Roath Park
Encyclopedia
Roath Park Cardiff
, Wales
, is one of Cardiff's most popular parks, owned by Cardiff County Council and managed by the Parks Section. It retains a classic Victorian
atmosphere and has many facilities. The park has recently been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award
to recognise its high quality and its importance to Cardiff
. Roath Park has widely diverse environments across the park.
The park was built on 130 acre (0.5260918 km²) of reformed bog
land, known then as a malarial bog, and includes a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) lake 1.3 miles (2.1 km) around, formed by the damming of the Nant Fawr stream. It is a popular facility for fishing and rowing. There are four islands within a conservation area, home to many water bird
s. The main park includes a large playground, floral displays, the glasshouse conservatory
and recreational areas.
Roath park occupies a long strip of land stretching from Cyncoed
in the north to Roath
towards the southeast. The park is divided into several parts along the Roath Brook, Nant Fawr. From north to south; The Wild Gardens, Roath Park Lake, Botanical Gardens, Rose Gardens, Pleasure Gardens, Roath Park Recreation Ground, Roath Brook Gardens, Roath Mill Gardens and Waterloo Gardens.
The land for Roath Park was donated by the Marquis of Bute to the city in 1887. The park was officially opened to the public in 1894. Work initially focused on creating the lake from an area of marshland. In 1915 a lighthouse
was constructed in the lake containing a scale model of the 'Terra Nova
' ship to commemorate Captain Scott's ill-fated voyage to the Antarctic
from Cardiff in 1910. The park's atmosphere today still retains the Victorian
elegance and its status as a Conservation Area ensures these qualities will be conserved.
, cormorant
s and heron
s. Four islands within the lake, which are inaccessible to the public, are safe nesting sites. The lake has a population of about 100 swan
s and a number of geese
. Many wild birds are scared off by the abundance of geese in the lake, and local conservationists actively take measures to control their numbers. There is a wildflower
garden included in the park where the area is managed to encourage wildlife and native species.
The Tree Register
of the British Isles, (TROBI), is an organisation which records and measures trees in the UK. The biggest and best of their kind are called Champion Trees; there are twelve of these in Roath Park.
There is a trail which can be followed around the park, at each location there will be a marker post to assist in identifying each tree:
(*common name)
Roath Park Recreation Ground, towards the southern end of the park, contains sports pitches available for many different activities such as football, baseball
and rugby union
. High quality bowling green
s and tennis court
s are provided in the central section of the park, the Pleasure Gardens. There are also rowing boats which can be hired out and used on the lake. The lake is also home to a local radio-controlled boat
society and is used for coarse fishing
throughout the year. There are also two well equipped playgrounds.
There is a glasshouse in Roath Park which was built in Victorian
times. It contains many unusual species of plants and trees such as palms, banana trees and orchids. A pond and waterfall form an interesting feature, containing fish, terrapin
s and whistling ducks. Amongst the plants you may spot one of the Green Water Dragons. There is also the chance to talk with the botanical assistants about your own garden or pick up some leaflets. Swan and duck food is on sale for feeding the birds on the lake.
. A walk around the lake is a very popular pastime and is full of interest.
Fishing is also allowed on the lake although a permit must be obtained first.
Access is also good to other open spaces:
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...
, 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...
, is one of Cardiff's most popular parks, owned by Cardiff County Council and managed by the Parks Section. It retains a classic 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...
atmosphere and has many facilities. The park has recently been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
to recognise its high quality and its importance to 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...
. Roath Park has widely diverse environments across the park.
The park was built on 130 acre (0.5260918 km²) of reformed bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
land, known then as a malarial bog, and includes a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) lake 1.3 miles (2.1 km) around, formed by the damming of the Nant Fawr stream. It is a popular facility for fishing and rowing. There are four islands within a conservation area, home to many water bird
Water bird
The term water bird or waterbird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water. Some definitions apply the term especially to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments. In addition, some water birds are more terrestrial or...
s. The main park includes a large playground, floral displays, the glasshouse conservatory
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
and recreational areas.
Roath park occupies a long strip of land stretching from Cyncoed
Cyncoed
Cyncoed is a community in the north of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. Located in the north east of the city, Cyncoed is one of the most affluent suburbs of Cardiff, and of Wales in general. It has some of the highest property prices in Wales...
in the north to Roath
Roath
Roath is a district in the east/north-east of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales.It lies just east/north east of the city centre, stretching from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath contains the Plasnewydd electoral ward. The name is believed to originate from Irish ráth,...
towards the southeast. The park is divided into several parts along the Roath Brook, Nant Fawr. From north to south; The Wild Gardens, Roath Park Lake, Botanical Gardens, Rose Gardens, Pleasure Gardens, Roath Park Recreation Ground, Roath Brook Gardens, Roath Mill Gardens and Waterloo Gardens.
History
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was constructed in the lake containing a scale model of the 'Terra Nova
Terra Nova (ship)
The Terra Nova was built in 1884 for the Dundee whaling and sealing fleet. She worked for 10 years in the annual seal fishery in the Labrador Sea, proving her worth for many years before she was called upon for expedition work.Terra Nova was ideally suited to the polar regions...
' ship to commemorate Captain Scott's ill-fated voyage to the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
from Cardiff in 1910. The park's atmosphere today still retains the 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...
elegance and its status as a Conservation Area ensures these qualities will be conserved.
Nature
There is a wide range of habitats in the park, which attracts a diverse variety of wildlife. The lake acts as an important habitat for over-wintering and breeding birds, including mallardMallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
, cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s and heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s. Four islands within the lake, which are inaccessible to the public, are safe nesting sites. The lake has a population of about 100 swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s and a number of geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
. Many wild birds are scared off by the abundance of geese in the lake, and local conservationists actively take measures to control their numbers. There is a wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
garden included in the park where the area is managed to encourage wildlife and native species.
Champion trees
The Tree Register
The Tree Register, or more fully, the Tree Register of the British Isles , is a registered charity collating and updating a database of notable trees throughout Britain and Ireland...
of the British Isles, (TROBI), is an organisation which records and measures trees in the UK. The biggest and best of their kind are called Champion Trees; there are twelve of these in Roath Park.
There is a trail which can be followed around the park, at each location there will be a marker post to assist in identifying each tree:
- Elaeagnus angustifoliaElaeagnus angustifoliaElaeagnus angustifolia, commonly called silver berry, oleaster, Russian olive, or wild olive, is a species of Elaeagnus, native to western and central Asia, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey and Iran...
, (OleasterOleasterOleaster, signifying a plant like an olive, but less valuable Oleaster, signifying a plant like an olive, but less valuable Oleaster, signifying a plant like an olive, but less valuable (cf. poetaster, may be applied to:*Feral Olive trees that have been allowed to run wild*Olea oleaster, the...
) - Ginkgo biloba 'Pendula', (Weeping Maidenhair Tree)
- PterostyraxPterostyraxPterostyrax is a small genus of four species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, native to eastern Asia in China and Japan. They grow to 4-12 m tall, and have alternate, simple ovate leaves 6-17 cm long and 4-10 cm broad. The flowers are white, produced in...
corymbosa - Laurus nobilis 'Aurea', (Golden Bay)
- MeliosmaMeliosmaMeliosma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sabiaceae, native to tropical to warm temperate regions of southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. It is traditionally considered to contain about 100 species; some botanists take a much more conservative view accepting only 20-25 species as...
parviflora - Emmenopterys henryiEmmenopterys henryiEmmenopterys henryi is a tree that belongs to the Rubiaceae. It is a deciduous plant with opposite leaves. It originates from the temperate part of southern China. There it can attain heights of 45 m and grow to a 1000 years old ....
- Quercus pyrenaica, (Pyrenean OakForests of the Iberian PeninsulaThe woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems on the Iberian Peninsula, spanning mainly Spain and Portugal. Although the various regions are each characterized by distinct vegetation, there are some similarities across the peninsula....
) - MagnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
virginiana, (Swamp Bay) - Malus 'Magdeburgensis', (Magdeburg apple)
- Maclura pomifera, (Osage Orange)
- Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera', (Dwarf Japanese Red Pine)
- Prumnopitys andinaPrumnopitys andinaPrumnopitys andina , the Chilean plum yew, is an evergreen coniferous tree native to south-central Chile and a few areas in adjacent parts of westernmost Argentina from 36 to 40° South latitude...
, (Chilean Plum Yew)
(*common name)
Recreation
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. High quality bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
s and tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s are provided in the central section of the park, the Pleasure Gardens. There are also rowing boats which can be hired out and used on the lake. The lake is also home to a local radio-controlled boat
Radio-controlled boat
- Fun Sport :Electric Sport boats are the most common type of boat amongst casual hobbyists. Hobby quality boat speed generally start at around 20MPH and go up from there, and can be just as fast or faster than their internal combustion counterparts, with the latest in Lithium Polymer and Brushless...
society and is used for coarse fishing
Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish . The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.-History:The term "coarse fishing"...
throughout the year. There are also two well equipped playgrounds.
Special events
There are regular events within the park including guided walks, concerts, exhibitions etc. See the Parks Website for information about current events.Conservatory
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...
times. It contains many unusual species of plants and trees such as palms, banana trees and orchids. A pond and waterfall form an interesting feature, containing fish, terrapin
Terrapin
A terrapin is a turtle living in fresh or brackish water.Terrapin may also refer to:* Terrapin , a transport vehicle used for amphibious assault by the Allies during the Second World War...
s and whistling ducks. Amongst the plants you may spot one of the Green Water Dragons. There is also the chance to talk with the botanical assistants about your own garden or pick up some leaflets. Swan and duck food is on sale for feeding the birds on the lake.
Ornamental gardens
The park boasts exceptional floral displays. These include the flowerbeds along the promenade and the famous rose garden, which include trial beds for the National Rose Society. Further information on plants in the park can be obtained from the Parks Website on the Illustrated Plant Guide.Views
The promenade along the dam at the bottom of the lake offers great views to the hills on the edge of CardiffCardiff
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...
. A walk around the lake is a very popular pastime and is full of interest.
Facilities
- A cafe adjacent to the lake is open most of the year and provides refreshments and light meals. A kiosk also serves refreshments
- Toilets are provided within the park
- The Boat House is the centre for hiring rowing boats and other craft that use the lake.
Fishing is also allowed on the lake although a permit must be obtained first.
- A pavilion is provided for those using the bowling green and tennis courts.
- Changing Rooms are provided for the sports pitches.
Nearby
Roath Park is a long, fairly narrow park stretching from Roath into Cyncoed. The nearest district centre is at the southern end of the park on Wellfield Road and Albany Road.Access is also good to other open spaces:
- Nant Fawr Corridor Lying to the North of the park and forming a 'green' corridor out to the open countryside.
- Cathays CemeteryCathays CemeteryThe Cathays Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in the United Kingdom, located just north of the Cathays suburb of Cardiff, Wales. The cemetery gateway, forecourt walls and mortuary chapels are Grade II listed structures...
Very old cemetery with a wealth of listed buildings and tombs. - Heath Park Another large park, Heath provides numerous sports pitches for different types of sports and is home to several sporting teams.
Llanishen LlanishenLlanishen is a district in the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Llanishen is well-known as the home of the 'Tax Offices', the tallest buildings in north Cardiff and a landmark for miles around...Cyncoed CyncoedCyncoed is a community in the north of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. Located in the north east of the city, Cyncoed is one of the most affluent suburbs of Cardiff, and of Wales in general. It has some of the highest property prices in Wales...Llanedeyrn Llanedeyrn-Early history:The name "Llanedeyrn" is believed to be derived from a sixth century monk and a Celtic saint named St. Edeyrn. During the sixth century, St. Edeyrn and a fellow monk, St. Isan, were given the task of spreading the faith and establishing places of worship. The first location chosen by...Heath Roath Park Penylan PenylanPenylan is a district in the east of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, known for its Victorian era period houses and spacious tree lined roads and avenues....Cathays CathaysCathays is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is an old suburb of Cardiff established in 1875. It is very densely populated and contains many older terraced houses giving it a Victorian era atmosphere...Roath RoathRoath is a district in the east/north-east of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales.It lies just east/north east of the city centre, stretching from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath contains the Plasnewydd electoral ward. The name is believed to originate from Irish ráth,...Tremorfa TremorfaTremorfa is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It falls into the Splott ward of Cardiff.-Transport:Tremorfa is the terminus of the 12/13 routes operating to Culverhouse Cross via Splott, Central Stn, Canton and Ely...