Whitchurch Common

Historically Whitchurch Common was known as Gwaun Treoda (Treoda Common). The largest part of it was within the ancient manor (the Lordship of Cardiff) that by the late 18th century had passed to the Bute family. A smaller part, where the Ararat Chapel now stands, formed part of the Manor of Roath Keynsham, of which Viscount Tredegar was manorial lord. By the late 19th century Whitchurch Parish Council was keen to acquire the Common and made several unnsuccessful requests to the Marquises of Bute between 1895 and 1922.[1] The Council approached the Tredegar Estate in 1923 with a view to acquiring the manorial rights to that portion of the Common,[2] but it was not until October 1925 that Lord Tredegar and his trustees agreed to the request and indicated that the deed of conveyance would be carried out in early 1926. It was also reported that at this time Lord Bute had declined the same request.[3]

From the late 1920s the Parish Council took an increasingly active interest in management of the Common, approving in September 1927 the County Council's scheme to widen the main road across it[4] and in July 1928 the District Council's proposal to build a road on the north side of the Common[5] (later named Plas Treoda). Following the road widening the Parish Council invited tenders for the supply and planting of trees.[6] The Bute estate subsequently agreed to pay for these trees,[7] and also for Coronation trees planted in 1937.[8]

During the Second World War (1939-45) the 2nd Evacuation Unit of the American Army occupied the Common and after the war a tree avenue was planted there with money the Americans donated. Other wartime features were an Air Raid Warden's post, an air raid shelter and a static water tank for fire protection.

In 1946 negotiations with the Bute Esate resulted in the conveyance of the Common to the Parish Council, as an open space for public recreation.[9]

In 1948 the Council installed nine new seats on the Common,[10] and undertook leveling and clearing there. This was following the removal of a wartime air raid shelter and static water tank base,[11][12] and to prepare for the tree avenue dedication ceremony. It was decided "that the whole of the Council's workmen be immediately put on the work of cleaning up the Common and that they be asked to work over-time, if necessary, with overtime rates of pay".[13] In July 1948 an inspection of the Common concluded that "from the point of view of appearance there has been considerable improvement but ... the ground is still very uneven and not in a condition to use a machine for grass cutting."[14] Also in July the Council asked Mr. William Nelmes, Cardiff's Director of Parks, to visit Whitchurch and advise on the maintenance of its various open spaces. For the Common Nelmes' report recommended that "improvement to the surface of the Common could be carried out by mechanical levelling", the cost of which might exceed £1000.[15]

In November 1948 the Council agreed to accept the terms of the Glamorgan Agricultural Executive Committee to undertake ploughing and levelling of a portion the Common, approximately 1.5 acres, and subsequently preparing this for seeding.[16] This had been done by January 1949, when it was reported that the portion of the Common which had been ploughed would require a quantity of earth to fill the depressions left after removal of the air raid shelter and static water tank.[17] In March the Public Works Committee heard that about 130 tons of excavated earth had been spread over the Common.[18]

From the 1950s, with the ground having been levelled and seeded, the Common was increasingly used for recreation and community events, including some of the festivities organised by the Council for the Queen's coronation in 1953. In February 1956 the Council decided that a nine-foot Joy Wheel be purchased and erected on the Common.[19] This had evidently been done by September, when it was reported that a resident had challenged the Council's legal right to place a Joy Wheel on the Common, as the noise of children playing there was very disturbing. After taking legal advice the Council responded that it had acted within its rights.[20][21] By 1960 there was also a roundabout on the Common, in the vicinity of Heol Carne.[22]

In 1958 an asphalt footpath across the Common was constructed from a point opposite Heol Coed Cae to a point nearly opposite the Ararat Church. In October it was reported that the footpath had been completed.[23][24]

Responsibility for Whitchurch Common was transferred to the Cardiff Council on 1st April 1967 under the Cardiff Order 1966.[25] In July 1971 tr Parks Committee decided that new play equipment be purchased for the Common.[26]

Left click a postcard image to enlarge it.  
  Looking south east from Whitchurch village
G.Badger Whitchurch Glam (postmarked 1906)  

Sources of Information

  1. Edgar L. Chappell, Old Whitchurch: the story of a Glamorgan Parish, Priory Press, 1945, pages 81 and 229
  2. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book July 1920 - August 1923 page 423-429 Council Meeting 26th June 1923
  3. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book August 1923 - November 1925 page 398-404 Council Meeting 29th October 1925
  4. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book December 1925 - November 1929 page 304-308 Council Meeting 27th September 1927
  5. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book December 1925 - November 1929 page 410-412 Special Council Meeting 2nd July 1928
  6. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book December 1925 - November 1929 page 596-596 Footpaths and Recreation Committee 5th November 1929
  7. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book November 1929 - April 1936 page 11-12 Footpaths and Recreation Committee 9th December 1929
  8. Whitchurch Parish Council Minute Book April 1936 - September 1940 Special meeting of the Footpaths and Recreation Committee 17th November 1937
  9. Whitchurch Parish Council. Ordinary monthly meetings of the Council 26th February 1946 and 24th September 1946
  10. Whitchurch Parish Council. Ordinary monthly meeting of the Council 23rd March 1948
  11. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Footpaths and Recreation Grounds Committee 12th February 1948
  12. Whitchurch Parish Council. Annual and Ordinary monthly meeting of the Council 27th April 1948
  13. Whitchurch Parish Council.Ordinary monthly meeting of the Council 25th May 1948
  14. Whitchurch Parish Council. Report of Sub-Committee appointed to visit and inspect the progress of the work on the Common 22nd July 1948
  15. Whitchurch Parish Council. Special meeting of the Footpaths and Recreation Grounds Committee 22nd July 1948
  16. Whitchurch Parish Council. Ordinary monthly meeting of the Council 23rd November 1948
  17. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Public Works and Burial Committee 4th January 1949
  18. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Public Works and Burial Committee 1st March 1949
  19. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Parks, Recreation grounds, Open Spaces and Allotments Committee 14th February 1956
  20. Whitchurch Parish Council. Ordinary Monthly Meeting of the Council 25th September 1956
  21. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Parks, Recreation Grounds, Open Spaces and Allotments Committee 9th October 1956
  22. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Parks, Recreation Grounds, Open Spaces and Allotments Committee 13th September 1960
  23. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the General Purposes & Burial Committee 2nd September 1958
  24. Whitchurch Parish Council. Meeting of the Parks, Recreation Grounds, Open Spaces and Allotments Committee 14th October 1958
  25. Cardiff City Council. Meeting of the Libraries Committee 7th March 1967
  26. Cardiff City Council. Meeting of the Parks Committee 9th September 1971