Friary Gardens

Friary Gardens c1956

Friary Gardens c.1956

Friary Gardens is the triangular space between the modern day Boulevard de Nantes and North Road, divided by the Dock Feeder Canal. This space was originally part of the Greyfriars site which included a lodge on the western side adjacent to North Road. This lodge which is shown on both the 1880 and 1901 Ordnance Survey maps was at the extreme south of, or just beyond, the modern day gardens.

When it was agreed in 1897 that the Council would purchase Cathays Park, the 3rd Marquis of Bute made it a condition that the plot which was to become Friary Gardens should be laid out as an ornamental garden and never be built on. In the autumn of 1904 the space was enclosed with a low wall and iron fence. It was laid out as a formal Dutch garden the following winter and was formally handed over to the Parks Department on 27th September 1905, although not opened to the public until 1910.

For many years this space was known as the Dutch Garden. In 1923 the Parks Committee decided to call it Priory Gardens[1] but it was pointed out that "Priory" was incorrect as a reference to the Franciscan Friary associated with the site. The Parks Committee agreed in 1928 to another change of name to Friary Gardens.[2] A statue by P. Macgillivray of the 3rd Marquis of Bute was placed there in 1929.[3]

The photographs below show the layout and bedding schemes over the years, beginning in the 1960s. At that time the paths in Friary Gardens were formed from gravel which included cockle shells. This was replaced with cheaper pea gravel c.1970.[4]

Friary Gardens c.1960

Tulips 'Dover' in Friary Gardens 1963
By kind permission, © Tom & John Wiltshire Collection

Friary Gardens c.1960

Friary Gardens 7th May 1972
By kind permission, © Tom & John Wiltshire Collection

Friary Gardens in summer

Friary Gardens in summer c.2005[5]
© Cardiff Parks Service

Friary Gardens in autumn

Friary Gardens in autumn c.2005[5]
© Cardiff Parks Service

Friary Gardens, October 2018

Friary Gardens, October 2018
 

Friary Gardens, October 2018

Friary Gardens, October 2018
Marquis of Bute Statue

Friary Gardens, October 2018

View from Friary Gardens towards Kingsway, October 2018
 

Friary Gardens, October 2018

View from Kingsway across Friary Gardens, October 2018
 

Friary Gardens, October 2018

Friary Gardens & Capital Tower
October 2018

Sources of Information

In general, the information in this section is taken from A. A. Pettigrew, The Public Parks and Recreation Grounds of Cardiff, Volume 5.

Other sources are:

  1. Meeting of the Parks Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 12th July 1923
  2. Meeting of the Parks Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 18th September 1928
  3. Meeting of the Parks Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 18th December 1929
  4. Personal communication (TD)
  5. Cardiff Council Horticultural Database (2003-2010)