Centenary heritage trail
A circular walk around the history of Hailey Park
centenary heritage trail
Acknowledgements: The Centenary Heritage Trail has been kindly funded by a grant from Transport for Wales. Many thanks also to Cardiff Council for their help with this project, in particular rangers Nic and Gareth with the Parks Department. The research, production and installation of this Centenary Heritage Trail has been the combined effort of Friends of Hailey Park and Parks Department, Cardiff Council.
Distance: approximately 3.20 km, 45 min
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1 Former Gelli Footbridge and Povey's field
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Location: Entrance to Hailey Park at Radyr Road
what3words: ///clean.battle.album The Gelli Footbridge was built to cross from Radyr Road over the Glamorganshire Canal along the route to the former river ford. Before removal in the 1950s it was a single-arch stone bridge.
Povey’s field held the Llandaff Brick and Stone Company until disused by 1898. After WW2 it held a municipal tip until the 1970's when it was capped and left to "green up" as an extended part of Hailey Park's open parkland. |
Refuse tip chimney demolition. Reproduced with the permission of Cardiff Council Glamorgan Archives
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2 Former Glamorganshire Canal
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Location: By the entrance to Hailey Park at Hazelhurst Road near the flats
what3words: ///dish.cages.care |
Glamorganshire Canal
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The Glamorganshire Canal began construction in Merthyr in 1790 to bring coal and metals for export at Cardiff Docks during the Industrial Revolution. By the 1870s it was in decline due to the growth of the Railways.
It ran along the edge of what is now Hailey Park from Ty Mawr Road to the Llandaff lock no. 45 situated near the Cow and Snuffers/Disraeli House. It was filled in by 1950s and its route within Hailey Park was marked by a row of lime trees that are still present. |
Glamorganshire Canal: Aerial view, 1947. Reproduced with permission of the Welsh Government
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3 The birth of Hailey Park
Location: Next to notice board between tennis courts and bowling green
what3words: ///dress.shrimp.steep
what3words: ///dress.shrimp.steep
Claude and Gertrude Hailey donated land and money to the Council in order to establish a public park. Hailey had his career at the Taff Vale Railway and the Cardiff Coal Exchange. Hailey Park was opened officially on 3 May 2026.
Claude Hailey was a local tennis champion and keen to include a wide range of recreation and sports including tennis, bowling, boating and pitch ’n putt. The bowling green was removed in 2017.
Claude Hailey was a local tennis champion and keen to include a wide range of recreation and sports including tennis, bowling, boating and pitch ’n putt. The bowling green was removed in 2017.
Photograph of Claude Hailey. Reproduced with permission of the family of Claude Hailey.
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Members of Llandaff North Tennis Club, c1924. Pritchard Family Collection Glamorgan Archives
2nd Llandaff Scouts 1937. Pritchard Family Collection Glamorgan Archives
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4 The old Llandaff Bridge
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Location: former abutment within Hailey Park
what3words: ///harder.foil.drew The abutments of the old Llandaff Bridge, built of stone in the mid eighteenth century, can still be seen in the park and on the opposite side of the river. This bridge was replaced with the current road bridge in the 1980s to reduce the risk of flooding of the Mary Street area.
Old Llandaff Bridge from illustrated manuscript. Reproduced with permission from the family of Claude Hailey
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City of Cardiff gave thanks to Mr and Mrs Hailey for the gift of land for recreation. Reproduced with permission from the family of Claude Hailey
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5 Former Radyr Road ford
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Location: Green triangle where primroses are planted on the river walk
what3words: ///faces.study.gain Radyr Road was a thoroughfare before the 1750s, leading across the Ford of the River Taff and up Radyr Court Road to the church of St John the Baptist, the Inn and Manor House. The Taff Vale railway moved this population centre further north to the vicinity of Radyr Station.
The current Hailey Park boundary features a rich history from farming to industrialisation – with its river corridor, the growth of settlement and city, the growth of canal, road, rail and recreation and the green open spaces movement for health and wellbeing. |
1898 OS map. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland
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6 WW2 allotments to rugby pitches
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Location:
what3words: During WW2 allotments were used in Hailey Park as part of the “Dig For Victory” campaign due to transport links being used for the war effort or cut off by enemy action.
Following the war, Hailey Park served workers and communities from local industry and rugby pitches were set out and used by local rugby clubs who have their origins in the 1870s along with the birth of the Welsh Rugby Union. |
Aerial photo, 1941 Welsh Government RAF Medmenham. Reproduced with Permission of the Welsh Government
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7 Llandaff Loop railway bridge
Location: Next to the Taff Valley Heritage Trail Information Board
what3words: ///squad.slide.froth
what3words: ///squad.slide.froth
This bridge is all that remains of the Llandaff Loop railway line which crossed Hailey Park until 1999. It was built to enable coal trains to enter the Radyr Sidings marshalling yard from the line that used to run from Cardiff Bay to Llandaf Station.
Images show the construction of the Loop Bridge. Reproduced with the permission of the Museum of Wales.
Images show the construction of the Loop Bridge. Reproduced with the permission of the Museum of Wales.
8 The Afon Taf Viaduct Grade II Listed
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Location: On the grass triangle as the gravel path bends and splits with track to the bridge
what3words: ///indeed.sketch.ras The Afon Taf Viaduct is the only Grade II listed building in Llandaff North. It was a feature of the Taff Vale Railway completed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1841. Along with the platform canopy at nearby Llandaf Station, it is one of the few original visible structures of the Taff Vale line within Cardiff.
The Melin Gruffydd Water Pump built in 1807 is a short distance to discover on a dirt track under the Viaduct and alongside the canal feeder. |
Afon Taf Viaduct. 2025. Reproduced with permission of Friends of Hailey Park
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Melin Gruffydd Water Pump, 2025. Reproduced with permission of Friends from Hailey Park
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Llandaf Rail Station, 2025. Reproduced with permission of Friends from Hailey Park
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