Cardiff Worcester Train

Cardiff is bordered to the west by the rural district of the Vale of Glamorgan—also known as The Garden of Cardiff— to the east by the city of Newport, to the north by the South Wales Valleys and to the south by the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel. The River Taff winds through the centre of the city and together with the River Ely flows into the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay. A third river, the Rhymney flows through the east of the city entering directly into the Severn Estuary. Its location and geographic features were influential in its development as the world's largest coal port, most notably its proximity and easy access to the coal fields of the south Wales valleys.

Today, Cardiff is the main financial and business centre in Wales and the city was recently placed seventh overall in the top 50 European cities and also ranked seventh in attracting foreign investment. Cardiff is one of the most popular tourist destination cities in the United Kingdom, receiving around 18 million visitors in 2010 and generating £852 million for the city's economy. There are a large number of hotels of varying sizes and standards in the city, providing almost 9,000 available bed spaces.

Located in the county of Worcestershire, the city of Worcester can trace its history back to Roman times where it started life as a Roman settlement. The city stands on the banks of the River Severn and the Worcester - Birmingham Canal where some moorings are available. Distances to Worcester from:- York - 228 miles, 110 locks, 115 hours cruising time. London - 174 miles, 223 locks, 140 hours cruising time. Birmingham - 32.5 miles, 61 locks, 34 hours cruising time Liverpool - 182 miles, 168 locks, 122 hours cruising time.

Worcester has three main parks: Cripplegate Park, Gheluvelt Park, which was opened as a memorial to commemorate the Worcestershire Regiment's 2nd Battalion after their part in the Battle of Gheluvelt during World War I, and Fort Royal Park which is one of the battle sites of the English Civil War. In addition to the parks the city has a large open area known as Pitchcroft which is located to the north of the city centre on the east bank of the River Severn.

There are also two large woodlands in the city, Perry Wood, at twelve hectares, and Nunnery Wood, covering twenty-one hectares. Perry Wood is often said to be the place where Oliver Cromwell met and made a pact with the devil.