On this page the known use of parks and open spaces in Cardiff during the Second World War (1939-45) is summarised, though information may be incomplete.
The table below shows general defence functions and events with sources of information. The column font colours have been chosen to aid reading the table.
Allotments | Static Water Supply |
Barrage Balloon |
Search Lights |
War Damage |
Public Shelters |
Removal of Railings |
Council Food Production |
ARP Wardens Post |
ARP First Aid Post |
ARP Cleansing Station |
ARP Rescue & decontamination Centre |
ARP Control Centre |
ARP Watching Post |
ARP Report Centre |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adamsdown Gdns | [13] | ||||||||||||||
Africa Gdns | [10] | [114] | |||||||||||||
Cathays, Crown Gdns | [17] | ||||||||||||||
Ely Racecourse (Trelai Park) | [122] | ||||||||||||||
Ely Recreation Ground | [6] | [103] | [125] | ||||||||||||
Cyncoed Gdns | [102] | ||||||||||||||
Grange Gdns | [11] [117] | [6] | [10] [124] | ||||||||||||
Hailey Park | [7] | [22] | |||||||||||||
Howard Gdns | [11] [117] | [6] | |||||||||||||
Insole Court | [101] | [100] | [111] | ||||||||||||
Jubilee Park | [14] | [12] | [107] | [108] | |||||||||||
Kitchener Gdns | [11] [117] | [5] [107] | [10] | ||||||||||||
Llanbleddian Gdns | [116] | ||||||||||||||
Llandaff Fields | [7] [14] | [119] | [1] | [1000] | [10] | [117] | [103] | [110] [127] | |||||||
Loudoun Square | [115] | ||||||||||||||
Maindy Pool | [112] | [121] | [110] [126] | ||||||||||||
Pentre Gdns | [2] [19] [21] | [10] | |||||||||||||
Plasturton Gdns | [118] | ||||||||||||||
Pontcanna Fields | [23] | ||||||||||||||
Roath Park | [7] | [114] | [110] | [109] | |||||||||||
Roath Park Rec | [7] [14] | [2] | [8] | [10] | [22] | [103] | [126] | [104] | |||||||
Roath Park Boat Stage | [105] | ||||||||||||||
Roath Park Botanic | [22] | ||||||||||||||
Roath Park Pleasure | [22] | [6] | |||||||||||||
Roath Park Wild Gdns | [105] | ||||||||||||||
Rumney Hill Gdns | [120] | ||||||||||||||
Sevenoaks Park | [14] | [103] | [110] [126] | ||||||||||||
Sophia Gdns | [4] | ||||||||||||||
Splott Park | [7] [14] | [18] | [107] | [22] | [103] | [110] | |||||||||
The Marl | [20] | [6] | [123] | [107] | [1001] | ||||||||||
Thompsons Park | [11] [115] | [9] | [113] | ||||||||||||
Victoria Park | [14] | [11] [115] | ? | [5] [107] | [7] [22] | [6] | |||||||||
Waterloo Gdns | [14][A] | [B] | |||||||||||||
Whitchurch Common | [1003] | ||||||||||||||
Whitchurch Library Gardens | [1002] | ||||||||||||||
Windsor Esplanade Gdns | [19] | [10] | |||||||||||||
Allotments | Static Water Supply |
Barrage Balloon |
Search Lights |
War Damage |
Public Shelters |
Removal of Railings |
Council Food Production |
ARP Wardens Post |
ARP First Aid Post |
ARP Cleansing Station |
ARP Rescue & decontamination Centre |
ARP Control Centre |
ARP Watching Post |
ARP Report Centre |
References for the table above:
Reference | Key Words | |
---|---|---|
A | Aerial photographs and local knowledge do not support this | |
B | Barrage balloon shown on aerial photograph on land just outside the S E entrance | |
1 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 10th January 1939 | Search light training |
2 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 12th September 1939 | Barrage balloons |
3 | ||
4 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 11th October 1949 | Rebuilding of lodges |
5 | ||
6 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 5th March 1940 | ARP occupancy of bowls pavilions |
7 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 9th July 1940 | Allotments |
8 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 15th October 1940 | Shelter |
9 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 8th January 1941 | Damage |
10 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 18th February 1941 | Railings, Fire-watching |
11 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 9th September 1941 | Static water for firefighting |
12 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 13th January 1942 | Search lights |
13 | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 17th November 1942 | Static water for firefighting |
14 | Joint Meeting of the Parks etc. Committee and Small Holdings and Allotments Committee 25th September 1946 | |
15 | ||
16 | ||
17 | Old Cardiff pics: Barrage Balloon at Crown Gardens, Cathays Park, 1939 | Barrage Balloon on the site of Crown Gardens, Cathays Park, 1939 |
18 | Aerial Photograph of Splott Park RAF Medmenham FNO/17 8 OTU frame 6.4 25th June 1942 | Barrage Balloon at Splott Park |
19 | Parks, Baths and Cemeteries Committee 16th April 1940 | Balloon site at Pentre Gardens |
20 | Aerial Photo RAF Medmenham Collection AC476 8th April 1942 | Barrage Balloon at The Marl |
21 | Aerial Photo RAF Medmenham Collection AC478 8th April 1942 | Barrage Balloon at Pentre Gardens |
22 | Western Mail & South Wales news Thurday January 2nd 1941 page 3 | Food production |
23 | Personal communication | Shelters |
100 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 31st March 1939 | First aid post |
101 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 24th April 1939 | Air Raid Wardens posts, Llandaff Area para 4106 |
102 | Air Raid Precautions Emergency Committee 19th May 1939 | Air Raid Wardens post |
103 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 26th June 1939 | ARP cleansing station |
104 | Air Raid Precautions Emergency Committee 24th July 1939 | Report Centre |
105 | Air Raid Precautions Emergency Committee 3rd October 1939 | Public shelters (Kitchener 3 in progress & Victoria 2 in progress) |
106 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 12th October 1939 | Air raid wardens post |
107 | Air Raid Precautions Emergency Committee 17th October 1939 | ARP cleansing station, public shelters |
108 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 8th March 1940 | Air Raid Wardens post |
109 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 29th March 1940 | ARP Report Centre |
110 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 13th September 1940 | ARP Cleansing & Decontamination Centre |
111 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 18th October 1940 | ARP Watching Post |
112 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 13th December 1940 | Air Raid Wardens post |
113 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 28th March 1941 | Air Raid Wardens post |
114 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 23rd May 1941 | First aid post & air raid wardens post |
1000 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 20th June 1941 | Public shelters (16 proposed at Llandaff Fields) |
1001 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 15th August 1941 | Rescue and Decontamination Station |
115 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 19th September 1941 | Air Raid Wardens post |
116 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 26th September 1941 | Air Raid Wardens post |
117 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 10th October 1941 | Static water supply |
118 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 19th December 1941 | Static water supply |
119 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 6th February 1942 | Static water supply |
120 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 13th February 1942 | Static water supply |
121 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 19th June 1942 | First aid party |
122 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 2nd October 1942 | Shelter colony |
123 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 20th November 1942 | First aid party depot |
124 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 10th September 1943 | Fire party headquarters |
1002 | Whitchurch Parish Council ordinary monthly meeting of the Council 26th October 1943 | Water pipeline to static tank for National Fire Service |
125 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 12th November 1943 | Rescue station |
1003 | Whitchurch Parish Council meeting of the Library Committee 5th July 1946 | Static water tank base |
126 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 21st March 1947 | Rescue service garages |
127 | Air Raid Precautions Committee 23rd May 1947 | Rescue service garages |
128 | Air Raid Precautions Committee | |
129 | Air Raid Precautions Committee | |
This table shows specialised uses of parks and open spaces:
Use | Reference | |
---|---|---|
Parks and Open- Spaces in general |
Trenches in parks and open spaces to be filled in because they were waterlogged & in a dangerous condition, but Sophia Gardens to retain its trenches. | Parks, Baths and Cemeteries Committee 10th January 1939 Air Raid Precautions Committee 25th January 1939 |
Heath Park | Military Camp | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 28th November 1939 |
Heath Park | Temporary aircraft landing strip for camp | Ivor Jones, Cardiff Airfields, published 2003, pages 82-85 |
Heath Park | Prisoner of war camp | Denis Morgan, Cardiff a City at War, published 1998, page 125 |
Insole Court | ARP District Office & First Aid Post | Air Raid Precautions Committee 26th June 1939, 24th July 1939 |
Llandaff Fields | Territorial Army & Air Force Association in Concert Pavilion | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 29th November 1938 |
Llandaff Fields | Part of park used by anti-aircraft section | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 12th September 1939 |
Sophia Gardens | Tank testing | Parks, Baths & Cemeteries Committee 13th June 1950 |
Trelai Park | A probable WW2 bombing decoy installation | 1942 Aerial photograph of this site |