Pontcanna Fields & Llandaff Fields are two

urban green space In land-use planning, urban green spaces are open-space areas reserved for parks and other "green spaces." These include plant life, water features also known as blue spaces and other kinds of natural environments. Most urban open spaces a ...

s that adjoin each other in Cardiff, Wales, covering and respectively. They are situated on the western banks of the

River Taff The River Taff () is a river in Wales. It rises in the Brecon Beacons as two rivers, the Taf Fechan ("little Taff") and the Taf Fawr ("great Taff") before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. At Cardiff, it empties into the Bristol Chan ...

and to the east of

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 ...

and northeast of

Pontcanna is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, Wales. It is located adjacent 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 ...

. Both parks are owned by

Cardiff Council Cardiff Council, formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff () is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Administrative divisions of Wales, principal areas of Wales. The principal area and its council were established ...

and managed by its Parks department. The parks are mostly on flat ground as they form part of the floodplain of the River Taff, although the ground does rise on the western edge of Llandaff Fields. To the south of Pontcanna Fields lies

Sophia Gardens Sophia Gardens ( ; ) is a public park in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff. International test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestig ...

and the Sophia Gardens cricket ground. The parkland is lined with avenues of trees and large grassed areas. The park is also used for sporting events.

History

Llandaff Fields were purchased for Cardiff Council from the mill-owning Thompson Family in 1898. The park is located on a historically important route between the city centre and Llandaff. In 1860, an extension of the park northwards for athletic purposes was announced, and took place in 1879, merging with Pontcanna Fields. Development of the park took place between 1899 and 1901. Three cricket pitches, a hockey pitch and a tennis court were added. Plans were submitted for a swimming pool, which closed early 1990s. Features such as a fountain pool, rockery and fern dell were mentioned in the area in a gardening magazine in 1923, but have since gone. of the fields were used for allotments during the war.Pontcanna Fields and Llandaff Fields (pdf)
, Coflein.gov.uk. The 2008

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

was held on Llandaff Fields, the consequence of which was still a problem in April 2010 after a part of the fields remained waterlogged. Cardiff Council has since announced £400,000 redevelopment plans for the pitches with under-soil drains. In July 2010 Cardiff Council rejected an application for a car park outside the

University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan University () is a public university located in Cardiff, Wales. Formerly known as the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC; , ) which was established in 1996. The university offers degree courses in a variety of d ...

, citing that it would harm the character and appearance of the Llandaff Conservation Area, result in the loss of open space in the city, and worsen traffic congestion on Western Avenue.

Landscape

The park is made up of a mixture of vast mown grass land and woodland areas home to wildlife. The park is situated in the valley of the River Taff. Mature trees are frequent throughout the park, such as the

Horse Chestnut The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with notable species including buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with ...

and Lime trees Cardiff Council: ''Countryside on your doorstep - Llandaff Fields''
/ref> The park is an area of mown grass crossed by a network of tarmac walks, bounded by roads on all sides but the east, where most recreational facilities are found.

Location

The fields, together with the adjacent Pontcanna Fields, form a large wedge of open space, situated on the west bank of the

, stretching from 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 ...

out to the west of Llandaff.

lies just to the south of the area and Bute Park is located on the other side of the river. Access by foot to the park is from the surrounding streets in the respective communities. The

Taff Trail The Taff Trail () is a Walking in the United Kingdom, walking and cycle path that runs for 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 Natio ...

cycle route runs through the nearby Pontcanna Fields, just to the north of Llandaff Fields. Bus services run along Cathedral Road and Cardiff Road, to the south and east of the park. WJEC's headquarters and the University of Wales Institute Cardiff's Llandaff campus are located just beyond the northern boundary of the fields.

Facilities

The park has sport pitches designed for many different sports, as well as tennis courts and bowls facilities, and a playground. Llandaff Fields Tennis Club is based in the park. Changing rooms, toilets and parking are provided at Llandaff Fields.

References

External links

Cardiff Council Llandaff Fields
{{Culture in Cardiff Parks in Cardiff Registered historic parks and gardens in Cardiff Tourist attractions in Cardiff Gardens in Wales Llandaff 1898 establishments in Wales Buildings and structures completed in 1898 Parks established in the 1890s Protected areas established in 1898