The CAER (Caerau And Ely Rediscovering) Heritage Project
The beautiful church of St Mary’s is not only thing to make Caerau Hill so special! The church itself is actually standing within one of the largest and best preserved Iron Age hillforts in South Wales and next to a medieval ringwork. This is a really special place, full of rich history that we know so little about. Archaeologists from Cardiff University have teamed up with local residents, Ely and Caerau Communities First and the local schools to start a community archaeology and local history project.
The CAER (Caerau And Ely Rediscovering) Heritage Project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-period community project exploring the history and archaeology of settlement, land use, and society in Ely and wider Cardiff and South Wales. The Caerau Iron Age hillfort and its exploration is the focus of this wider project to construct a broad story of the history and archaeology of the Cardiff region through this significant location.
In the wider social context of Ely there remain significant educational barriers at a variety of levels and ages due to a range of social problems. There is also a significant and, to a large extent, exaggerated stigma associated with this area of Cardiff and its problems. Working with local schools and community groups this project aims to address a range of problems in relation to the management, presentation and history of the site, but also to provide educational opportunities and to create a more positive perception of the area and its communities. We need your support and input! We intend to arrange a series of activities on Caerau Hill throughout the oncoming year to explore this fascinating location. Our website is coming soon where you’ll be able to find out more about the project and how you can get involved.
Dr Oliver Davis, Cardiff University
