Roath Park Smithy

Originally there was a smithy with sheds and stables in the Botanic Garden area of the park. In July 1898 it was decided to move it to waste ground by the railway bridge on Fairoak Road which would be fenced in for use of the Parks Department.[1] This was shown on the 1901 Ordnance Survey map.

Later when the new parks depot was completed in 1901 the smithy moved there.[2] The site in Fairoak Road was then laid out as an ornamental space.[3]

On completion of the conversion of the railway line into the A48 dual carriageway, a restaurant building was erected below the embankment and became "The Grotto", a fish restaurant. After The Grotto was demolished an Indian restaurant was built and was later taken over by the Juboraj. This closed in 2019/2020.

Sources of Information

In general, the information in this section is taken from A. A. Pettigrew, The Public Parks and Recreation Grounds of Cardiff, Volume 3.

Other sources are:

  1. Meeting of the Parks Committee 22nd July 1898
  2. A. A. Pettigrew, The Public Parks and Recreation Grounds of Cardiff, Volume 2
  3. Meeting of the Parks, Open Spaces etc. Committee 25th November 1901