Cardiff Market facts for kids
Inside Cardiff Market from the 1st floor
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| Location | Cardiff city centre |
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| Coordinates | ACoordinates: Unknown argument format |
| Address | Cardiff Market, St Mary Street, Cardiff |
| Opening date | May 1891 |
| Owner | Cardiff Council |
| Architect | William Harpur |
| Website | cardiff.gov.uk |
| Grade II* listed building | |
Cardiff Market (Welsh: Marchnad Caerdydd) is a famous indoor market in the heart of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It's also known as Cardiff Central Market. This historic building has been a busy shopping spot since the Victorian era.
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Discovering Cardiff Market's History
The land where Cardiff Market stands today has a long history. It was once the site of Cardiff's jail. A person named Dic Penderyn was executed there on August 13, 1831.
The market building was designed by William Harpur, who was the Borough Surveyor at the time. It first opened its doors in May 1891. However, people had been selling goods at this location for much longer. A farmers' market was known to be here as far back as the 1700s.
The market has two main shopping levels. There's a ground floor and a balcony level. This balcony wraps around the inside walls of the market. You can enter the market from three different places: St. Mary Street, Trinity Street, and a small alleyway off Church Street.
A large clock from H. Samuel has been a landmark above the High Street entrance since 1910. The clock you see today was put in place in 1963 and was carefully restored in 2011. Since 1975, the market building has been recognized as a special historic building, known as Grade II*.
Meet the Market Stallholders
Cardiff Market is home to 61 different independent businesses. You can find all sorts of things here. There are stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, clothes, music, and even hardware.
One very well-known trader is Ashton's the fishmongers. They say they have been selling fresh seafood in the market since 1866. You can find them near the Trinity Street entrance. They once sold meat from a very large thresher shark, which was 20 feet long!
Another long-standing business is The Market Deli. This small, family-run shop has been trading for over 100 years. They have been at the same stall since 1928, offering delicious deli items.
Market Makeover: The 2024 Renovation
A big renovation project took place at Cardiff Market in 2024. About £6.5 million was spent to update and improve the building. Work started in the summer of 2024, and the market stayed open throughout the whole process.
During the renovation, some stallholders were temporarily moved to units outside the market in The Hayes. This move lasted for up to 12 weeks. The project included creating a new dining area with 70 seats for visitors.
Many parts of the historic Victorian building were restored. The roof and original windows were carefully repaired. Both the Trinity Street and St Mary Street entrances were refreshed. The original stalls were also given a new look. Improvements were made to the old Victorian drainage system. New glazing and tiles were put in place, and the H. Samuel market clock was repaired. The market also gained a new room for activities and educational programs.
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