Canton () is an inner-city district and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

in the west of

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, capital of

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, lying west of the city's civic centre. It is located adjacent to Pontcanna. 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.

Description

The main road through the district is

Cowbridge Road East Cowbridge Road East () is a major road in western-central Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It is the principal road which passes through the busy district of Riverside, Cardiff, Riverside and Canton, Cardiff, Canton and connects Cowbridge Road W ...

, a busy thoroughfare with many shops and cafes as well as

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

s and

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

s and independent retailers. . This is known locally as "The Strip". Canton is home to Thompson's Park, Victoria Park, and Sanatorium Park, to the education centre Llanover Hall, and to the

Chapter Arts Centre Chapter Arts Centre (often just referred to as Chapter) is an arts centre in Canton, Cardiff, Canton, Cardiff, Wales, opened in 1971. Description Chapter hosts films, Play (theatre), plays, performance art and live music, and includes a free ar ...

, which is housed in the former buildings of Canton High School. Though the area has strong working-class roots, many artists and young professionals have found the proximity to the city centre and the number of arts venues and pubs an attraction.

Name

The name (from "St. Canna's Town") refers to the 6th-century female

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

after whom Pontcanna is also named. Canton, also known as Treganna (''tref'' town + Saint Canna), was a 13th-century manor in

Llandaff Llandaff (; ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bisho ...

. It became part of Cardiff in 1875.

History

Middle Ages

Canton, or Treganna in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

, was formed around a 13th-century Manor in Cardiff and assumed lands from nearby

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

under the stewardship of an Earl (or Baron) de Kanetune, although today the manor comes under the jurisdiction of the Manor of Llandaff. It is believed that Canton is named after Saint Canna, the holy matron in the Celtic age of Saints, and Canna herself is reputed to have been a relative of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

. In 1215, a parishioner called Lucia de Kanetune is recorded as occupying a field ‘near the Earl's wall’. In 1230, a man named as Walter de Canetune is named in the Cardiff charter, and signed the charter, obviously as a resident of quite high status. In 1262, a doctor or ‘Physicus’ called Nicholas de Kanetone gave evidence in a legal dispute between the

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

s of

Margam Margam is a suburb and community (Wales), community of Port Talbot in the Wales, Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being l ...

and St. Peter's,

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

. In 1290, Richard de Canetone is recorded as a witness on the new Cardiff charter. Also in 1290 ( Cartae 1 page 294) records: : “John, son of Robert de Landaf, granting to Milo de Regny a rent of sixpence arising out of three

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

s of land with the appurtenances, which John de Lake, formerly bailiff of la Lekwiffe, had of my fee under Kanetone, in Sudcrofte. As also one penny rent from John, son of John Godman of Kaerdif, for three other acres in the same Sudcrofte under Kanetone." (Richard de Kaneton was also one of the witnesses to this charter.)

A medieval market

From around 1250, for several hundred years Canton Cross was the site of the largest and most significant trading market in the

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

area. The market was open daily except Sundays on the extensive Canton common lands at the junction where Llandaff Road and Leckwith Road now cross

, opposite where the Canton Cross Vaults public house still stands. Goods, including all manner of fresh food stuffs, live animals and household items were brought from all over Cardiff and the

South Wales Valleys The South Wales Valleys () are a group of industrialised peri-urban valleys in South Wales. Most of the valleys run northsouth, roughly parallel to each other. Commonly referred to as "The Valleys" (), they stretch from Carmarthenshire in the ...

to be traded at the market. Items that were to be exported were then transported or herded to the docks at Cardiff,

Penarth Penarth ( , ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a Seaside resort#Brit ...

and Swanbridge. Imports of fresh foods and tradeable goods were also brought to the market from those ports. In the year 1450, stewardship of the Manor of Caneton is recorded as having been granted to Sir David ap Mathew, Lord of Llandaff manor but a resident of

Radyr Radyr (; ) is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417. Morganstown is north of Radyr, on the other sid ...

19th and 20th centuries

In 1853 St. Johns, Canton was completed and opened as a local chapel annexe of nearby Llandaff Cathedral. From around 1840, Halket Street, Canton, became home to many Irish families, indeed Canton was the recognised centre of Cardiff's increasing Irish community, most of whom were fleeing the potato famines in their own country and seeking work and housing in the ports of

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

and Cardiff. In 1870 the large Atlas Engineering works was built in Canton and opened its doors, creating many new skilled jobs in the area. The independent

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Canton was incorporated as a district of the City of Cardiff by charter in 1875. Included in Canton was Pwll-coch, which had previously been considered part of Ely. In 1899, the Manor House was recorded as still standing, on the west side of Canton Common, but it was in a poor condition and in danger of falling down. At that time it was under the occupation of a Mr Richard Williams, but there is no record of when the Manor House was eventually demolished. The extensive common lands at Ely Common were already in the process of being converted into a municipal recreation ground called Victoria Park and new housing by the city council in 1899. The market near Canton Cross, which by then had wound down to a weekly

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

market, had been relocated to lands that now house Cantonian High School in adjacent Fairwater. The market yard and rows of stables would be full of the farmers’ carts and traps from all over the

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( ), locally referred to as ''The Vale'', is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf t ...

. The market dealt with

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

and

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

as well as cattle and the market buildings also included a slaughterhouse, so the animals could be

butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale ...

ed on site ready for transporting to the many butchers shops all over Cardiff. The market's

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

depot and stabling was also next to Severn Road Council School, trams ran on rails with overhead electric power from the depot and Victoria Park to the city centre and on to other locations in Cardiff from 1902, until they were replaced by Cardiff's electric trolleybuses in 1950. The traditional Canton Cross

common land Common land is collective land (sometimes only open to those whose nation governs the land) in which all persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

now has Cardiff City FC's

Cardiff City Stadium The Cardiff City Stadium () is a stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City and the Wales national football team, Wales national team. Following expansion of the Ninian S ...

football ground and Cardiff International Sports Stadium built on it, with the last remnant of the medieval market represented only by Bessemer Road fruit market. In recent years many commercial car dealerships have moved into the area.

21st century

In 2016, work started to redevelop the old Arjo Wiggins Teape Paper Mill site adjoining Sanatorium Park, on the other side of the mainline railway. Eight hundred houses were expected to be completed, with the 'urban village' being marketed as The Mill.

Transport

The main road running through the heart of Canton is Cowbridge Road East, which is served by many bus services. The following bus services all run through Canton: Provided by New Adventure Travel: * C1:

Culverhouse Cross Culverhouse Cross () is a district straddling the boundary between Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in the Community (Wales), community of Wenvoe. The district is centred on a major traffic roundabout that links West Cardiff to the M4 m ...

(Tesco) to Pontprennau (Asda) via Canton,

Cardiff city centre Cardiff city centre () is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations – Cardiff Cen ...

, Albany Road and Pentwyn Provided by Cardiff Bus: * 1: City Circle via

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it is the river mouth of the River Taff and River Ely, Ely. The body of water was converted into a lake as part ...

, Canton,

Heath Hospital University Hospital of Wales () (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a 1,080-bed hospital in the Heath, Cardiff, Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. It is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Construction started in ...

Roath Roath () is a district and Community (Wales), community to the north-east of the Cardiff city centre, city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales. The area is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward, and stretches from Adamsdown in the so ...

and

Splott Splott () is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. S ...

* 2: City Circle via

, Canton and

* 12: Leckwith Retail Park to Drope via Canton and Cowbridge Road West * 13: City Centre to Drope via Canton and Ely * 15: City Centre to

via Caerau/ Ely * 17: City Centre to Caerau/ Ely via Canton * 18: City Centre to Ely/ Caerau via Canton * 32: City Centre to

St Fagans St Fagans ( ; ) is a village and Community (Wales), community in the west of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is home to the St Fagans National History Museum. History The name of the area invokes Saint Fagan (Saint), Fagan, according ...

via Canton and Fairwater * 64: City Centre to

St Mellons St Mellons () is a district and suburb of eastern Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Prior to 1996 St Mellons was the name given to the community largely north of Newport Road (B4487) which included the old St Mellons village. After 1996 the o ...

via Canton, Fairwater, Pentrebane, Danescourt,

, Whitchurch,

, Cyncoed and

/ Llanrumney * 65: City Centre to

via Canton, Fairwater, Pentrebane, Danescourt,

, Whitchurch,

, Cyncoed and Llanrumney/

* 66: City Centre to Danescourt via Canton and

Cowbridge Road East links the area with

, Ely, Caerau, Cardiff and Fairwater to the west and the

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

to the east. Canton is served by Waun-Gron Park railway station in the west and Ninian Park railway station in south which are both on the Cardiff City Line between Central and

Radyr railway station Radyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff, South Wales. It is at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail. The station is on the Merthy ...

s. Cardiff Canton TMD is home to the main depot of

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...

Welsh language

In the 2011 census it was recorded that 2,625 or 19.1% of Canton residents (over 3 years old) could speak Welsh. This was an increase on the figures for the 2001 census, which were 1,964 and 15.6%. Canton has two Welsh-medium primary schools, Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch and Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna, and one Welsh-language place of worship: Salem (

Presbyterian Church of Wales The Presbyterian Church of Wales (), also known as the Calvinistic Methodist Church (), is a denomination of Protestant Christianity based in Wales. The Calvinistic Methodist movement has its origins in the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival ...

) on Market Road (founded 1856, current building built in 1910). The current Cardiff Chinese Christian Church on Llandaff Road was originally a Welsh-language

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

chapel (opened 1853), but the language of the services was changed to English in the late nineteenth century.Bryan Jones, ''Images of Wales: Canton'' (new ed., Stroud, 2003), pp. 22 and 32.

Education

Schools include Lansdowne Primary School, Radnor Primary School, St Mary's Primary, Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch, Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna, and Fitzalan High School. It also has the large Canton Library.

Sport

Canton Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the district of Canton, Cardiff, South Wales (established 1877). The club play their home games at Lawrenny Avenue, off Leckwith Road, Cardiff. It is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder for the Cardiff Blues. Canton RFC was founded and commenced playing in 1876 and was one of three clubs that founded the Cardiff & District Union. Only Canton RFC remain from the three teams that played within the Canton boundary during this time. The original ground was located at Alexandra Park, using the Boar's Head as the club headquarters (both on Leckwith Road). The teams of the 1880s provided a steady supply of players to Cardiff RFC, some of whom gained international caps for Wales. Canton Rangers Football Club formerly known as Canton & Riverside and formed by cousins Mauro Caresimo and Vito Valluzzi, now in its 25th anniversary is Affiliated to the South Wales Football Association since 1999. The FAW Platinum accredited club operates Mini, Junior, Youth and Senior football teams from Under 5s through to Adults who play their games in the Cardiff and District Football League. The club also operates a Senior men's team who play in the South Wales Alliance Division. The club has won a number of League and Cup competitions across a range of different age groups. In May 2015 the club won the Welsh Community Football Award for Club of the Year for South Wales, then winning FAW Community Club of the year for Wales in May 2016. Canton Liberal also reside from the Canton Area. The Liberal's were formed in 2006 and are affiliated to the South Wales Football Association. The Club since their formation have risen through the welsh pyramid system. The Senior 1st Team sit one promotion away from the Newly Formed Welsh Football League and play their home games at the Cardiff International Sports Campus as the host community club associated with the facility. The Senior Reserve side play their games within the Cardiff & District Football League.

Government

Canton is both an

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

, and a

of the City of Cardiff. There is no

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...

for the area. The

of Canton is located in the constituency of Cardiff West. It is bounded by Fairwater and

to the north; Riverside and Grangetown to the east; the

to the south; and Caerau and Ely to the west. Canton Ward is represented by three County Councillors on Cardiff County Council. Since Cardiff became a unitary authority in 1996 Canton has been represented by Labour Councillors. Currently they are Stephen Cunnah, Susan Elsmore and Jasmin Chowdhury. They hold an advice surgery every other Saturday morning (except in August) at Canton Library, Library Street from 10.00 - 11.00am.

Notable people

Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a British singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter from Cardiff, Wales. As a child, Church was a popular classical singer with a less-successful attempt to mov ...

, singer, resident of Canton. * Frederick Charles Davies, half-mile world champion runner better known as ‘Tenby Davies’, lived at Preswylfa Street. *

Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of footba ...

, former

Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. They compete in the Premier League, t ...

footballer, Welsh capped international footballer. * James Childs Gould Industrialist and Member of Parliament for Cardiff Central, 1918-1924.

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Canton and surrounding areaBBC Wales : Memories of Canton feature

Sebastian Rose Medical Aesthetics of Canton feature
{{Authority control Communities in Cardiff