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Cardiff Market facts for kids

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Cardiff Market
Entrance to Cardiff Market.jpg
Trinity Street entrance to Cardiff Market
Location Cardiff city centre
Coordinates 51°28′48″N 3°10′43″W / 51.4801°N 3.1787°W / 51.4801; -3.1787
Address Cardiff Market, St Mary Street, Cardiff
Opening date May 1891; 134 years ago (1891-05)
Owner Cardiff Council
Architect William Harpur
Website cardiff.gov.uk
Grade II* listed building

Cardiff Market (Welsh: Marchnad Caerdydd), also known as Cardiff Central Market, is a super cool indoor market in the heart of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It's a really old building from the Victorian era, which means it's over 100 years old! You can find it in the busy Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre.

Discovering Cardiff Market's History

Cardiff Market - geograph.org.uk - 1422458
Inside Cardiff Market from the 1st floor

Did you know the market stands on a historic spot? Long ago, it was where Cardiff's old prison was located. A famous event happened here in 1831: a man named Dic Penderyn was executed at the St. Mary Street entrance. This part of history shows how much the area has changed!

The market building you see today was designed by an architect named William Harpur. It first opened its doors in May 1891. But even before this building, people were selling goods here! A farmers' market has been around this spot since the 1700s.

St Mary Street entrance to Cardiff Market

The market has two main shopping areas: a ground floor and a cool balcony level. The balcony wraps all the way around the inside of the market. You can enter the market from three different places: St. Mary Street, Trinity Street, and a small alleyway off Church Street.

Look up when you enter from the High Street side! A large clock from H. Samuel has been hanging there since 1910. The clock you see now was put up in 1963 and was given a big makeover in 2011.

Since 1975, this amazing building has been officially protected as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic place!

Meet the Market Traders

The market is full of different shops, called stalls. Traders here sell all sorts of things! You can find fresh food, yummy cooked meals, special treats, and even durable goods like clothes or gifts.

One very famous shop is Ashton's the fishmongers. They say they've been selling fresh seafood at the Trinity Street entrance since way back in 1866! They even made headlines in 2012 when they sold meat from a huge thresher shark.

Another long-standing shop is The Market Deli. This is a small, family-run business that has been trading for over 100 years! They've been in the exact same spot since 1928, selling delicious deli items.

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