Archaeological dig in the centre of Llandaff

Llandaff 50+ will hold a community archaeological dig between Monday 16th September and Friday 27th September, with a launch event on Wednesday 11th September at 10am.

The Dig, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Cardiff YMCA (1910) Trust, will take place on the site of the old medieval cattle pound, next to the 13th century Bishop’s Castle on the High Street, Llandaff.

Local schools will be taking part to experience the fun and learning of a dig. They will be supervised by archaeologists Dr Tim Young of GeoArch and Louise Mumford, Archivist of The Cathedral School, Llandaff and they will learn about the history of the ‘city within a city’ from local storyteller, Dick Berry. Llandaff 50+ and Llandaff Society volunteers will be working throughout the event. Dr Tim Young says:

“This is a rare opportunity for people from Llandaff and Cardiff to take part in an archaeological dig in a previously unexplored part of Llandaff. We’re sure there’ll be lots of interest from history enthusiasts.”

There will be a viewing area for locals and visitors to see the dig in progress, and the chance to book a session to try digging or washing and identifying any finds. Those interested can email thepound@llandaff50plus.com or see www.llandaff50plus.com for available times.

After the Dig, the site will be redeveloped to become part of The Pound, a Centre for Older People and a Heritage Information Centre for Llandaff. Funded by Welsh Government and the National Lottery Community Fund, the old Cardiff Council public toilet will be transformed into an eco-friendly building with solar slates, a sedum roof and rainwater harvesting (to flush the accessible toilet). With the help of architects Downs Merrifield, the aim is to produce a Centre for older people and Llandaff that is both financially and ecologically sustainable.