From its birth as a settlement at the lowest crossing point of the River Taff, via periods a Roman garrison, Anglo-Norman fortress, feudal lordship, booming coal port and post-industrial invalid, through to today’s confident capital of a fledgling Welsh democracy, Cardiff has accrued layer upon layer of fascinating history.

In this fully illustrated A-Z tour, author Dic Mortimer uncovers the intriguing, the surprising, the neglected and the quirky hidden just below the surface of the city’s highways and byways.