History Page 7 (Wales)

Welcome To The History Of Wales Page...

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Fact About Wales and the Welsh

The following facts, well known to all true Welshmen, are not as well known as they should be to those unfortunate enough to have been born outside Wales.

1. Welshmen may have settled America before Columbus.
2. Canada was explored and mapped by a Welshman.
3. America may have taken its name from a Welshman.
4. Pennsylvania is not named after William Penn.
5. St. Patrick was not an Irishman.
6. Wales is not represented on the British Flag.
7. A pungent vegetable is the national emblem of Wales.
8. The Welsh language is not Gaelic.
9. The modern Olympics did not begin in Athens.
10. A Welshman invented Lawn Tennis in Wales.
11. Welsh Immigrants began The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
12. The Prince of Wales is not Welsh.
13. Golf's Stableford System was invented in Wales.
14. A Welshman was responsible for the mid-19th century US industrial might.
15. The Holy Grail is found in Wales.
16. A Welshman founded The New York Times.
17. A Welsh-American invented the automobile.
18. The world's biggest second-hand bookshop is in Wales.
19. Thanks to a Welshman hanged for murder, Britain has no Death Penalty.
20. The names of three geological divisions are derived from Wales.
21. Tre'r Ceiri is the largest Iron-Age fort in northwestern Europe.
22. A Welshman translated the first English account of the New World.
23. The world's longest railroad station name is in Wales.
24. Welshmen invented two important mathematical symbols.
25. Three leading universities owe their founding to Welshmen.
26. Wales is the most important sheep raising area in Europe.
27. The world's first mail-order shopping began in Newtown, Wales.
28. The last Briton to die in WW I was a Welshman.
29. Welsh gypsies were the last to speak Romany in Europe.
30. A Welshman composed the music for the 1998 Academy Awards.
31. A Welshman discovered the link between Asian and European Languages.
32. One of the world's greatest botanic gardens is taking shape in Wales.
33. The earth's highest mountain is named after a Welshman.
34. The world's first wireless transmission took place in Wales.
35. A Welsh amputee conquered Everest.
36. No Welshman overdosed on Valium(Snakeroot).
37. Public Enemy Number One was a Welshman.
38. Welsh Prison was Training Ground for IRA.
39. America's Oldest Ethnic Society is Welsh.
40. Cardiff is Home to the World's Largest Retractable-Roof Arena.
41. The "Ugly House" was built and inhabited in one day.
42. A Welsh coracle crossed the English Channel in 1974.
43. The Mumbles Swansea Railroad was the first to accept paying passengers.
44. A Welshman was the first to transmit and receive radio waves

CARDIFF

Cardiff The Capital Of Wales
Here There Are A Few Photos Of Cardiff
Enjoy Them All

The Millenium Stadium CARDIFF

This new stadium was built in 1999 on the site of the old National Stadium, in Cardiff Arms Park.
It was initially built for the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup, which Wales hosted.
It was home to many of the matches, including the final.
Now it hosts many football matches and music concerts.

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff Bay has altered beyond recognition,from its past as the world's largest coal exporting port to a modern sport and leisure complex; it is also Europe's largest waterfront development and it has a wealth of leisure activities available both on and off the water.
The bay has been turned into a vast freshwater lake with the introduction of a barrage. A number of boat tours operate from Mermaid Quay, which allow you to gain an understanding of the history and fauna of this exciting area. Cardiff Waterbus has introduced a new taxi service which operates throughout the year from the Bay to the city centre and Penarth.
The Bay is home to a number of attractions such as Techniquest Science Discovery Centre - ideal for all the family, Craft in the Bay, The Welsh Assembly at the Pierhead, Butetown History and Arts Centre, Goleulong 2000 Lightship, the Norwegian Church Arts Centre and the brand new Wales Millennium Centre, a stunning and international arts centre. The Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village provides further options for family entertainment.
The harbour at Cardiff experiences one of the worlds greatest tidal ranges: up to 14m. This has meant that at low tide, it has been inaccessible for up to 14 hours a day. A barrage will eliminate the effect of the tide, which has acted as an inhibitor to development, releasing the potential of the capital city's greatest asset - its waterfront.
The construction of the barrage is one of the largest engineering projects currently underway in Europe. Completed in 1999, it has created a 500 acre freshwater lake with 8 miles of waterfront and it is hoped it will stimulate the future development of the Bay as a tourist and leisure destination, as well as accelerating the inward investment potential of South Wales as a region.
The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up in April 1987 to regenerate the 1,100 hectares of old derelict docklands of Cardiff and Penarth.
The mission statement for the project, set by the then Welsh Secretary of State, Nicholas Edwards, was: -

“To put Cardiff on the International map as a superlative maritime city which will stand comparison with any such city in the world, thereby enhancing the image and economic well-being of Cardiff and Wales as a whole.”

Cardiff Castle

2 Views Of CARDIFF

The Seven Wonders Of Wales

Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,
Snowdon's mountain without its people,
Overton Yew-trees, St. Winifred wells,
Llangollen Bridge and Gresford bells

The anonymous nursery rhyme listing the so-called seven wonders of Wales was probably written by an English visitor to North Wales sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Many would argue with his choice of so-called wonders, but as they are all found in the same general area, from our base in Chester, handily situated on the border, we can visit them all in turn in a day or two and also add a few of our own on the way.. Should the visitor wish to stay in Wales, then Wrexham (but 12 miles distant), provides an ideal center: look for the Belmont Hotel on the road with the same name.

Chester, nestled within a great curve in the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy), was once named Deva, the headquarters of the 20th Roman Legion in the 1st Century A.D. There are many Roman remains to be seen here, including part of the excavated amphitheatre, the hypocaust, and a few surviving baths. It is of more interest to us perhaps, that there are Chester laws still extant (dating from the late Middle Ages) that proscribe the actions of Welsh people within the city gates. Fortunately these laws, (dealing mainly with the times that the Welsh are allowed into the city and what weapons they are limited to carry) are not currently enforced by the current chief constable, a Welshman!! The famous Rows-- galleries above the main streets, are said to have been built to protect the shops at street level from Welsh cattle drovers with their flocks of sheep and geese and herds of cattle.

The high city walls that encircle the old city for two-miles were first begun almost two thousand years ago by mercenaries in the pay of Rome. From the northwest corner, the hills of Wales can be seen in the distance, the most prominent being Moel Fammau in the Clwydian Range. Our first destination, however, is located in the peaceful, green Berwyn Mountains (famous for their succulent Welsh lamb), southwest of the Vale of Clwyd. It is the waterfall known as in Welsh as Pistyll Rhaeadr.

First Stop: Pistyll Rhaeadr

NEWPORT

Newport's Transporter Bridge

The View Above Is Taken From A Distance,
The Photo Below Is A Close Up Of The Platform,
These Two Photos Were Take In AUGUST 1972.

Use The Link Below To Their Home Page

Newports Transporter Bridge

This is a picture of the Transporter Bridge in Newport.
The bridge is quite special in that it is one of only two working transporter bridges in the UK
(the other being in Middlesborough)
and there are only a handful in the world still in use.

Built by a Frenchman Monsieur F Arnodin, the bridge
was opened in 1906 and has now become a tourist attraction.
The bridge has a span of 645 feet measured from the centre of each of its towers.
The gondola is 33 feet long, 40 feet wide and travels at 10 feet per second
and can carry a maximum of 6 cars or small vans at one time.
The whole contrivance is driven by two electric motors.

The Newport Transporter Bridge is a steel hybrid suspension/cable stayed bridge near the mouth of the River Usk. The bridge stands some 75m tall with a clear span of 197m. In 1985, wire breakages within the cables resulted in closure, and a level of holding maintenance was established
while funds were sought for more permanent remedial measures.

A £3m scheme to conserve and refurbish the bridge began in 1992 and resulted in the bridge being reopened in December 1995. The project has ensured the survival of this landmark structure.
Visit their Home Page by using the link above..

Tawl Bwrdd

I was listening to one of those "audio books", just now, and the robots voice said:
"In the period before the 12th Century, Welsh rulers gave a gold ring and a chess board to high officials."
Now, even I know that's not true! Welsh rulers gave gold rings all right,
but the game board they gave wasn't chess
--- it was a game known sometimes as Tawl Bwrdd ( or, "Hunt The King" ).
No Tawl Bwrdd boards have ever been dug up in Wales. Apparently.
Yet the game was referred to in Wales as late as the 17th Century.
And owners were required to be buried with them - by law. And they were made, often, of gold and tusk.
The game was as cunning as chess - yet totally different.
For example, you were always to play 2 games - not one.
So a draw of a victory each was possible. You could play it --- and still stay friends!
I've looked around and a bastardised version of it is played on websites - and sold in tourist shops.
Tawl Bwrdd --- our, as yet, undiscovered National game!

SWANSEA

High Street, SWANSEA

MUMBLES

This Is A Great Picture Of Mumbles, Swansea.

You Can See All Around The Bay Of Swansea.

A Great Place To Visit..

PORTHCAWL

CONEY BEACH PORTHCAWL

This picture is of CONEY BEACH, PORTHCAWL in the 1960s, A nice view of the beach and the fairground

WREXHAM

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