Cardiff Roman Fort, Roman military fort in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Roman Fort is an ancient military outpost whose remains lie within Cardiff Castle grounds today. The surviving stone walls and structural foundations show how the site was laid out to house troops and administrative personnel during Roman occupation.
The fort arose in the middle of the 1st century as Rome pushed into Wales and faced resistance from local tribes. Over subsequent centuries, medieval and Norman builders added their own fortifications directly above the Roman foundations.
The name derives from the Welsh word 'Caer' meaning fort, reflecting how this location remained important as a defended place across centuries. Walking through the site today, you can see how Roman military structures became woven into later Welsh and Norman constructions.
The fort is integrated into the castle complex and accessible through normal castle visits, with interpretation panels explaining the Roman elements throughout. Plan to spend extra time studying the walls and foundations, as they blend with later structures and require careful attention to spot.
Hidden beneath the visible walls are traces of workshops where craftspeople forged metal tools and weapons in later centuries. This shift from purely military use to a production center reveals how the fort adapted to serve new purposes over time.
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