Roath Park facts for kids
Roath Park (Welsh: Parc y Rhath) in Cardiff, Wales, is one of the city's most loved parks. Cardiff County Council owns and looks after it. The park feels like a classic Victorian garden and has lots of fun things to do. It even won a special Green Flag award for being a high-quality park that's important to Cardiff. Roath Park has many different natural areas to explore.
The park was built on about 130 acres (0.53 km2) of land that used to be a bog. It has a large 30-acre (12 ha) lake, which is about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) around. This lake was made by building a dam across the Nant Fawr stream. It's a popular spot for fishing and rowing boats. There are four islands in the lake that are special conservation areas. Many water birds live safely on these islands. The main park also has a big playground, beautiful flower displays, a glasshouse full of plants, and open areas for playing.
Roath Park is a long park that stretches from Cyncoed in the north down to Roath in the southeast. It's divided into several sections along the Roath Brook. From north to south, these parts are: Wild Gardens, Roath Park Lake, Botanical Gardens, Rose Gardens, Pleasure Gardens, Roath Park Recreation Ground, Roath Brook Gardens, Roath Mill Gardens, Waterloo Gardens, and the Sandies Open Space.
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Park History
The land for Roath Park was given to Cardiff in 1887, mostly by the Marquis of Bute. The first part of the park opened in 1894, and more sections opened over the next 20 years. Workers first focused on turning the marshy land into the big lake.
In 1915, a small lighthouse was built in the lake. Inside it is a model of the ship 'Terra Nova'. This lighthouse remembers Captain Scott's journey to the Antarctic from Cardiff in 1910, which sadly didn't end well. Today, the park still feels like it did in the Victorian and Edwardian times. The park itself is protected, and the streets around it are also kept special to make sure this old-fashioned charm stays.
Nature in the Park
Roath Park has many different types of natural areas. This brings in a wide variety of wildlife. The lake is a very important home for birds that stay for the winter or come to breed. You can see mallards, cormorants, and herons here. The four islands in the lake are safe places for birds to build nests because people can't go there.
The lake is also home to about 100 swans and many geese. Sometimes, there are so many geese that other wild birds get scared away. Local nature helpers work to manage the number of geese. The park also has a wildflower garden. This area is looked after to help wild animals and native plants grow.
Amazing Trees
Did you know that some trees are so special they get recorded? An organization called The Tree Register of the British Isles keeps track of the biggest and best trees in the UK. These special trees are called Champion Trees. Roath Park is home to twelve of these amazing Champion Trees!
You can even follow a trail in the park with markers to find some of these unique trees, like:
- Quercus bicolor (Swamp white oak)
- Ginkgo biloba 'Pendula', (Weeping maidenhair)
- Ulmus 'Sapporo autumn gold (Sapporo elm)
- Pterostyrax corymbosa
- Ilex macrocarpa
- Laurus nobilis 'Aurea', (Golden bay)
- Meliosma parviflora
- Emmenopterys henryi
- Quercus x andegavennis
- Quercus pyrenaica, (Pyrenean oak)
- Malus 'Magdeburgensis, (Magdeburg apple)
- Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' (Callery pear)
- Maclura pomifera, (Osage orange)
Two oak trees in the park are even older than the park itself! Experts think they are about 244 years old. Imagine all the history they've seen!
Fun Activities
At the southern end of the park, you'll find the Roath Park Recreation Ground. This area has sports pitches where you can play football, baseball, and rugby union. In the middle of the park, in the Pleasure Gardens, there are also great bowling greens and tennis courts.
You can also hire rowing boats and enjoy a trip around the lake. The lake is also used by a local club for radio-controlled boats. People also enjoy coarse fishing in the lake all year round. Plus, there are two well-equipped playgrounds for younger visitors.
People used to swim in the lake when it first opened. Sadly, public swimming stopped in 1949 because of worries about the water quality. However, water carnivals and water skiing still happened in the 1960s and 1970s!
Special Events
The park often hosts fun events. These include guided walks where you can learn about the park, concerts, and exhibitions.
The Conservatory
There's a special glasshouse in Roath Park called the Conservatory. It was built in the 1970s, replacing two older ones. Inside, you'll find many unusual plants and trees. There are tall palms, banana trees, and beautiful orchids. A pond with a waterfall is a main feature, home to fish, terrapins, and even whistling ducks. You can buy food for the swans and ducks on the lake right here.
Beautiful Gardens
The park is famous for its amazing flower displays. You can see lovely flowerbeds along the promenade. There's also a very famous rose garden. This garden used to have special trial beds for the National Rose Society to test new types of roses.
Park Facilities
Here are some of the things you'll find at Roath Park:
- A café next to the lake is open most of the year. It sells drinks and light meals. There's also a kiosk for quick refreshments.
- Toilets are available in the park.
- The boat house lets you hire rowing boats and other small boats for the lake.
- A pavilion is there for people using the bowling green and tennis courts.
- Changing rooms are provided for those playing sports on the pitches.
What's Nearby?
Roath Park is a long, narrow park that stretches from Roath up to Cyncoed. The closest town center is at the southern end of the park, on Wellfield Road and Albany Road.
You can also easily get to other green spaces nearby:
- Nant Fawr Corridor: This is north of the park and forms a green path leading out to the countryside.
- Cathays Cemetery: This place has many old, interesting buildings and tombs.
- Heath Park: Another large park, Heath Park has many sports pitches for different games and is home to several sports teams.
Images for kids
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Terra Nova Café, Roath Park Lake
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The Conservatory at Roath Park
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