Off-Topic Old Cardiff photos

[TDA]

And there was a car in the photo that couldn’t have been there in 1900

Lorries as well, if you look inside the demolition area.

 

[The Colonel]

1888 map

Also, if the map is correct, the buildings outside the castle butt right up against the castle wall with no alleyway between them.

I don't understand how that was allowed at the time, especially considering the extensive (and expensive) work that was carried out by the Bute family in improving the castle and surrounding area.

 

[TH63]

And there was a car in the photo that couldn’t have been there in 1900

Superb. Notice on the right the Glamorganshire Canal (now Churchill Way) leading to "Tunnel Street" - I assume the canal ran under there, under Queen Street and down Park place?

 

[The Colonel]

Am I alone in thinking Cardiff used to look better years ago looking at some of these photos. Not everywhere of course but the City Center in particular

Library looks magnificent but I have to say, I'm glad that bloody godawful arch is gone from Kingsway

 

[TDA]

Also, if the map is correct, the buildings outside the castle butt right up against the castle wall with no alleyway between them.

I don't understand how that was allowed at the time, especially considering the extensive (and expensive) work that was carried out by the Bute family in improving the castle and surrounding area.

I read last night that the Bute restoration started in 1866 and took 60 years. Those buildings would have already been there then and the 1923 demolition would have been the final phase. As @TH63 says, the ones nearest the south gate might have been removed earlier. A map from 1910 or so would be useful.

 

[TDA]

link to the site I found these http://www.oldmapsonline.org/map/britishlibrary/mapsu145ubu10u5uf001r

 

[The Colonel]

link to the site I found these http://www.oldmapsonline.org/map/britishlibrary/mapsu145ubu10u5uf001r

Brilliant, it lets you overlay the map and zoom in and stuff: http://british-library.georeferencer.com/map/dfR1F74qnWVBI9Qspc28LJ/201311251646-AGVUY8/visualize

 

[Mrs Steve R]

Is this who the poster is named after?

 

[TDA]

Brilliant, it lets you overlay the map and zoom in and stuff: http://british-library.georeferencer.com/map/dfR1F74qnWVBI9Qspc28LJ/201311251646-AGVUY8/visualize

It's a pretty accurate fit as well.

 

[The Colonel]

It's a pretty accurate fit as well.

Yeah it really is. I could waste the rest of the day with these two maps, changing the opacity on the overlaid map and seeing where everything was

Love it

 

[Travis Bickle]

Brilliant, it lets you overlay the map and zoom in and stuff: http://british-library.georeferencer.com/map/dfR1F74qnWVBI9Qspc28LJ/201311251646-AGVUY8/visualize

Bookmarked

 

[I.8.POLITICAL.CORRECTNESS]

South gate of the castle c1880

and 1900

that south gate pic , makes the place look really quaint

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Superb. Notice on the right the Glamorganshire Canal (now Churchill Way) leading to "Tunnel Street" - I assume the canal ran under there, under Queen Street and down Park place?

You're getting your Docks Feeder and your Glamorganshire Canal mixed up young man.

Being the OOCC preeminent authority figure on all things Glamorganshire Canal, I can explain the query.

The Canal ran alongside the very side of the Castle at Kingsway (actually touching the castle walls), before it travelled sharply East and under Kingsway itself. The pedestrian subway in use still uses the original arch at the Castle end of this as part of its structure. There is also a cast iron post here which moored boats would tie to. The grooves in the post from centuries of use are still visible today.

From the other side of the road it travelled down The Friary to Crockherbtown Lock (Lock no. 50), just shy of Queen Street. This also had a boat weighing facility.

It then travelled underneath and directly across Queen Street for some distance through a pitch black tunnel called 'The Ole' by the boatsmen. This was so narrow and low that horses couldn't pull the boats and so they were walked to the other end whilst a boatsman physically pushed against the tunnel walls to get the boat through!! If you walk on the lower level of Queen's Arcade you are roughly at the level of the old canal.

I've got some cracking photos of all this when I finally dig out my GCC book (currently in storage while we move house).

 

[TH63]

Thanks Arfur. I read somewhere that the docks feeder is still there, i. e rather than fill it in, they covered over it to make Churchill way as we now know it - is this true?

 

[TDA]

Is that Womanby Street looking towards the Castle?

No, Duke Street looking west. The castle would be behind on the right. I think the 1888 map puts it in context. Duke Street became a bottleneck with the advent of motor transport and that is the main reason why the buildings were taken down in 1923. No doubt the completion of the restoration of the castle about the same time was also a factor.

 

[Arfur Ap Llewellyn Europe]

Thanks Arfur. I read somewhere that the docks feeder is still there, i. e rather than fill it in, they covered over it to make Churchill way as we now know it - is this true?

Yes that's spot on. Churchill Way was once made up of two sides of the fairly wide feeder, called Pembroke Terrace and Edward Terrace. When they built over it, they simply laid heavy slabs over it, as it was still functioning at that point.

I also had a photo of said slabs being laid, but again I think I lost the book in one of many house moves. I'll keep an eye out when I move shortly and post the photos up here.

 

[TH63]

Such a shame that the canals aren’t there anymore, probably wouldn’t be much commercial use but would be a nice feature.

 

[Travis Bickle]

I bet a lot of the older ones on here have been in here

I’m not in the photo and I don’t know who there are

The clue is on the bar

 

[Travis Bickle]

 

[Travis Bickle]