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PRESENTING UNIQUE PHOTOS OF OLD CARDIFF FOR OVER 15 YEARS!

THE HISTORY OF CARDIFF'S SUBURBS

ELY

elybrewery
View of Ely Brewery and the ancient Ely Bridge - 1910
Source: Rüdiger Eggert ⁄ © Matthew Witty

An Ancient Hamlet

Ely takes its name from the River Ely, which acts as the estate's border to the West, and may well be one of the oldest suburbs in Cardiff.

It dates back to at least when the Romans had built a road along the ancient route from Llandaff (now Cowbridge Road).  This ancient track way spanned all the way from London, to Carmarthen in West Wales.

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Map of Ely in 1922.
Source: OS

For hundreds of years Ely was a Hamlet with a small fishery and a corn mill.  After the Norman Conquest of south-east Wales in the 1090s, Ely was given to the manor of Llandaff.

The Village Toll and Pumping Station

The residents lived in cottages around the Bridge and Mill Road.  Some examples of the cottages can still be seen today.

In the mid 1760s, the Turnpike Trust was created by the Council of Cardiff.  The trust would set up the equivalent of modern day toll booths across the town, including on Ely Bridge.

Soon, horse drawn mail-coaches were making their way through Ely on their way to Milford Haven.

The Dusty Forge pub (now a youth centre) was for a long time, a mail-coach stop.  Ely Bridge has been renovated many times since the 1600s, with it last being reconstructed in 1911.

During 1849, a cholera epidemic broke out in Cardiff.  In order to combat the threat, increased sanitation and pure water was required.  The Cardiff Water Company purchased the corn mill and built a pumping station to draw water from the river.

Local Industries

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MAGNIFYchivers
Although the landmark chimney has since been demolished, the Chivers factory main building still stands today.
© Matthew Witty

Though Ely was still regarded as ‘a small village in the parish of Llandaff’, the opening of Ely train station in 1850 helped to bring new employment to the area.

Most industries were based around the bridge, and among these were two breweries.

The Ely Brewery was established in 1855, and in 1895 Crosswell’s Brewery started trading - this later became the Rhymney Brewery.

In 1959 the two companies merged and seven years later, it was taken over by Whitbread’s.  In 1982, the smell of hops vanished forever when the brewery was closed down.

Not far from the breweries, Samuel Chivers had set up his food production factory in 1890.  Famous for its vinegar, pickles and jam, Chivers’ was in operation until 1977 when it was sold off, and unfortunately closed down a few years later.

Ely Farm, an unassuming building near Trelai Park that was hundreds of years old, was a family home until its landlord, the Welsh Assembly Government, sold it off to redevelop the land in 2012.

Ely Paper Works

The Ely Paper Works, which opened in 1865, was sited south-east of the bridge and within 20 years it was the largest producer of newsprint in Britain.

Arjo Wiggins became the owners in 1990, and as the company switched to the manufacturing of carbonless (biodegradable) paper. Unfortunately, the company closed in 1999 due to falling demand, with home and office computers replacing the need for paper documents.

Housing Developments

In 1922, Ely became a suburb of Cardiff and, following the Town Council's purchase of Red House Farm and Green Farm, over 3,000 council houses were built within two years.

The entire estate north of Cowbridge Road was completed before World War Two with houses built to a high standard with relatively new electric lighting.

The quality of the properties was so impressive, that the company that built them (Bright and Addicott) was given contracts to build similar estates across the town.  This explains why some houses in Grangetown are very similar in design.  Houses at Ely were in great demand and first priority was given to families living in overcrowded conditions.

Western Cemetery and Culverhouse Cross

The Western Cemetery was opened in 1936, with a section dedicated to the Imperial War Graves Commission, for those who lost their lives in the two world wars. Simple, white headstones serve as a reminder of servicemen who died in two world wars.

Since 1945, Ely has been expanding quickly.  In the 1950s, Culverhouse Cross was transformed from fields and railway embankments, to a major link road and roundabout, linking to the M4.

During the 80s and early 90s, Culverhouse Cross saw further massive commercial development take place, with the adding of the Copthorne Hotel, HTV (now ITV Wales) Studios and a busy retail park.  Private housing developments sprang up in and around the Drope, and northern Ely.

Fortunately the nearby motorway acts as a border to the West of the City, preventing any more green belt land being built on.

Page Updated: 01 December 2014

viewfromelybridge
View from Ely Bridge looking towards the City Centre in 2010.  Cowbridge Road (to the left) runs parralel to the main Cardiff to Swansea railway line, and the site of the old Paper Mill lays to the right - a housing development and bridge across the River Ely is planned for the near future.  Since 2014, the land has been substantially cleared away.
Source: Matthew Witty