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A Brief History of the Cardiff Parks* by W. NELMES, M.B.E., A.H.,R.H.S., F.Inst.P.A. Municipal Parks are a modem feature of community life. Not until the first Public Health Act was passed in 1848-little more than a hundred years ago-could Local Authorities spend the ratepayers' money in purchasing land for parks or in main- taining land for such a purpose, unless they had secured a private Act of Parliament authorising them to do so. It is a remarkable fact that all our public parks in Cardiff have been acquired and developed within living memory. Even now there must be many people in Cardiff who can remember the formal opening of Roath Park by the Marquis of Butθ in 1894. A few of the older residents may even remember the site when the Nant Fawr Brook flowed through the wet meadows before the Lake and Botanical Gardens were formed about seventy years ago. But we must not assume that before the latter part of the last century Cardiff was entirely destitute of open spaces for, although parks as we know them to-day did not exist, there were certain public walks, commons and other places to which citizens could resort for recreation and pleasant relaxation. For a considerable period during the latter part of the 18th century and the first part of the 19th century, the Castle Green and parts of that section of the Castle Grounds known as Cooper's Fields were (subject to certain restrictions and regulations) opened to the public and this privilege was no doubt very greatly appreciated by the citizens. We like to think that a town green once existed on the west side of the River Taff and, in fact, the name Cardiff Green' was at one time applied to a piece of land opposite the Cardiff Arms Park and the name Green Street' now perpetuates its memory. Unfortunately there is no direct evidence--documentary or traditional--of it ever having been used by the inhabitants of ancient Cardiff for the playing of games. It is probable, and there is strong supporting evidence, that Cardiff Arms Park itself is the site of the ancient town green. At one time, the Park as it was known until relatively recent time was the property of the town and it appears to have been conveyed to the first Marquis of Bute in 1803. At this time and up to the year 1850, the river followed its old natural course. In that year the river was straightened by making a new cut southwards until it rejoined its natural course just above the present Penarth Road Bridge. (Pl.IA) It is interesting to note that the old stone bridge, which had been constructed in 1795, was now replaced by a wider bridge and this, in turn, was reconstructed in 1930 to give us the crossing we have to-day. Although the earliest surviving record we have of the park dates back only to 1721 it is probable that this piece of land was in general use by the citizens of the town from time immemorial. The area named Little Park was closed and added to the private grounds of the Castle about 1860. On the site now occupied by the Angel Hotel there stood the Cardiff Arms Inn, and it was to distinguish the Great Park from the Little Park that the name Cardiff Arms Park' was coined. In the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian of the 27th May, 1837, was a report on the Cardiff festivities in connection with the cele- brations of the Princess Victoria's eighteenth birthday, and we read that toere were rustic sports and at night fireworks in the park behind the Cardiff Arms Inn. By 1860, however the term Cardiff Arms Park' had come into general use. The Cardiff Cricket Club was This paper was read as a Presidential Address to the Cardiff Naturalists on 22nd October, 1958. The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness for much of the information embodied in this paper to his immediate predecessor, the late Mr. A. A. Pettigrew, Chief Officer of the Cardiff Parks Depart- ment, whose MS History of the Public Parks and Recreation Grounds of Cardiff he has consulted.