THE HISTORY OF CARDIFF'S SUBURBS

Early History

Llandaff has been linked to Llandaff North via a bridge over the Taff for hundreds of years.

Llandaff Bridge at one point was the most important bridge across the lower reaches of the Taff, and sometimes had to be used instead of Cardiff Bridge when that became flooded or was unsafe to cross.

The existing bridge was originally built as a three-arched stone structure in the mid-eighteenth century by Thomas Roberts.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the narrow roadway and stone parapets were replaced by a flat metal deck resting on the old stone piers and arches.

During the 1980's the bridge was replaced by a characterless single-span concrete structure.

[Click / tap image to enlarge]

The Glamorganshire Canal

Llandaff North developed around the Glamorganshire Canal, when iron was being brought down via barge from Merthyr.

Along the route there was a requirement for locks or wharfs so that the cargo could be accessed at regular intervals.

A lock was constructed in the village in the late 19th Century, and until 1910, the area was known as Llandaff Yard, with many industries being located along the river bank.

Everything from a plant which processed dead horse bones into manure, to a match-stick manufacturer and soap production could be found within a short distance of each other.

By the end of the 19th century, Hawthorn School had been opened and when the First World War was over, new housing estates had been completed near Llandaff Bridge and around Station Road.

A Rural Suburb

When Llandaff North became a suburb of Cardiff in 1922 one of the few remaining manufacturers was Evans Eagle Foundry, which was sited adjacent to Llandaff Lock.

Although the foundry closed in the 1930s, there are still many manhole and drain covers inscribed with the firm’s insignia, ‘Evans, Llandaff’, that can still be seen in Cardiff today.

Llandaff North remained largely rural until the 1950's when the canal was filled in, and the fields leading down to what is now Western Avenue, were being developed for housing.

Since then, the village has seen little of the development that other suburbs have experienced.  Llandaff North is lucky to have retained its wide roads, grand houses with generous gardens, and open green areas.

This constituency is known as a key marginal and is one of a handful within the United Kingdom which is decisive in a British General Election.

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01 April 2024 (Content and coding updates)
01 December 2014 (Coding updates)
July 2009 (Page Created)