Platanus x hispanica (London Plane), Waterloo Road, Cardiff

This is a short arc of five trees at the south end of Waterloo Road adjacent with St Margarets Church, plus a single larger tree on the opposite side of the road, near Roath Vicarage. Unfortunately these trees are not shown on Ordnance Survey maps, but all six are visible on a 1942 aerial photograph as fairly mature trees.^[1] Waterloo Gardens was laid out in 1909-10. Roath Church House nearby has a date of 1914 on its front face. St Margarets Church itself was demolished in 1868 and rebuilt, being completed c.1870.

The measurements which follow were taken in April 2022. Aging a tree^[2] depends primarily on its girth (circumference) and an estimation of how suitable its growing conditions were/are. These along with seedling variation results in a range of possible ages so ages and planting dates must be considered approximate. The procedure used for calculating the age of Platanus x hispanica has these options for growing conditions: Champion, Good and Average or Churchyard.

London plane #1

This tree is the north-most of the line on the east side of Waterloo Road. It is between the entrance to Waterloo Gardens and the Church gate. The ground around it has been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average rather than good.

Grid reference	ST 19889 77761
Height	20M
Girth	372cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	135 years / 1887
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	112 years / 1910

London plane #2

This is the second tree heading south on the east side of Waterloo Road. It is almost opposite the entrace to St Margarets Church. The ground around it has been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average rather than good.

Grid ref	ST 19890 77760
Height	19M
Girth	345cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	122 years / 1900
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	100 years / 1922

London plane #3

This is the third tree heading south on the east side of Waterloo Road. The ground around it has been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average rather than good.

Grid ref	ST 19899 7727
Height	18M
Girth	332cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	115 years / 1907
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	95 years / 1927

London plane #4

This is the fourth tree heading south on the east side of Waterloo Road. The ground around it has been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average rather than good.

Grid ref	ST 19901 77711
Height	19M
Girth	295cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	98 years / 1924
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	81 years / 1941

London plane #5

This is the fifth tree heading south on the east side of Waterloo Road, nearest to the roundabout junction with Albany Road and Marlborough Road. The ground around this tree has been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average rather than good.

Grid ref	ST 19903 77693
Height	19M
Girth	336cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	117 years / 1905
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	96 years / 1926

London plane #6

This tree is on the west side of Waterloo Road, near Roath Vicarage. The ground around it is partially covered by tarmac and the remainder by grass. Some of the ground will have been compacted by the road and pavement and also contaminated with tarmac. Consequently its growing conditions are probably average to good.

Grid ref	ST 19882 77763
Height	22M
Girth	411cm
Age/planting date with average growing conditions	158 years / 1864
Age/planting date with good growing conditions	130 years / 1892

One or two of the trees are likely to be replacements for earlier plantings that failed. It is unclear whether the Plane trees were associated with the rebuilding of the Church, which was completed c.1870, or later when the Tredegar Estate and Waterloo Gardens were developed c.1910.