Fairwater, Cardiff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fairwater |
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|---|---|
| Community | |
 Shopping area on Fairwater Green |
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| Principal area | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
Fairwater (Welsh: Y Tyllgoed) is a lively area, also known as a 'community', located in the western part of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It's just a short distance from Culverhouse Cross, which links Cardiff to the main M4 motorway. In 2011, about 12,981 people lived here.
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What's in a Name?
The original Welsh name for Fairwater is Tyllgoed. This name comes from two Welsh words: "tyll," meaning "to hole" or "to burrow," and "coed," meaning "woods" or "trees." It's thought that this name first described a stream that still flows through Fairwater today, which might have "burrowed" its way through the woods.
Some people used to think the name meant "dark woods." However, experts now believe this isn't correct. The name was first written down in the 12th century as Tull Coit. The English name Fairwater might come from an old Latin phrase, bella aqua, which means "fair water." This phrase was found written next to the old Welsh name in a very old book.
Places to See and Things to Do
Fairwater is a green and leafy area. It has different types of homes. Some are older, built in the 1930s, and are mostly privately owned. Others were built in the 1950s and are public housing.
The area has many great places for young people. These include Fairwater Park, which locals call "the Dell." There's also the Fairwater Leisure Centre, a cool skatepark, and lots of playing fields for sports.
Schools in Fairwater
Fairwater has two main secondary schools.
- Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr is a Welsh-medium school, meaning lessons are taught in Welsh. It's the larger of the two, with over a thousand students.
- Cantonian High School has nearly 700 students.
Many famous people have attended these schools. For example, Martyn Woodroffe, an Olympic swimming silver medalist from 1968, went to Waterhall Secondary Modern School, which is now Plasmawr. Cantonian High School has also seen many Welsh international football (soccer) players, like Ryan Green, Jermaine Easter, and Joe Ledley.
Fairwater also has primary schools, including Peter Lea Primary and Fairwater Primary.
Other Local Spots
- Fairwater Brook was a favorite place for the famous writer Roald Dahl when he was a child. He lived nearby in Radyr.
- Fairwater Park was home to one of Britain's first artificial ski slopes, built in 1969.
- Fairwater Green is a local shopping area, named after the grassy space nearby.
- Fairwater Library opened in 1960. It's a small library where you can borrow books, use computers, and find a quiet place to study.
- Ty Bronna is a special old building on St Fagan's Road. It was built between 1903 and 1906 and is the only building in Wales designed by the famous architect C. F. A. Voysey. It's protected as a Grade II listed building.
How Fairwater is Governed
Fairwater is both an electoral ward and a community within the City of Cardiff. An electoral ward is like a local area that chooses its own representatives for the city council. Fairwater doesn't have its own separate community council.
The Fairwater electoral ward is part of the larger Cardiff West area, which elects a Member of Parliament (MP) to the UK Parliament. Fairwater is bordered by other areas like Creigiau & St. Fagans to the west and Llandaff to the east.
Getting Around Fairwater
Fairwater has good public transport links, making it easy to get around.
Train Stations
There are three railway stations in Fairwater:
- Fairwater railway station in the middle of the area.
- Danescourt railway station in the north.
- Waun-Gron Park railway station in the south.
All three stations are on the Cardiff City Line. You can catch trains heading north to Radyr or south to Cardiff Central, which is the main train station in Cardiff.
Bus Services
Cardiff Bus runs local bus services in Fairwater. Bus service 61 goes through the area to Pentrebane, and the 32 bus service travels through Fairwater to St Fagans.
Main Roads
The main road on the east side of Fairwater is Western Avenue (A48). This road connects Fairwater to other parts of Cardiff, like Ely and Canton, and also to the city centre. It also links to the M4 motorway (Junction 30) to the north. St Fagans Road is a country road that leads west from Fairwater to St. Fagans and Culverhouse Cross, which connects to the M4 motorway (Junction 33).
Famous People from Fairwater
Fairwater has been home to or educated several well-known individuals:
- John Toshack – A famous football player and former manager of the Welsh national football team. He went to Cantonian High School.
- Patti Flynn – A jazz singer, author, and the person who started Black History Wales. She lived in Fairwater later in her life.
- Terry Holmes – A well-known Welsh and British Lions international rugby union player.
- Joe Ledley – A Welsh international football (soccer) player who also attended Cantonian High School.
- Martyn Woodroffe – An Olympic swimming silver medalist at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
- Justin Kerrigan – A Welsh filmmaker who wrote and directed the movie Human Traffic. He went to Cantonian High School.
- Neil McEvoy – A political party leader and a Cardiff councillor for Fairwater.
