Penylan Observatory

In 1898 the Council accepted the offer of a telescope from Mr Franklen G. Evans of Llwynarthan, Castleton, and after some delay it was agreed that the telescope would be installed on the land adjoining the Penylan Reservoir.[1] This location - at a height of 200 feet above sea level - placed the telescope well above the "haze and smoke of Cardiff".[2] The observatory was formally dedicated for public use on October 6th 1906.[3]

The telescope originally belonged to the Rev. W. Conybeare Bruce (who later became Archdeacon Bruce) and was built for him in the 1870s by the famous maker George Calver. The Rev. Bruce used the telescope for some years at St. Nicholas where he was Rector, but he found he was unable to devote enough time to astronomy and in 1882 he passed the instrument on to Mr Franklen Evans.[4]

The telescope housing

Cardiff observatory from undated glass slide

Franklen G. Evans Esq

Franklen G. Evans from undated glass slide

The telescope

The telescope from undated glass slide

In 1908 the telescope was described as "a 12in. reflector of 8in. focus, with a power of about 500. It is mounted on an equatorial stand with an automatic swing clock, and was made by George Calver, a famous maker. It is considered one of the finest in existence of its class."[5]

The image above is believed to show the original observatory building. In the early days up to the 1914-18 war it received little use and during the war years its condition deteriorated. Afterwards in February 1919, Mr Dan Jones F.R.A.S. was appointed to take charge of the observatory. With the instruments restored to working order the public came to appreciate the observatory's educational value and attendance tripled. The old building became inadequate, with no heating and limited space, and it was decided to provide a new and larger observatory. The new building was officially opened by the Lord Mayor on December 15th 1925. By 1931 attendance had increased to hundreds per week.[6]

In 1936 the observatory was extended, requiring the enclosure for the meteorological instruments to be moved about 20 yards nearer the entrance to the grounds.[7] On Thursday 22nd October 1936 the Mayor made an annual visit to the City Observatory. The observatory was described as follows in a contribution to the National Association of Head Teachers conference publication for 1937[8]:

"The Observatory is on the Berton model with revolving dome and shutters, and stands on Penylan Hill. The main telescope is of massive proportions - as befits the largest instrument of its kind in Wales. Adjoining the Observatory is a large Lecture Room. The work of the Observatory is co-ordinated with that of schools and colleges, and the Curator is daily engaged either in giving lectures at the schools or in taking observations with classes at the Observatory. In the evening the Observatory is open to the public at such times as it is not required by classes."

Dan Jones

Dan Jones, Cardiff City Observatory[9]

Cardiff City Observatory

Cardiff City Observatory c.1935[10]

Cardiff City Observatory

Annual Visit of the Mayor, October 1936

During 1939 Dan Jones, as astronomer at the City Observatory, wrote a regular monthly column on the night sky for the Western Mail

The Parks Department Inventory of Parks Buildings and Equipment, compiled for insurance purposes in April 1938, included the following information for Cyncoed Gardens:

Sadly the observatory closed in 1979. The telescope was disposed of and its mounting melted down for scrap.[11]

Sources of Information

  1. Council Minute Book 1902-02, page 208, para 830, cited by A.A. Pettigrew
  2. Cardiff City Observatory Handbook, by Dan Jones F.R.A.S., City of Cardiff Education Committee, published by Priory Press Ltd. Cardiff, page 7
  3. Council Minute Book, 1906-06, page 618, para 2089, cited by A.A. Pettigrew
  4. Cardiff City Observatory Handbook, by Dan Jones F.R.A.S., City of Cardiff Education Committee, published by Priory Press Ltd. Cardiff, page 6
  5. Illustrated Guide of Cardiff: City & Port. Souvenir of the 25th Annual Conference 1908, United Kingdom Commercial Travellers' Association. The Observatory, page 59
  6. Cardiff City Observatory Handbook, by Dan Jones F.R.A.S., City of Cardiff Education Committee, published by Priory Press Ltd. Cardiff, pages 8-10
  7. Meeting of the Parks, Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 12th May 1936
  8. W.J. Williams, Education in Cardiff. Chapter in The Book of Cardiff: presented to the delegates at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Head Teachers, 1937, pages 116-7
  9. Cardiff City Observatory Handbook, by Dan Jones F.R.A.S., City of Cardiff Education Committee, published by Priory Press Ltd. Cardiff, page 9
  10. Lesson at the City Observatory. W.J. Williams, Education in Cardiff. Chapter in The Book of Cardiff: presented to the delegates at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Head Teachers, 1937, plate 29
  11. Cardiff City Observatory (website no longer available)