Trees at Roath Park Pleasure Garden

When the Pleasure Garden was laid out it included the Fairoak (Y Dderwen deg), an ancient oak tree beside the brook very close to the junction of Ty Draw Road and Fairoak Road. The position of the Fairoak was shown on Ordnance Survey maps between 1901 and 1954.

In 1905 William Pettigrew, the Parks Superintendent, believed the tree to be some 500 or 600 years old.[1] On the 6th October 1925 the Chief Parks Officer (A.A. Pettigrew) reported the death of the Fairoak to the Parks Committee. A.A. Pettigrew also wrote that when it was cut down the lower part of the trunk and some branches were allowed to remain at the site as a relic. In February 1927 the Parks Committee received a report on the condition of the "old landmark in Ty Draw Road" and decided that "no portion of the tree be cut away".[2] This decision was reversed in 1935 when the Committee agreed that the stump of the Fairoak should be removed to render the junction of Ty Draw Road and Fairoak Road safer for traffic.[3] Some part of the stump was still present and putting out suckers in the 1980s,[4] but nothing now remains other than a plaque showing the location. This is visible through the railings from Ty Draw Road.

Current notable trees are as follows, arranged here in a circular walk starting from the northerly Ty Draw Road entrance, exiting the Garden, crossing the brook by walking along Alder Road, re-entering the Garden at Ninian Road and leaving at the Fairoak Road exit. This table can be sorted on botanical name or common name by clicking on the Name or Common Name heading.

Name Common Name Origin Status Location   OS Grid Tag Place Event Waypoint
Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' Golden Indian bean tree Garden origin Wales Champion 2015 Near north east entrance ST 18607 78742   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   250
Araucaria araucana Monkey puzzle tree South America   Near north east entrance ST 18616 78742   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   249
Aesculus hippocastanum 'Baumannii'† Baumann's horse chestnut Albania and Greece   On the lawn at the north east end. ST 18620 78727   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   863
Cornus capitata Bentham's cornel E.Himalaya to China Rare Near north east entrance ST 18632 78743   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   593
Quercus rysophylla Loquat oak Mexico Glamorgan Champion 2013 On lawn at north end ST 18657 78788   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   100
Sequoiadendron giganteum #2 Wellingtonia California   On lawn at north end ST 18662 78695   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   573
Acer cappadocicum 'Aureum' Golden Cappadocian maple West Asia   East of brook, north end, on lawn ST 18662 78686   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   101
Juglans nigra #1 Black walnut Central & East USA   NE of the tennis court by path ST 18685 78680   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   093
Quercus suber Cork Oak S. Europe & N. Africa   East of brook, north end, on lawn ST 18678 78668   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   317
Quercus rubra Red oak East North America   Near west corner of bowling green ST 18694 78646   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   082
Pinus strobus Weymouth pine East north America   By the bridge ST 18683 78648   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   792
Quercus ilex Holm oak Mediterranean   Eastern boundary of bowling green ST 18733 78686   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   524
Liquidambar styraciflua Sweet gum East USA to Nicaragua   Beside the bridge over the brook ST 18705 78640   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   084
Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip tree East North Amerca   East side of brook, south of bridge ST 18715 78633   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   083
Acer griseum Paperbark maple Eastern Asia Glamorgan Champion 2013 East side of brook, near tennis court ST 18737 78361   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   049
Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn redwood Central China   East side of brook near old pavilion ST 18778 78604   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   102
Maytenus boaria Maiten Chile Rather rare Close to the Alder Road railings ST 18855 78581   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   530
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' #1 Hornbeam 'Fastigiata' Europe, Asia Minor   By the Alder Road boundary ST 18829 78503   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   104
Sequoiadendron giganteum #1 Wellingtonia California   East side of brook near Alder Rd. ST 18832 78551   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   108
Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia' Cut leaved beech Europe   East side of brook, near Alder Rd ST 18829 78560   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   318
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' #2 Hornbeam 'Fastigiata' Europe, Asia Minor   West side of brook, south end ST 18797 78549   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   132
Acer buergerianum Trident maple East China & Korea   West side of brook, south end ST 18774 78537   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   327
Fraxinus ornus Manna ash S Europe, SW Asia Wales Champion 2013 South end of Gardens, west of brook ST 18781 78538   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   095
Magnolia kobus Kobushi Japan Rather rare South end, beside Ninian Road railings ST 18730 78539   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   423
Juglans nigra #2 Black walnut Central & East USA   Beside main path, about 70M south of footbridge ST 18728 78572   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   586
Salix alba 'Britzensis' Coral bark willow Europe Wales Champion 2013 West of brook near bridge ST 18713 78617   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   114
Quercus x kewensis   Garden origin   South west of bridge ST 18706 78612   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   791
Platanus x hispanica London plane Garden origin   West of brook, near bridge ST 18664 78628   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   115
Nothofagus obliqua Roble beech South Andes   West of brook, north of bridge ST 18670 78629   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   096
Quercus coccifera Kermes oak Mediterranean   SW of the brook, NW of the bridge ST 18631 78660   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   568
Malus yunnanensis Crab apple West China Rather rare Wales Champion 2013 SW of the brook, NW of the bridge ST 18626 78669   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   094
Styphnolobium japonicum Pagoda tree North China Glamorgan Champion 2013 West of brook, north of bridge ST 18604 78691   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   097
Taxodium distichum Swamp cypress South east USA   At the north end, west side of brook ST 18563 78766   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   112
Pinus pinaster Maritime pine Mediterranean region   At the north end, west side of brook ST 18568 78785   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   793
Salix caprea Goat willow North west Eurasia   Rear entrance to Roath Park House 18551 78774   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn    
Cotoneaster frigidus Himalayan tree cotoneaster Himalaya Glamorgan Champion 2014 Boundary with Roath Park House ST 18542 78788   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   111
Koelreuteria paniculata Golden rain tree China   Roath Park House north-western border ST 18520 78765   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   567
Quercus cerris Turkey oak S. Europe & Asia Minor   Northerly boundary ST 18523 78812   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   328
Ginkgo biloba Maidenhair tree China   Beside the north west entrance ST 18503 78800   Roath Park Pleasure Gdn   098

The history of Roath Park

Sources of Information

  1. Guide to Roath Park and Catalogue of Plants in Botanical Garden, 1905. page 6
  2. Meeting of the Parks Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 11th February 1927
  3. Meeting of the Parks, Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 19th November 1935
  4. Personal communication (DJ)