Shopping arcades in Cardiff include indoor shopping centres

Shopping mall

A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

 and arcades

Arcade (architecture)

An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....

 in Cardiff city centre

Cardiff city centre

Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

 is known as the "City of Arcades", due to the highest concentration of Victorian

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

, Edwardian

Edwardian period

The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...

 and contemporary

Modern architecture

Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...

 indoor shopping arcades in any British city.

Up until the 1790s there were only 25 retail shops in Cardiff. Most shopping at that time was made from market stalls

Stall (enclosure)

A stall is a small enclosure of some kind, usually less enclosed than a room.-Market stall:A market stall is usually an immobile temporary structure erected by merchants to display and shelter their merchandise...

. The opening of the Royal Arcade in 1858, which was the first indoor arcade built in Cardiff, significantly increased the number of shops in Cardiff.

Cardiff's Victorian arcades have been attracting new shops and customers since emerging from the economic recession. Existing retailers have expanded which demonstrates resurgence of the capital’s unique shopping malls, according to the landlords, Curzon, who is responsible for the High Street, Castle, Duke Street and Wyndham arcades. The area around the arcades will be affected by pedestrianisation of High Street in late 2010, to create the £2.5m Castle Quarter. This is expected to attract more shoppers and tourists to the Victorian arcades.

The total length of Cardiff's city centre arcades is 797m (2,655 ft).

Victorian and Edwardian

Name	Image	Year opened	Entrances	Notes
Central Market Cardiff Market Cardiff Market , also known as Cardiff Central Market , is a Victorian indoor market in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, capital city of Wales.Originally the site of Cardiff gaol, the gallows were located on the site of the current St...		1891	St. Mary Street Trinity Street	Central Market Cardiff Market Cardiff Market , also known as Cardiff Central Market , is a Victorian indoor market in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, capital city of Wales.Originally the site of Cardiff gaol, the gallows were located on the site of the current St...  was designed by the county engineer William Harpur. 349 stalls were in the original layout. The market opened in 1891 and has entrances on St. Mary Street and Trinity Street in the Castle Quarter Castle Quarter Castle Quarter is a commercial area in the north of the city centre of Cardiff, Wales.The Castle Quarter includes some of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian arcades: Castle Arcade, High Street Arcade and Duke Street Arcade, and principal shopping streets: St Mary Street, High Street, Castle Street...  Central Market is a Grade II* Listed building. The market consists of two shopping levels, a ground floor and a balcony level which wraps around the market exterior walls on the interior http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/338744. There is a large H. Samuel clock http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/341163 above the High Street entrance http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3368, which was presumably donated by the H. Samuel H. Samuel H. Samuel is a mass-market jewellery chain, operating in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is the number one middle mass-market jewellery store in the United Kingdom. There are 375 stores as at 23rd Feb 2008. An increasing number of the chain's stores trade in a new format known...  jewellery chain, which once had a store just outside the High Street entrance. Traders in the market offer a variety of fresh produce, cooked food, various delicacies and more durable goods. A trader of note is Ashton's the fishmonger Fishmonger A fishmonger is someone who sells fish and seafood... s, who have traded in the market since 1866 at the Trinity Street entrance selling a wide range of fresh seafood Seafood Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia... .
Castle Arcade Castle Arcade The Castle Arcade is a shopping arcade in Cardiff, South Wales.Started in 1887, it runs south from opposite Cardiff Castle, and then turns east to exit on the High Street, north of St Mary's Street, in the Castle Quarter...		1887	Castle Street High Street	Castle Arcade opened in 1887 and is a Grade II* Listed building. The Castle arcade, as the name suggests, runs from opposite Cardiff Castle to High Street, north of St Mary St, in the Castle Quarter Castle Quarter Castle Quarter is a commercial area in the north of the city centre of Cardiff, Wales.The Castle Quarter includes some of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian arcades: Castle Arcade, High Street Arcade and Duke Street Arcade, and principal shopping streets: St Mary Street, High Street, Castle Street... . The arcade hasa variety of small boutique shops as well as cafes and delicatessens, and fair-trade and organic shops. One of the longer of Cardiff's famous Victorian arcades, Castle Arcade is home to a variety of shops selling, among other things, crystals, air pistols, fancy dress, books and clothes. There are several shops on the gallery level.
Dominions Arcade		1921	Queen Street Crockherberton Lane
Duke Street Arcade		1902	Duke Street High Street Arcade	Duke Street Arcade opened in 1902 is a Grade II Listed building. Duke Street Arcade joins High Street arcade, and is just opposite Cardiff Castle, in the Castle Quarter Castle Quarter Castle Quarter is a commercial area in the north of the city centre of Cardiff, Wales.The Castle Quarter includes some of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian arcades: Castle Arcade, High Street Arcade and Duke Street Arcade, and principal shopping streets: St Mary Street, High Street, Castle Street... . Duke Street Arcade is lined with stores including hairdressers, bridal shops and Welsh gift shops.
High Street Arcade		1885	High Street St John Street	High Street Arcade opened in 1886 and is a Grade II Listed building. It has entrances on High Street and St John Street in the Castle Quarter Castle Quarter Castle Quarter is a commercial area in the north of the city centre of Cardiff, Wales.The Castle Quarter includes some of Cardiff's Victorian and Edwardian arcades: Castle Arcade, High Street Arcade and Duke Street Arcade, and principal shopping streets: St Mary Street, High Street, Castle Street... . High Street arcadeis known for its range fashion stores which include designer clothes, individual fashions, jewellery and vintage clothes. One will also find children's clothes and toys, gifts and a New York Deli in the arcade.
Morgan Arcade Morgan Arcade The Morgan Arcade is a shopping arcade in Cardiff, South Wales.Started in 1896, it was built to connect the main entrance of David Morgan's department store on St Mary's Street, with his other store on The Hayes. It opened in 1899 as the New Central Arcade, running east/west from the Hayes to St...		1896	St. Mary Street The Hayes The Hayes The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....	Morgan Arcade opened in 1896 and is a Grade II Listed building. Morgan Arcade is the considered best preserved of Cardiff's arcades, with first-floor Venetian windows and original slender wooden storefronts. It has entrances on St. Mary Street and The Hayes The Hayes The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised.... . It has shops such as The Plan, which specialises in organic and Fair Trade food. Neals yard, next door, sells organic herbal skin care and body care products.
Royal Arcade Royal Arcade, Cardiff The Royal Arcade is a shopping arcade in Cardiff, South Wales.The Royal Arcade is the oldest arcade in Cardiff, being built in 1858, it is a Grade II Listed building. Running east/west from The Hayes to St Mary's Street, parallel but to the south of the Morgan Arcade, it also runs under David...		1858	St. Mary Street The Hayes The Hayes The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....	The Royal Arcade is the oldest arcade in the city, being built in 1858. It is a Grade II Listed building. The Royal Arcade is the oldest arcade in the city, having been built in 1858. It is a Grade II Listed building. Royal Arcade still has some of the original shopfronts at numbers 29, 30 and 32 St. Mary Street. Running from The Hayes The Hayes The Hayes is a commercial area in the southern city centre of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Based around the road of that name leading south towards the east end of the city centre, the area is mostly pedestrianised....  through to St Mary Street, towards the south of the city centre, adjacent to the New St David's 2 development, independent shops are found such as Wally's Delicatessen, who have been in the arcade for 60 years, and those specialising in Welsh textiles, gifts and homeware.
Wyndham Arcade		1887	St. Mary Street Mill Lane	-

Contemporary

Name	Image	Year opened	Entrances	Notes
St. David's Centre St. David's Centre St. David's is one of the principal shopping centres in the city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales. Located in The Hayes area of the southern city centre...		1981	Queen Street, Hill's Street Working Street Queens Arcade	St. David's Centre opened to the public in January 1981, although it did not officially open until 24 March 1982. It is joined internally with Queens Arcade. The extension to St. David's Centre (St. David's 2) opened to the public on 22 October 2009. The architects for the project were Benoy and the constructors were Bovis Lend Lease. The development includes the Grand Arcade and Hayes Arcade.
Queens Arcade		1994	Queen Street, Working Street St. David's Centre	Queens Arcade opened on 28 April 1994, and was built on the former Allders Allders Allders is an independent department store in Croydon, established by Joshua Allder in 1862. It is the fourth-largest department store in the United Kingdom.The Croydon store was the flagship of a large chain of department stores in the UK...  department store and Queen Street Arcade site. The Arcade has two levels, and is unusual in that the levels are sloped, so that ground floor entrance on Queen Street becomes the upper floor at the Working Street entrance and the ground floor entrance at Working Street becomes the lower floor at the Queen Street entrance.
Capitol Centre Capitol Centre Capitol Centre is an indoor shopping centre in the city of Cardiff, Wales. The building is built on the site of the former Capitol Cinema and theatre, and is situated at the eastern end of Queen Street near the Dumfries Place bus terminus and Cardiff Queen Street railway station.It advertises...		1990	Queen Street	The Capitol Centre, which was previously known as the Capitol Exchange Centre, opened in 1990. The Capitol Centre is built on the site of the former Capitol Cinema and Theatre.

Former shopping arcades

Name	Image	Year opened	Year closed	Entrances	Notes
Queen Street Arcade		1866	1987	Queen Street Working Street	Next to Allders. Both were demolished, then rebuilt as Queens Arcade (above). Included the Washing Institute
Andrews Arcade				Queen Street
Oxford Arcade		1970s	2006	The Hayes St. Davids Link
Queens West Shopping Centre		1987	Circa 1994	Queen Street The Friary	Featured a glass lift looking out over the Friary. This shopping centre still exists, and is shown on maps, but all shops are now entered directly from the street or via escalators, so the mall corridors are now inaccessible. The top floor, which used to be a foodhall, is now entirely occupied by one shop.
Wharton Street Arcade (James Howells)		1924		Wharton Street Howells
Dickens Arcade				Castle Street	Used to include a cafe and a bookshop in the 80s/90s called Paperback Exchange.
Old Arcade		1835		Church Street	Alongside the Old Arcade pub. The pub was named after this arcade.

See also

• List of places in Cardiff
• List of cultural venues in Cardiff
• List of leading shopping streets and districts by city

External links

• Cardiff Council shopping website