The City to Bay Walk

Pierhead Building

Discover Cardiff’s maritime history on this fascinating walk from the city centre to Cardiff Bay, an area once the hub of Cardiff’s coal exporting and now one of Europe’s most exciting waterfront developments. This is one of the flattest walks that you will come across, so take your time and enjoy!

Distance: 2 ½ km flat

Time: 3 hours

1. Start at the rear (south side) of Cardiff Central railway station.

2. Walk eastwards towards the traffic lights (Penarth Road), take an immediate left towards Callaghan Square and walk across to statue of the 2nd Marquess of Bute.

Born in Cardiff in 1793, John Stuart was a member of the family who turned Cardiff into one of the largest coal exporting cities in the world with the construction of the docks. The first dock, The Bute Dock, opened in 1839.

Callaghan Square was created as a new open public space and the gateway to Cardiff Bay, and includes various pieces of artwork.

3. Continue east and walk under the railway bridge, turn right before Edward England apartment building and down Lloyd George Avenue for ½ km (approx). Notice pieces of art on both sides of the road.

Three years after the Bute Dock opened, John Humphrey England began to supply potatoes to the rapidly growing population of Cardiff. By 1909 they bought their first ship, the SS Cardiff City which carried over 322 tons. Their headquarters have now been turned into apartments.

4. Head towards the small fountains. Craft in the Bay is usually open 7 days a week and sells locally made arts and crafts. Carry straight on, past The Red Dragon Centre on the left, and again notice the various sculptures along the road.

5. Wales Millennium Centre, you can’t miss this building! The main foyer is free to explore, and you may be lucky to catch one of the many free lunchtime and evening performances.

When you see the building, you will see that it can only have been designed and built in Wales. The brief to the architects was that it had to be “unmistakeably Welsh and internationally outstanding” and as you can see it dominates the Cardiff Bay skyline.

6. To the right of this building you will see the delightful water tower, walk towards the waterfront with the Pierhead Building (Red Brick) on the left, and head towards the water and you will see the Celtic Ring sitting on the boardwalk

The Celtic Ring marks the sea boundary of the Taff Trail, the ring has details which refer to tidal charts and seafaring instruments.

7. Look towards the water and walk left along the boardwalk, head towards the Pierhead building (red brick) and the National Assembly Debating Chamber on left, and the Seafarers Memorial.

The Pierhead Building was built in 1897 to house the Bute Dock Company.

It was the symbol of Cardiff to many seamen as they arrived in the city. Now it’s a free interactive exhibition on who’s who in the Welsh Assembly, what’s happening and how the National Assembly for Wales works.

8. From the Memorial look ahead and see a white church in the distance, this is the Norwegian Church. Start walking towards this building and you will come pass various sculptures on either side of the path. Once you have arrived at the church, you will see an unusual tube shaped building, this is the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre. A perfect place to take a rest or pick up some information, next to The Tube is the Lightship 2000.

A former Norwegian Seamen’s Church, it was originally built in Butetown in 1868 andd was used for sailors, dockers and their families. The children’s author Roald Dahl attended the church regularly and was baptised here in 1916. In 1987 the church was dismantled and rebuilt on its present site and established as a culture centre, presenting regular arts events and exhibitions.

Know locally as ‘The Tube’, the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre offers panoramic views across the Bay, provides visitor information and houses a superb unique scale model of the Bay.

The Christian lightship, located behind The Tube, is open to visitors to explore the light tower, engine room, cabins, mess room, and unique chapel. Visitors can also relax with light refreshments in their ‘galley’ in an atmosphere of Christian friendship.

Walking towards the Norwegian Church you will notice the Bay Art Panels along the waterside, relocated from the National Garden Festival in Ebbw Vale in 1993 to Cardiff’s waterfront.

9. Follow path and boardwalk to Mermaid Quay – a restaurant and bar complex offering cuisine from across the world. Also keep an eye out for art on display such as the ‘Cargoes’ sculptures along the walls of Mermaid Quay.

The clock celebrates the life and achievements of Captain Ernest Willows, now largely forgotten, but once a prominent local pioneer whose airship experiments in the skies over Cardiff Docks were a regular occurrence in the early 20th Century.

This is a narrative trail that visitors can follow throughout Mermaid Quay.

John Masefield’s poem has been brought to life with 22 steel sculptures located all around Mermaid Quay, and includes a monkey, an elephant, firewood and coal as well as a plaque displaying the text of the poem.

This sculpture of a young couple with their dog was sculpted by John Clinch and celebrates the people who lived and worked in the docks.

Clinch said ‘I wanted to make something that somehow gave a voice to those people’.

10. Walk past the Bosphorus Turkish restaurant and Harry Ramsdens, and you will see some flags at the end of Mount Stuart Dry Docks. Here lies the Panorama Stone where your walk finishes.

Do you still feel energetic?

If you do, follow the Taff Trail, up the Taff embankment back to the Stadium, Castle or extending up into Sophia Gardens and Bute Park.

If not, transport available includes watertaxi, bus or train back to the city centre.

(Cardiff Council would like to acknowledge the pictures and information supplied by the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust, the Cardiff Harbour Authority and the Ramblers Association)

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