A TALE OF TWO WELSH CITIES

WALES HAS STUNNING scenery and spectacular beaches, but how often have you hurtled past Newport and Cardiff on the way to the popular holiday destinations of the Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire? Why not break your journey and visit two great cities that have so much to offer?

Newport and Cardiff grew rich during the heyday of the South Wales coalfield and in the 1830s, both developed quickly, alongside the amounts of coal passing through.

Much of this was exported via the docks that were built to service the coal brought down by rail from the valleys, including the famous Rhondda.

We took a recent visit to both cities – here’s a bit of background to them.

City neighbours

Cardiff achieved city status back in 1905, while Newport had to wait for recognition until the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. So what