Pontcanna ( Welsh for 'pont bridge + Canna ') is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, Wales. It is located adjecent to Canton, Cardiff. It is also located a short distance to the city centre, and its borders are approximately indicated by Western Avenue, the River Taff, Cowbridge Road East and Llandaff Road. [1]
Pontcanna is an area of wide tree-lined streets and large houses. It is a relatively wealthy area with numerous cafes and independent retailers centred on Pontcanna Street and Cathedral Road. There is both a large English-born population (roughly 25%) and a smaller Welsh-speaking population (roughly 20%). [2] The area was formerly home to the television studios of TWW, Teledu Cymru, HTV and S4C's headquarters; the BBC's Broadcasting House was nearby in Llandaff.
Many of the larger villas (particularly on Cathedral Road) have been converted into flats, guest houses or business premises. Located on the edge of Cardiff city centre, Pontcanna gives easy access to the centre for professionals, as well as access via the Gabalfa Interchange to the A48(M) motorway.
The name Pontcanna stems from Pont Canna Farm, which in turn was named after a bridge across the Whitehouse Brook, [3] a one-time tributary of the River Taff which ran between Llandaff Fields and Riverside. The bridge is believed to have stood near the junction of what, today, are Teilo Street and Cathedral Road. The bridge was removed (and the brook covered up) in 1896. [3] Saint Canna is said to have been a 6th-century saint, although there is little early evidence of her existence.
What is nowadays Pontcanna was almost completely open farmland until the late nineteenth century. The main route, Cathedral Road, was previously known as Pontcanna Lane, running between Plasturton Farm in the south and Pontcanna Farm to the north. In 1854 Sophia, widow of the 2nd Marquess of Bute began to finance the creation of a 41-acre garden on the site of Plasturton Farm, next to the River Taff and Cardiff Bridge. [4] This is now a public amenity known as Sophia Gardens and was a catalyst for the development of Pontcanna.
Between 1885 and 1900 the large villas along Cathedral Road were constructed. [4] : 55 Plasturton Avenue and Plasturton Gardens were then added at the turn of the twentieth century. [4] : 64
A large synagogue, designed by Delissa Joseph of London, was constructed and opened at the south end of Cathedral Road in 1896–7. [5] : 279 After Cardiff's Jewish community had largely moved to the suburbs, it was closed in 1989. [4] : 63 It has been converted into luxury offices.
A chapel belonging to the Presbyterian Church of Wales, designed by Edgar G.C. Down of Cardiff, was built at the north end of Cathedral Road in 1903. It has since ceased to be a chapel and has been subdivided into office accommodation. [5] : 278
In 1951 the Sophia Gardens Pavilion was opened. This was a major entertainment venue for the city, hosting top stars such as Danny Kaye and Tommy Steele. In 1982 the roof collapsed after a heavy snow storm and the Pavilion was closed. [4] : 111
Some of the large villas along Cathedral Road have been replaced by modern office buildings. For example, No.8 Cathedral Road was rebuilt in the 1970s to create offices for Alex Gordon & Partners, [5] : 282 architects of Transport House (see below).
Transport House, prominently located at the south end of Cathedral Road, was designed by the Alex Gordon Partnership and opened in 1978. It is 5 storeys in height, constructed using pre-cast concrete panels. [5] : 281 It is the headquarters for the Wales TUC and other trade union organisations.
Sophia Gardens and Pontcanna Fields form a large strip of parkland between Pontcanna and the River Taff. Pontcanna Fields was acquired by the Cardiff Council from the 5th Marquis of Bute in 1947. [6] The parkland includes the Cardiff City Riding School, football pitches and allotments.
Plasturton Gardens is a small public park between Plasturton Avenue and Plasturton Place.
The SWALEC Stadium (home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club) and the Sport Wales National Centre are located on Sophia Close, just north of Sophia Gardens Park.
Pontcanna is part of the Cardiff electoral ward of Riverside, and in the Cardiff West UK parliamentary constituency.
In 2016 Pontcanna became a local government community in its own right, having previously been part of the Riverside community. [7] [8] However, it does not have a community council.
Cardiff is the capital and largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of 362,310 in 2021, and forms a principal area officially known as the City and County of Cardiff. The city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingdom. Located in the south-east of Wales and in the Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff is the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan and in 1974–1996 of South Glamorgan. It belongs to the Eurocities network of the largest European cities. A small town until the early 19th century, its prominence as a port for coal when mining began in the region helped its expansion. In 1905, it was ranked as a city and in 1955 proclaimed capital of Wales. Cardiff Built-up Area covers a larger area outside the county boundary, including the towns of Dinas Powys and Penarth.
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Radyr is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417.
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The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is so named because it follows the course of the River Taff. Along much of its length, it follows the National Cycle Network Route 8 that continues to Holyhead, and is substantially off-road.
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Cardiff West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Kevin Brennan of the Labour Party.
Bute Park and Arboretum is a park in Cardiff, Wales. It comprises 130 acres (53 ha) of landscaped gardens and parkland that once formed the grounds of Cardiff Castle. The park is named after the 3rd Marquess of Bute, whose family owned the castle.
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the city's civic centre. It is located adjecent to Pontcanna, Cardiff. Canton is one of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Pakistani and Indian population. The total population of Canton increased to 14,304 at the 2011 census. It is also the most Welsh-speaking district of central Cardiff, with 19.1% of the population speaking Welsh.
The timeline of Cardiff history shows the significant events in the history of Cardiff which transformed it from a small Roman fort into the modern capital city of Wales.
Sophia Gardens is a public park in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff. International test cricket matches and county cricket matches are held in the Sophia Gardens cricket ground, the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. The gardens are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
John Prichard was a Welsh architect in the neo-Gothic style. As diocesan architect of Llandaff, he was involved in the building or restoration of many churches in south Wales.
Cardiff has many cultural sites varying from the historical Cardiff Castle and out of town Castell Coch to the more modern Wales Millennium Centre and Cardiff Bay. Cardiff was a finalist in the European Capital of Culture 2008.
Llandaff Fields is a large parkland spanning parts of central and northern Cardiff, Wales.
Cycling in Cardiff, capital of Wales, is facilitated by its easy gradients and large parks. In the mid-2000s between 2.7% and 4.3% of people commuted to work by cycling in the city. In 2017 12.4% of workers cycled to work at least 5 days a week. However, cyclists in the city are deterred from cycling by poor facilities and aggressive traffic, according to research by Cardiff University.
The Riverside electoral ward of Cardiff covers the Riverside and Pontcanna areas of the city, electing three councillors to Cardiff Council. The ward was originally created in 1890, as a ward to Cardiff County Borough Council.
