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Cardiff remembered: Memories of when Docks and city centre were for residents

Author Brian Lee writes a weekly history and nostalgia column for the South Wales Echo.

Saffron Jenkins

Saffron Jenkins, InYourArea Community

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Cardiff remembered: Memories of when Docks and city centre were for residents

picture showing Cardiff Docks and the Pier Head building, October, 1955. Image: Media Wales.

Written by Brian Lee

In a further chapter of Mr. GF Courtney’s An Earlier Cardiff, published by a long gone Cardiff local newspaper in the 1950s, and under the heading ‘When city centre and Docks were residential areas’ this is what he had to say: ‘The “Kate”, “La Belle Marie’’ and the “Iona’’ formed the ferry from the Pier Head to Penarth with its new dock, and just beginning to come in favour residentially.

‘The East and West Bute Docks were full of windjammers, with the growing steamer beginning to push them out. The Custom House was then in town. Whitmore Lane had long been changed to Custom House Street, so there were busy scenes at the top of the canal.’

East Canal Wharf, with the Central Hotel on the right and Custom House on the left. Image: Media Wales.

‘St Mary Street was the Mecca of the big shops. In High Street was the Marquis of Bute’s statue, gazing at the Castle, where its original had resided.’

‘Crockherbtown, then largely residential, was however gaining ground, and some of the older buildings, like decayed teeth, were being removed. Notable among these were the old white-washed cottages near the Spittal.

‘These however, lasted until the 80s, and I well remember them being enclosed by a low parapetted white-washed wall, where, in front of one of them, a square board mounted on a post proclaimed “Ginger beer sold here.’’

‘Opposite, the Ingledews lived in Springfield Place, at the corner of Dumfries Place, set back with a large garden in front, Oliver the dentist, carried on his occupation.

‘Cardiff tradesmen, such as Newton the tailor and Jenks the painter, were in Crockherbtown, where also lived a number of professional men.

‘Of the licensed public houses, the Masons Arms is fresh in my memory.

‘Its entrance was two or three steps below the pavement, and it was outflanked by a small tobacconist’s shop, which occupied a portion of the pavement.

‘The Glamorgan Canal was then very active with patent fuel trade and its passing barges of particular interest to the juveniles.

‘Alderman Carey’s public house, known as Carey’s or the Queen’s Vaults, was then at the commencement of the Queen’s Arcade, which had been recently constructed.

‘Another alderman who was a licensed victualler was TW Jacobs. He was a familiar figure with his long flowing beard and was the subject of much talk in connection with some of his properties in the town.

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‘As time rolled on I got to know a great deal of Cardiff. The population in 1877 was insignificant a very different Cardiff to the one I came back to in 1917, after nearly thirty years’ absence, when the population was 222,000.

‘How much more the difference my grandfather saw in 1887, following an absence of sixty years. He had resided in Cardiff for a time in 1827, when the population was some 1,700, and returned to find it 87,000.’

‘His reminiscences were very interesting, and I had many talks with him, for I was over thirty years of age when he died at 91 in 1900.

‘But I must return to the Cardiff of 1877, differing in so many ways from the Cardiff of today.

‘In the first place its divisions were sharp and distinct principally they were four in number: the Docks, the Town, Roath and Canton.

‘The Docks, so far as residence went, still had social distinction. There were Loudoun Square, Mount Stuart Square and Windsor Parade as socially possible.

Loudoun Square pictured in 1959. Image: Media Wales.

‘True, Tyndall Street had ceased to be the abode of the great and its fine houses had deteriorated, but many docks merchants still hung on the the docks domicile.’

‘The Town, however, was strengthening its residential hold through the popularity of Charles Street, the new Park Place, Windsor Place, St Andrew’s Place, with Park Grove, etc, Dumfries Place and Pembroke and Edwards Terraces.’

CAROLINE STREET...

Caroline Street looking towards St Mary Street in 1974. Image: Media Wales.

WITH the demolition of number 15 Caroline Street the last public house in the street disappeared.

Until 1936, number 15 – The Neptune –  was the last of 12 pubs that stood in Caroline Street which has been known over the years as ‘Grub Street’ and ‘Chip Alley’.

The Neptune was demolished to make way for Brain’s Brewery and the land used as a stockyard.

The last tenant of the house was Mrs. Sara Reed who was born and died there.

She had a parrot which lived to be 90 years old and during the First World War the Neptune was turned into a recruiting office.

THE EMPIRE THEATRE...

Empire Theatre, Queen Street, Cardiff. Image: Media Wales.

A READER to a local weekly Cardiff newspaper back in 1944 had this to say: ‘Who, of the elderly residents of Cardiff, will ever forget the old Empire Music Hall.

‘It was the most popular entertainment home in the country.

‘All the big stars came to the Empire –  Sir Harry Lauder, George Roby, Charles Coburn, Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, Little Tich, Vesta Tilley, Albert Chevalier, Zena Dare and many others.’

The interior of the grand old Empire. Image: Media Wales.

YOU WRITE...

I READ with interest your piece on Gren the late Echo cartoonist. I remember the Kardomah well commonly called The KD.

Upstairs was a favourite haunt of teenagers until a police raid during which joints were being thrown away or hidden to avoid retribution.

Sadies was on Adam Street, opposite the gaol near where the fire station is now. Legend was that it was raided by Environmental Health officers after reports of cats going missing.

Cans of Kit E Cat were found in the stores. The curry was acknowledged as being unusual but delicious.

The Homestead was beneath the Continental Restaurant alongside the Capitol Cinema.

The Capitol Cinema, Queen Street, pictured in 1982. Image; Media Wales.

Run by the Carpani family, it brought a taste of cosmopolitan life to Cardiff.

Please send your pictures and stories to Brian Lee, Cardiff Remember, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XR

  • or email brianlee4@virginmedia.com
  • If sending a letter, please include your phone number.

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