the summer and stocked for the winter. In the American War guns made by contract were brought down to the primitive quay which long retained the name of Cannon Wharf. The first stage in the progress of the town was marked by the construction of the Glamorganshire Canal from Merthyr Tydvil to the sea. It dropped from lock to lock some 500 feet in the course of its 25 mile journey to a certain seapond capable of holding vessels of 200 tons burden. The dock had only been formed a few years when the second marquis of Bute came into possession of his Welsh property. He held some 25,000 acres of the Glamorganshire hills, teeming with mineral treasures, and between Cardiff and the shore line he owned a tract of marshy waste. It is to the Bute family that Cardiff is mainly indebted for its prosperity. Lord Bute contemplated the construction of large docks, and in the course of twenty years he made great progress with his plans, staking, it is said, the whole of his fortune on the result.
In 1830 the first bill was obtained for the construction of a dock, which has been truly termed the “cradle” of Cardiff. The waters of the Taff were partially diverted as a “feeder” for an artificial stream. There was considerable difficulty in connecting the dock, which was considerably above low-water mark with the waters of the channel, but these were overcome by Sir William Cubitt. In 1839 the west dock was opened with great rejoicings. It became evident that additional accommodation would soon be required. The lucrative Taff Vale Railway had been formed, incessantly pouring the mineral treasures of the hills into the harbour of Cardiff, and the western side of the dock was ceded to their use. This company also promoted a dock under the headland of Penarth. Later, the Rhymney Railway was constructed, and gave additional development to the coal trade. The great marquis, the second founder of Cardiff, who died somewhat suddenly in 1848, provided that the contingency of his death should not disturb his schemes. He left his estates in trust, nominally for fifteen hundred years, for carrying out his design for making Cardiff a great seaport. The trustees during the twenty years’ minority of his successor achieved great works. It was resolved in 1851 that the east dock should be commenced. The demand for accommodation increased so rapidly that the plan of the dock was repeatedly enlarged. This second dock covers 45 acres; the width is partly 300, and partly 500 feet; the total length is 4300 feet, the width of the sealock is 55 feet; the length between the gates is 220 feet. In 1864 further schemes of enlargement were brought forward. In 1868 a low-water pier was opened by Lord Bute on his coming of age. In 1874 a south basin was opened; its area is twelve acres, and the iron-wrought gates have a larger superficial area than any similar works in existence. The new basin acts as a dock, and in some degree relieves the pressure for accommodation until the contemplated additional dock is constructed. The scene on the wharves is very stirring. There is a network of railways about the docks, giving direct communication to every part of the kingdom. The railways bring the minerals from the mouths of the pits; there are enormous staiths, hydraulic lifts being often used for shipping the coals, and steamcranes to discharge the enormous ballast of arriving ships. What Cardiff needs for its full development is an import trade, in the place of the ballast, but attempts in this way have not hitherto been very successful, and the New York line of steamers has been given up. Cardiff remains the greatest entrepôt for the smokeless coal which has been found the best for steamers in all the navies of the world, and in export ranks next to Newcastle. The docks owe all their importance to the minerals on the hills, and the means of transit that have been devised from the hills to the shore. The expenditure on the docks, including the new works, will be from two to three millions; the expenditure on railways is about the same, and the capital invested in the collieries is about twenty-five millions. The business of the port, though subject to fluctuations, steadily increases. In 1839 the amount of iron shipped at the port was 1200 tons, and of coal 4562. In 1848 the shipments of iron had advanced to 70,805 tons, and those of coal to 615,111 tons. In 1870, however, the weight of iron loaded at Cardiff amounted to 315,649 tons, and that of coal and patent fuel, which in the meantime had become an article of export, to 2,177,518 tons. The amount of coal exported in 1871 was 2,979,843 tons, and in 1872, 3,557,246 tons.
The villages in the neighbourhood of Cardiff,—Roath. Maindu, Canton, Llandaff,—are now its suburbs and nearly absorbed in the town, Of these the most interesting is Llandaff, a kind of minor Clifton to Cardiff. The remarkable cathedra], the seat of the earliest English bishopric, gives the tiniest city in Britain its title. It is a little old-world village on the outskirts of Cardiff, with the Coplestone cross, the remains of the bishop’s fortified palace, superseded by a modern country-house and a group of neat ecclesiastical buildings. For more than a hundred years the cathedral was left to neglect and decay. The aisles were roofless, grass grew in the nave, the ivy came through the windows, and storms were increasingly laying waste the edifice. At the expense of many thousand pounds a satisfactory restoration was effected, and a reopening took place in 1869. The cathedral is nobly situated near the Taff, where it is broad and wooded, and almost entirely screened by the ridges. (F. a.) r CARDIGAN, County of, or Cardiganshire, a maritime county in South Wales, is bounded on the N. by Merioneth, on the E. by Montgomery, Radnor, and Brecon, on the S. by Carmarthen and Pembroke, and on the W. by the Irish Sea. Its greatest length from south to north is about 30 miles, and its greatest breadth from east to west about 40 miles; but these dimensions give a very imperfect idea of its size, as it almost exactly represents in figure a “half-boot,” the line of the sole being from east to west, with the toe at the extreme west. It possesses an area of 693 square miles, or 443,387 acres, and is, therefore, the fifth in size of the Welsh counties.
The whole area of this county is occupied by the lower Silurian geological formation. It does not, therefore, possess mines of coal, or iron, or limestone; but, as if to compensate for this want, it is the richest of all the Welsh counties in its metalliferous lodes. Its lead mines have long been famous; and it was from the profits of his mining speculations, carried on chiefly in this county, that the celebrated Sir Hugh Myddelton was enabled to carry out his gigantic project for supplying London with water, by means of the New River. The Lisbume, Goginan, Cwm Ystwith, and other mines still yield largely, and have been sources of great profit to the adventurers. Some of the lead raised is very rich in silver; and in the 17th century the quantity of silver obtained was so considerable, that, by virtue of letters-patent, a mint existed for coining it on the spot.
Cardiganshire is exceedingly wild and mountainous; but the mountains generally have little of grandeur in their character, Plinlimmon itself, in spite of its height, being singularly deficient in boldness of outline. There is a considerable tract of flat land lying along the sea coast, especially towards the south-west, the general aspect of which is so dreary and desolate, that it has been called, and with good reason, the desert of Wales. In that district it is almost possible to travel 30 miles in a straight line without seeing a house, or a road, or a human being. The principal mountains are Plinlimmon, just within the county boundary on the north-east, rising to the height of 2469 feet, and Tregaron mountain, near Tregaron, in the southeast, 1778 feet in height. Few of the others exceed 1000 feet in elevation.
The vale of Teifi presents views of great beauty and interest, especially as it approaches the sea. The valleys of the Aeron, the Ystwith, and the Rheidol, also present scenes of great beauty, especially the last, in which is the famous Devil’s Bridge, with the falls of the Rheidol, one of the most celebrated pieces of Welsh scenery.
The county abounds in lakes and rivers. The chief of the latter is the Teifi, which rises in a lake of the same name (Llyn Teifi), about 8 miles north-east of Tregaron; flowing through the centre of the county, in a south-west direction, till it reaches Lampeter, it becomes from that point the county boundary, separating it from Carmarthen and Pembroke, and, after a course of about 50 miles from its source, falls into the sea at Cardigan. The Aeron takes its rise in some lakes in a low range of hills called Mynydd Bach, and first flowing in a southerly direction, and afterwards nearly west, falls into the sea at Aberaeron. The Ystwith and Rheidol both rise in Plinlimmon, and flowing west, cross the county, falling into the sea at Aberystwith; and the Towy forms the county boundary, separating it from Brecknockshire on the south-east.
Cardiganshire has been called the lake county of Wales, an appellation which it well deserves. The most important are Llyn Teifi, Llyn Fyrddyn Fawr, Llyn Egnant, Llyn Gynon, and Llyn Eiddwen; but hardly any of them exceeds three-quarters of a mile in length. They abound in trout, and are now a good deal resorted to by anglers.
The climate on the coast is mild and salubrious, but suffers from an excess of rain. The climate of the hill country is cold, wet, and bleak. The cultivated crops consist of wheat, oats, barley, turnips, and potatoes; and in the lower districts on the coast, especially in the neighbourhood of Aberaeron, Llanrhystyd, and Cardigan, good crops are raised; and at the last-named, as well as at Lampeter, great improvements are now being effected, by means of the Government Drainage Bill, in draining and improving several large estates. In 1873 there were 2038 holdings of an acre and upwards, and 1278 of less size,—the average extent being 118 acres, while that of all Wales is 74⅛ acres. Seven holdings exceeded 5000 acres, and none extended to 30,000 acres. It is calculated that one-half of the lands are enclosed. The hill district is entirely occupied with wild heathy pastures, which are stocked with the small mountain sheep of the country, and with herds of ponies and cattle, which are annually drafted off by dealers to be fattened in the more fertile districts of Wales or England. Cardiganshire has long been famous for its breed of horses, and for these high prices are obtained from English dealers, who now visit the farms in considerable numbers.
The following tables show the acreage of particular crops, and the numbers of live stock in the years 1872 and 1875 [table]
Black cattle, sheep, pigs, butter, barley, oats, woollen manufactures, slates, and lead and lead ore form the principal articles of export.
The railways within the county are the Cambrian, by means of which access is given to Aberystwith from all parts of the kingdom, and a line through Tregaron and Lampeter, and by way of Pencader to Carmarthen. At present the county town is without any railway communication.
The principal towns are—Cardigan, Aberaeron (at which, in consequence of its central situation, the county sessions are held), Aberystwith, Llanbadarn Fawr, Tregaron, Lampeter, and Adpar,—which last is the name given to the portion of Newcastle Emlyn on the Cardigan side of the Teifi. The county, which contains 97 parishes, is in the diocese of St David’s; and at Lampeter there is a college for the education of the Welsh clergy. It returns one member to Parliament, and has done so since 1536. The political influence is divided between the families of Powell of Nant-Eos (Conservative) and Pryse of Gogerddan, Pryse of Peithyll, Lloyd of Coedmore, and the earl of Lisburne (Liberal). Constituency in 1875, 4563. The annual value of real property paying income tax is £256,078.
The population of the county by the census of 1871 was 73,441, giving an average of 105'2 persons to a square mile, or 6 ’ 3 acres to each person. Of the total number 33,396 were males, and 40,045 females, showing an unusual disproportion of the sexes, in the great excess of females. This may be perhaps accounted for by the emigration of men to the mining districts, especially Glamorganshire, where the excess of males would just balance the deficiency in Cardigan, Carmarthen, and Pembroke. The number of inhabited’ houses in 1871 was 16,420, uninhabited 741, and building 76,—giving an average of 23'6 inhabited houses to a square mile, and 4'4 persons to each house. The following table gives the census returns for the last fifty vears :— [table]
The women may often be seen dressed, in the picturesque costume of Wales, and having their heads surmounted by the high-crowned broad-brimmed, hat. Many curious customs and superstitions still survive. On the occasion of a marriage, a “bidder” goes from house to house inviting the inmates to the wedding. It is expected that all the guests are to bring presents of money and provisions. The marriage always takes place on a Saturday; but the guests assemble on Friday with their presents. All these are set down on paper, that repayment may be made if demanded; but this seldom happens. The furnishing of the bride is also brought home on this day. On Saturday ten or twenty of the man’s friends who are best mounted go to demand the bride. She is placed on a horse, behind her father, who rides off as fast as he can. He is soon, however, overtaken. Presents continue to be received on Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday they are sold, and sometimes with the money received realize £50 or £60.
There are numerous British and Boman antiquities in the county, consisting of cromlechs, tumuli, camps, and stations, and also the remains of a Roman road (the Sarn Helen) about four miles from Tregaron, and the Roman town Loυentiurn at Llanio.
The castles of Aberystwith, Cardigan, and Newcastle Emlyn are interesting ruins, and the remains of Strata Florida Abbey are among the most beautiful of the ecclesiastical antiquities of South Wales. The church of Llanbadarn Fawr (once the seat of a bishopric) is a fine example of a severe type of Early English architecture, and the collegiate church of Llanddewi Brefi marks the site of the synod in which, according to the legend, St David confuted the Pelagians.
The early history of the district is obscure, but at the time of the Roman invasion it was tenanted by the Demetae, a Celtic tribe, within whose limits was comprised the greater portion of the south-west of Wales Mingled with it, though living at perpetual variance, was a Gaelic population (drawn, probably, from Ireland), which in the 6th century had got the upper hand, and in turn was subdued by the sons of Cunedda, who came as liberators from North Britain. One of these sons was Caredig, who conquered and gave the name to the province of Caredigion, which was nearly co-extensive with the present county of Cardigan. In the 8th century it formed part of the dominion of Sitsylt (from whom it received the name of Seissyltwg), and was hotly disputed by the descendants of his sons and daughter. Ultimately it fell to the latter, and at the close of the 11th century had been reduced to submission to the Norman sway, from which, in spite of shortlived successes, it never escaped.
Cardigan was one of the counties involved in the singular disturbances known as the Rebecca riots.
Cardigan, a market town and municipal and parliamentary borough of England, the capital of the county of the same name, is situated on the south-east of Cardigan Bay, about 36 miles by rail from Carmarthen, at the mouth of the Teifi, which there divides the county from Pembrokeshire. The houses are mostly constructed of slate rock, and the streets are narrow, steep, and irregular. The principal structures are the church of St Mary’s, a fine and spacious edifice of considerable antiquity, the county jail, erected in 1793, the national school dating from 1848, and a large block of buildings which includes a town hall, an exchange, a grammar school, a public library, and various markets. Besides being the commercial centre of a pretty extensive district, Cardigan engages in the coasting trade and the fisheries, and exports slates, oats, barley, and butter. Its harbour is unfortunately obstructed by a bar, so that the entrance is dangerous for vessels of more than 300 tons burden, except at high spring tides, when it is passable for vessels drawing 15 to 18 feet of water. The imports in 1874 were valued at £3035, the exports at £52. The borough, in conjunction with Aberystwith, Lampeter, and Adpar, has returned one member to Parliament since 1836; and in 1874 the district had a constituency of 1981. The population in 1871 was 3461 in the municipal borough, and 4939 in the parliamentary, which is partly in Pembrokeshire.
Cardigan, called by the "Welsh Aberteifi, fιom its position at the mouth of the river, first rose into importance about the time of the Norman conquest. In 1136 the English army, under Randolph, earl of Chester, suffered a severe defeat in the neighbourhood at the hands of the Welsh. The town was fortified by Rhys ap Gryffydd, prince of South Wales, to whom was also ascribed the foundation of the castle, which is still represented by a few ruins near the bridge. His grandson Maelgwn razed the castle to the ground, and ravaged the town; but the effects of his vengeance were not long after repaired, and the castle continued to be a post of some importance down to the Parliamentary wars, when it was held for a while by the Royalist forces. In the neighbourhood there was, before the Reformation, a small priory of Benedictine monks, which, as a private dwelling in the 17th century, obtained some celebrity as the residence of Orinda (Catherine Philips), the friend of Jeremy Taylor. About a mile and a half distant was the more important priory of St Dogmael; and about three miles up the river are the ruins of Cilgerran Castle.
