Coed y Felin

Coed y Felin was originally woodland belonging to a private estate. It was acquired by the Cardiff Council in February 1980, at which time the woodland was suffering from pressure of public use and the result of Dutch Elm Disease.[1] The decision to purchase the Coed y Felin woods for the sum of £5,000 plus costs was taken in July 1976.[2] In May 1977 it was agreed to accept an offer of adjoining land from English and Continental Homes Ltd. for the sum of £1, each party paying its own costs.[3]

In September 1984 the Leisure and Amenities Committee approved the following measures for the improvement of the woodland: completion of perimeter fencing to provide security against horse riding and motor cycling; stone dust surfacing of footpaths for better drainage; seeding of certain areas with a wild flower mix suitable for woodland areas; and provision of a footbridge to give access from the southern boundary, as the existing access would shortly be closed by residential development.[4]

The Nant Fawr brook, which runs through the woods and ultimately flows into Roath Park Lake, used to power Llanishen Mill, a corn mill that stood at the southern end of the woods. Llanishen Mill appeared in the 1841 census and on Ordnance Survey maps from 1880 until the 1960s. Today the woodland has a variety of tree and plant life, and a network of paths offering attractive walks. The site of the old mill pond can still be seen.

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Left click a postcard image to enlarge it.  
 

This photograph was taken c.1903. The mill is the lower building on the left of the picture.

The large property on the right hand side is "Brooklea".

The road in the centre of the picture is Old Mill Road leading to Lisvane House.
The Royal Photographic Company, London  
   
   
   

Sources of Information

  1. Meeting of the Leisure and Amenities Committee 4th January 1982
  2. Meeting of the Libraries, Leisure and Amenities Committee 5th July 1976
  3. Meeting of the Leisure and Amenities Committee 2nd May 1977
  4. Meeting of the Leisure and Amenities Committee 3rd September 1984