The town of Cardiff in Wales was first settled during the Roman Times, however not much remains in terms of archaeological artifacts or the of the first fortress that was constructed along the Taft River. Not much is recorded from then until the year 1066, when a castle was built along the same banks of the river. It was constructed by Robert Fitzhamon and once built a town was settled surrounding the castle. The name for Cardiff derived from the original Welsh title of Caerdydd. These banks have a history of fortified structures, thus the name of Caer which means just that, fortress. There are still remains of Fitzhamon’s castle surviving to this day. During this time of early settlement, this was a small community of farmers and fishermen, but over the next few hundred years the population reached one thousand. Beginning with the 1,800′s however a family moved into Cardiff and changed the course of the small town. The Bute family were the mail land-holders and brought industrialization to the community. The opportunities flourished and the transformation began which resulted in what is now known as Cardiff Bay, becoming one of the most important centers of trade and industry, and the largest city in Wales. By 1839, docks were being constructed on the banks of the river Taft, and the mining industry took off. The city became the major exporter of iron and coal.

The Bute’s owned many of the most prosperous mines as well as many of the docks, and they successfully ensured that all that was taken from their mines, was also shipped out from their docks solely . This not only provided the company with financial wealth and security, but had the added significance of turning their family owned docks to those among the busiest in all the world. By the beginning by the late 1,800′s, after just under one hundred years, the population had increased ten-fold, and city had become quite the metropolis with elegant mansions lining the streets and a Cardiff hotel on every other corner. The entire city benefited from the business savvy of the Bute family. During World War II, much of the city was damaged by bombing by the German armies, as many European cities were. However the city was reconstructed over the years and is now a splendid city with museums, major arenas for sports and music concerts, an internationally recognized Opera House and is a city once again filled with the pride of its citizens and optimism for the future.