Radyr
Encyclopedia
Radyr is an outer suburb
of Cardiff
, the capital of Wales
. The suburb is situated in the west
of the city, although it was originally a separate village, and is located around 5 miles (8 kilometres) north west of Cardiff city centre
. According to 2009 estimates, the suburb has a population of 6,000. Radyr is administratively linked to the adjacent community of Morganstown, but they are now physically divided by the M4 motorway
. To the north of Radyr & Morganstown are the villages of Tongwynlais
and Gwaelod-y-Garth
, to the east is the suburb Whitchurch
, to the south the suburb of Danescourt
and to the west is countryside.
occupation of the Lesser Garth Cave (located near Morganstown) was discovered in 1912 and included worked flints. In 1916 excavation of a mound of 30 metres (98.4 ft) in Radyr Woods revealed charcoal and iron age
pottery. Radyr developed after the Norman invasion of Wales
at the start of the 12th century and formed part of the Welsh Lordship or cantref of Miskin
under the Lordship of Glamorgan
created by the Norman King, William Rufus, in 1093.
in the ‘mound field’ is a flat-topped mound 30 metres (98.4 ft) in diameter at the base and 3.8 metres (12.5 ft) high, surrounded by a ditch 7 metres (23 ft) wide. An adjoining bailey
to east of the motte could indicate the boundary between Norman and Welsh land. The motte was surrounded by a timber palisade
around a wooden keep
and formed part of a defensive line with similar mottes at Thornhill
and Whitchurch
. The early settlement that became Radyr developed around the Norman church and manor house in what is now Danescourt
. Surveys in 1307 describe an agricultural hamlet surrounded by arable
fields. The 14th century Welsh Lord of Radyr Cynwrig ap Hywel, followed by his descendants, farmed the area until it was devastated by the Black Death
plague and battles between the Marcher Lords
in 14th century and 15th century when the whole area was laid to waste.
In 1469, Thomas Mathew(d. pre 1470), the 3rd or 4th son of Sir David Mathew(d.1484) of Llandaf,
inherited the land through marriage to Catherine, the heiress of Radyr, and built Radyr Court, an imposing manor house
on the site of what is now the Radyr Court Inn in Danescourt. The house was used as a court and although it was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century, the three large dungeon
s survived and can still be seen at the Inn. On Thomas' death shortly before 1470, his lands passed to his eldest son David and then to his younger son William Mathew(d.1528), who was knight
ed by King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Sir William accompanied King Henry VIII
to the Field of the Cloth of Gold
in 1520. His successor was his eldest son Sir George Mathew who became the MP for Glamorgan constituency
and in 1545 Sheriff of Glamorgan
.
Successful Tudor
nobles were expected to have extensive deer parks
, but Sir George created a deer park that partially caused the decline of the family fortune, as it ranged so far to the north of Radyr it caused the previous income from tenant farmers to cease when they were evicted from their farms. He also had twenty-four children, (eight of whom were illegitimate). Many of these children were daughters and large sums of money were required to provide dowries
for them. On his death Sir George's lands passed to his eldest son William, who also became a Member of Parliament and invested in the Pentyrch
ironworks. This proved to be an astute move as the feudal system was being replaced by the beginnings of industrialisation
. William's descendants however inherited a diminishing fortune and Captain George Mathew, the last of the family to live in Radyr, married Elizabeth Poyntz and the couple departed from Radyr to live on her estates at Thurles
in County Tipperary
, Ireland
during 1625.
. Sir Edward was the owner of St.Fagans Castle and its surrounding lands, scene of the Battle of St Fagans during the English Civil War
. The Lewis fortune finally went to Elizabeth Lewis, who married the 3rd Earl of Plymouth
, the principal landowner in Cardiff, Penarth and Barry.
A survey in 1766 shows that the Plymouth family owned the freeholds in most of Radyr and continues to do so today. Twenty two acres of residential land within Radyr were sold by Plymouth Estates in 2007.
from Radyr was built on or near the site of an old corn mill that had operated as far back as the late 12th century. Melingriffith was the largest working tin factory in the UK, until the much later construction of the Treforest Tin Works. People in Radyr would set their watches by the sound of the works hooters, which were also sounded to see in the new year. The tinplate works became the major employer for workers from Radyr and would remain so for nearly two hundred years.
The tin mills were powered exclusively by water drawn from the River Taff down the Melingriffith feeder stream, a water course that doubled as a canal
that carried raw iron ore from the Pentyrch Iron Works until around 1815, when the Pentyrch tramroad was completed. The tramroad crossed the River Taff over the Iron Bridge. The feeder’s lock was permanently closed in 1871 when it was bridged over, but traces of it still remain.
The tin works closed in 1957, and today the only signs that the works ever existed at all are the mostly dry bed of the original Melingriffith feeder stream that still runs down from the River Taff from just above the Radyr weir, and the recently restored water pump standing opposite Oak Cottage. The works site itself has been completely cleared, and is now a modern housing estate.
The Melingriffith feeder stream made its way to the original Glamorganshire Canal
, where they ran in parallel through the Tin Works and out the other side at Melingriffith Lock. Where they had come together north of the Tin Works, any overflow from the Canal was originally designed to empty into the feeder. This point is now at the southern end of the Glamorganshire Canal Local Nature Reserve and all the water from the canal runs into the feeder before disappearing into a piped water course that passes under the modern housing estate.
At the southern end of the housing estate, the feeder re-emerges at the point where the Melingriffith water pump stands, the pump originally designed to lift water from the bottom of the feeder back into the Canal at Melingriffith Lock. Today, the Glamorganshire Canal has been almost totally overbuilt. Ty Mawr Road has replaced the route of the canal from Melingriffith all the way to Whitchurch.
Samuel Lewis says in his 1849 "Topographical Dictionary of Wales" says of Radyr:
Until the mid 19th century Radyr was a collection of small farms, crofts and cottages, but after Radyr railway station
opened in 1863, the population increased from 400 to over 600 residents over a twenty year period. The Taff Vale Railway
and its successor the Great Western Railway
brought significant employment to Radyr and when Junction Terrace (the first 'street' in Radyr) was built to house the railway workers it was the start of a steep demand for housing in Radyr that transformed the peaceful hamlet and continues to do so today.
In the First World War the community raised funds for a 'Radyr bed' at the nearby Welsh Metropolitan Military Hospital in Whitchurch
and set up a 'Citizen Guard' from those too old or too young to enlist. Losses suffered by the village are recorded on the War Memorial in Heol Isaf.
During the Second World War thousands of children were evacuated from metropolitan areas like London
, Birmingham
and Liverpool
. One evacuee, Patricia Armstrong aged nine, was knocked down by a passenger train and killed on a Saturday afternoon in May 1943 while negotiating the Gelynis foot crossing at Morganstown. She was an evacuee from the Woolwich
area and was lodging with a family in Morganstown. As air raids on Cardiff
increased, even younger children from Radyr were evacuated to residential boarding schools at Rhoose and Bridgend.
estate, was built on land surrounding Radyr Court, and the land was officially incorporated as a suburb of Cardiff in 1974. Danybryn Woods, which is located near to the development, was retained as the entire forest is protected by a Tree preservation order
and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. Radyr railway station
was renovated in 1998 with the surrounding tracks replaced, resulting in shorter journey times to Cardiff city centre.
. It is bounded by the wards of Whitchurch & Tongwynlais
to the northeast; Llandaff
and Llandaff North
to the southeast; Creigiau & St. Fagans
to the southwest; and Pentyrch
to the northwest.
The current Member of Parliament
for Cardiff West is Kevin Brennan
who was elected in the 2001 General Election
, and represents the Labour party
. Brennan is the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
in the Cabinet Office and Minister for the Third Sector.
member for Cardiff West
is Mark Drakeford, who replaced Rhodri Morgan
AM after his retirement at the 2011 Welsh Assembly election
. Morgan had been the constituency's Assembly Member since its inception in 1999, and is the former First Minister for Wales
.
, Roderick McKerlich, was elected for the first time on 1 May 2008 to represent Radyr on Cardiff Council
. Cllr McKerlich has been appointed as a member of the Council's Environmental Scrutiny Committee which scrutinises, measures and actively promotes improvement in the Council's performance for environmental sustainability.
bill paid by local residents. The Community Council is run by eleven elected councillors from three separate wards within the parish - Radyr North (4 seats), Radyr South (3 seats) and Morganstown (4 seats). At the Community Council's annual meeting on 15 May 2008, David Silver was elected Chair of the Council for 2008 and 2009 and Rachel Granger was elected Vice Chair.
s are mostly a strong, brown, dry earth, well adapted for arable farming and the growing of grains of all kinds that contributed to the area being a mostly farming community until the modern era. Soils were further enriched over the millennia by alluvial deposits
from the River Taff. The substratum under the whole area is a deep brown sandstone
, limestone
and lime shale that was likely laid down under a warm ocean at some stage in the distant past and subsequently ground down by glacier
s during the last ice age
around 18,000 years ago. Radyr Stone is a Triassic
breccia
used widely for decorative work in the Cardiff area, including Llandaff Cathedral
, Cardiff Docks and in the bridges of the Taff Vale Railway
.
The River Taff
rises in the Brecon Beacons
as two rivers. At Abercynon
it is joined by the River Cynon
and at Pontypridd
it is joined by the River Rhondda
. From Pontypridd, it runs roughly south, through Taff's Well
and Radyr and into Llandaff
.
First built in 1774 to provide water along a feeder to power the Mellingriffith tin-plate works, the weir
on the River Taff
at Radyr is the third obstruction to migratory salmon
and sea trout (the others being Llandaff Weir and Blackweir, both of which also have fish passes). Since the early 1980s the salmon and sea trout stocks in the Taff have been recovering from nearly 200 years of industrial pollution and exploitation. During 1993 the National Rivers Authority
monitored over 500 salmon and 700 sea trout returning to the river to spawn.
From 1749 iron from Pentyrch
was initially transported to the works using pack-horses, then tub boats were used on the Taff passing onto the feeder via a lock at Radyr Weir. Parts of this lock can still be seen alongside the feeder sluice. In 1815 the tub boats were discontinued and a tramway constructed along the Taff. There is a public picnic site adjacent to the Radyr weir.
The River Taff through Radyr is flanked on both sides by an undeveloped greenway that cuts uninterrupted through northern Cardiff all the way to Cardiff Castle
in the very centre of the city, before the river discharges into the newly created Cardiff Bay freshwater lake that is enclosed by the Cardiff Bay Barrage
.
Radyr Woods is designated as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance and the adjoining Hermit Woods is additionally designated a Local Nature Reserve
. The community nature reserve extends to 5.67 ha (14 acre) with a network of footpaths and boardwalks and includes evidence of iron age
settlements and remains of an early cooking hearth. Originally part of the Tudor deer park owned by the Mathew family and later Radyr Quarry, the area is owned by Cardiff Council
and Plymouth Estates, managed by the Radyr community council with the support of Cardiff Council's Parks Service.
Radyr Woods provides important habitats for a wide range of species. It also has a number of natural springs that feed a duck pond and a kingfisher
pond. Recent housing developments between the reserve and the railway line have added complementary public open space with picnic areas and a children's play area. Since 1986 all maintenance and development of the reserve has been carried out by a volunteer group known as The Friends of Radyr Woods.
, a very rare endemic microspecies
related to the aster, daisy, or sunflower family
, so far only identified with Radyr, originally at the quarry. First identified in 1907 it was described as a variety in 1948 and a separate species in 1955 and belongs to Hieracium
section Vulgata. It has rarely been seen and regular surveys between 1998 and 2004 indicate that today only a single population of around twenty five plants survives in the wild.
In the first survey during 1998, a total of just nine plants were then identified in one single Radyr garden, where it traditionally grew on grassy banks and lawns, often in shade. It was no longer found at the original locality of Radyr Quarry where examples were last seen in 1985. At Bridgend
, six possible plants of the Radyr genus were found on an old garden wall, but confirmation of identification is still awaited.
Neither the species nor the sites have any current legal protection, and it could be under significant threat of survival in the long term from inappropriate gardening or care. Seed samples of the Radyr Hawkweed have been provided to the Millennium Seed Bank, the international conservation
project coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
, and plants are being carefully cultivated. The plant normally flowers between May and early July and Radyr residents are urged by botanists to be on the look out for further examples of the endangered species while walking in the area.
According to the latest estimates, Radyr has a population of 6,000 people. The 2001 census showed that the suburb had a total population of 4,658, of which 2,268 are male and 2,390 are female. The average age of the population is 39.7 years. 68.27% of residents are married, with 20.81% having never married. 73.97% declared their religion as Christianity
. 23.97% stated no religion and 0.9% stated Muslim
. 96.02% stated their ethnicity as white, 1.76% as Asian
, 1.03% as mixed race, 1.01% as Chinese
, and 0.2% as Black. 15.5% are Welsh language
speakers.
, then had two wings added to accommodate the residents, who are physically disabled young people. The Thatch is the only thatched cottage in Radyr and was built for the Mathias Family in 1936. The Church of St John the Baptist is over 750 years old.
The Taff Trail
cycle path, which runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon, passes through Radyr via Radyr Weir. Other structures of importance include The Old Church Rooms and Radyr War Memorial. In nearby districts are St Fagans National History Museum
(formerly the Museum of Welsh Life) and Castell Coch
.
by train. The area is served by the part-time Radyr Library.
since September 1999,. Radyr is also served by a private pre-school called Park Road Nursery, and a Welsh Nursery called Cylch Meithrin, both of which are based in the Old Church Rooms.
Radyr Primary School in Park Road opened in 1896, and new classrooms were added in 1968 to accommodate the rising population. The school currently has 11 classes and over 300 pupils.
has over 1400 pupils from across west Cardiff. It also has a large Sixth Form
college with around 300 students, and an active adult education centre.
The Parish of Radyr is in the Diocese
of Llandaff
, part of the Church in Wales
.
The historic parish church
, Saint John the Baptist, adjacent to Radyr Chain, is located in the Danescourt
estate (in Llandaff). It is over 750 years old and was altered in the 19th century.
Christ Church is now the main Parish church in Radyr. Designed by the Llandaff diocesan architect George Halliday, the nave
was ready for use at Easter 1904 and the chancel
and tower were completed in November 1910. It has a peal of eight bells donated by Lieutenant Colonel Fisher, which are all inscribed with the names of members of his family.
Radyr Methodist Church on Windsor Road replaced an earlier Methodist Church in Heol Isaf. Radyr is also served by Radyr Baptist Church, whose congregations are held in the Old Church Rooms in Park Road.
Taffs Well RFC
is the closest rugby team to Radyr and was formed in 1887. The club has provided three former Welsh Rugby captains and six Welsh International players during its history.
Radyr Golf Club was established in 1902 after moving from its original nine-hole course at the Ty Mawr in Lisvane
. It is a 6053 yards (5,534.9 m), par 69 (SSS 70) course for men and 5485 yards (5,015.5 m), par 72 (SSS 72) for women, and operates all year round. Laid out by the course designer Harry Colt, the Chairman of the 2010 Ryder Cup
recently described Radyr's course as "One of Colt's Little Jewels".
Radyr Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1914 by twenty Radyr 'Gentlemen' with the help of the Earl of Plymouth Estates. Its initial location was near the railway station but the courts were badly laid. Again with the help of Plymouth Estates, the club lifted the turf from all three grass courts and re-laid it on its current site next to Christ Church on Heol Isaf.
Radyr Cricket Club was founded in 1890 by the Earl of Plymouth who granted a hundred year lease for the current riverside ground to the local residents for a nominal sum. The pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1973 while the team were away on tour. Under the leadership of the new Chairman Keith Terry, a huge fund raising effort was made and a new pavilion opened on the footprint of the old one in 1975. Radyr currently plays in the first division of the South Wales Cricket League
.
Cardiff Corinthians Football Club
(known locally as the "Corries") have played their home games at the Riverside Football Ground in Radyr since 1974 and compete in the first division of the Welsh Football League
.
The main shops in Radyr are located in Station Road. One of the buildings on this road, named Bryn Melyn, is now a dental surgery but was originally the village Post Office.
trains were either transferred onto the Taff Vale line
to Cardiff Docks, or the Penarth district line, to the docks located at Penarth
, 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) southwest of Cardiff city centre. Also, the Barry Railway Company
freight route ran just to the north of Morganstown. To the south-east of Radyr was an extensive railway marshalling yard which included another railway bridge over the Taff to provide an alternative route towards Llandaff. The sidings were lifted in preparation for a housing development in the 1970s.
Radyr railway station
is still a major regional station, with over 200 trains stopping on a weekday and a recorded annual footfall of over 400,000 passengers per year. Radyr is the northern terminus of the Cardiff City Line
. Trains run southbound via Fairwater
to Cardiff Central
, normally continuing to Coryton
via the Coryton Line
. Trains also run southbound from Merthyr Tydfil
to Bridgend
and Barry Island
respectively. Services operate northbound to either Merthyr Tydfil
, Aberdare
or Treherbert
via Pontypridd
. All passenger services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
.
services 33, 33A and 33B and Stagecoach's
122 operate from Morganstown and Radyr to Cardiff central bus station
via Danescourt
, Fairwater
and Canton
.
and the A470
towards Pontypridd
, and southbound to the A4119
(Llantrisant Road), which links Llantrisant
with Danescourt
, Llandaff
and Cardiff city centre
.
The M4 corridor around Cardiff was announced in 1971 as a replacement for a northern link road that had been on the statutes since 1947 but never actually constructed. The northern "Lisvane and Radyr route" for the M4 was eventually chosen after a number of noisy public enquiries and active objections by residents from both communities. The new motorway was completed and opened on 10 July 1980, and passes between Radyr and Morganstown on its east west route between London and Carmarthen
. Due to increased volume of traffic this section is being widened to three lanes. Costing over £71m this work was completed in December 2009. However, Radyr is not directly accessible from the motorway.
Radyr is twinned with Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu
, a town south-west of Nantes
(Cardiff's twin city) on the southern shores of the Lac de Grand Lieu in Brittany
, France
which has over 300 hectares of vineyards producing Muscadet
wine. The first exchange visit took place in May 1986 and Twinning Charters were signed by Chairmen of both community councils. On the 10th anniversary of the twinning fellowship, Radyr presented the people of St Philbert with a red telephone box.
The following year the French presented the Radyr community with a wine press
, now sited in the gardens of the Old Church Rooms. The 20th anniversary was celebrated with a reception at the Old Church Rooms in 2006. The twinning committee is one of the more active in the area and cultural exchanges between the two communities take place annually. In 2008 forty five visitors from St Philbert visited Radyr, and a visit by villagers to St Philbert also took place. The twinning committee also arranges Boule tournaments and social events throughout the summer.
A number of notable people are associated with Radyr. The children's literature author Roald Dahl
(1916–1990) lived at a house called Ty Mynydd in Radyr (which was demolished in 1967) as a boy in the 1920s. He described it as an "imposing country mansion, surrounded by acres of farm and woodland" in his book Boy: Tales of Childhood
. Jimi Mistry
(born 1973), who is an Asian-British actor and appeared in Eastenders
, The Guru and East Is East
, attended Radyr Comprehensive School.
Local sportsmen include Harry Corner
(1874–1938), an English cricket
er who played in the Great Britain team that won a gold medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics
, who lived, died and was buried in Radyr. Hugh Johns
(1922–2007), who was best known as a football
commentator for ITV
, retired and died in Radyr. Frank Meggitt
(1901–1945), a Welsh
cricket
er, a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played for Glamorgan
, also lived in the town after retiring from the sport. The athlete and runner Timothy Benjamin
(born 1982) was born and raised in Radyr.
Another notable resident is Sir Martin Evans
(born 1941), the Professor of mammalian genetics at Cardiff University
who received the American equivalent of the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2001, was knighted in 2003 and awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize
for medicine for his work on stem cells. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society
and fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
.
lived in Radyr as a boy in the 1920s, describing his house as an "imposing country mansion, surrounded by acres of farm and woodland" in his book Boy: Tales of Childhood
. More recently, the outdoor scenes in an episode of the TV science fiction series Torchwood
, called Small Worlds
, were filmed mostly around Radyr Primary School.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, the capital of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The suburb is situated in the west
Cardiff West
Cardiff West or West Cardiff refers to the collection of communities in the west of Cardiff, Wales. Also the usage is unofficial and boundaries are only ambiguously defined, they generally share the postcodes CF5 or CF15, and the telephone code 029...
of the city, although it was originally a separate village, and is located around 5 miles (8 kilometres) north west of Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
. According to 2009 estimates, the suburb has a population of 6,000. Radyr is administratively linked to the adjacent community of Morganstown, but they are now physically divided by the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
. To the north of Radyr & Morganstown are the villages of Tongwynlais
Tongwynlais
Tongwynlais is a village in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, in the Taff Valley.- Overview :Tongwynlais lies in the River Taff Valley. Its population is 1946 people....
and Gwaelod-y-Garth
Gwaelod-y-Garth
Gwaelod-y-garth is a village in the parish of Pentyrch, Cardiff in Wales.- Location :It is situated approx 6 miles north of Cardiff and 7 miles from Pontypridd. Castell Coch, the Fairytale castle of South Wales, is within easy reach of the village, by car or by foot.- History :In Elizabethan...
, to the east is the suburb Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
, to the south the suburb of Danescourt
Danescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
and to the west is countryside.
Stone Age until the Norman Conquest
Evidence of stone ageStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
occupation of the Lesser Garth Cave (located near Morganstown) was discovered in 1912 and included worked flints. In 1916 excavation of a mound of 30 metres (98.4 ft) in Radyr Woods revealed charcoal and iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
pottery. Radyr developed after the Norman invasion of Wales
Norman invasion of Wales
The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright...
at the start of the 12th century and formed part of the Welsh Lordship or cantref of Miskin
Miskin
Miskin is a village approximately 2 miles south of Llantrisant in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The origin of the village was a small hamlet known as New Mill, which grew up around New Mill farm...
under the Lordship of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
created by the Norman King, William Rufus, in 1093.
Origin of the name
Hints about the derivation of the name Radyr can be found in Lifris's writings "Life of St Cadog" written between 1081 and 1104 but relating to the earlier period around 530 AD, which mentions a croft or "tref" on the site called Aradur Hen. Lifris also tells the story of Tylyway, a religious hermit who was held to have lived on the banks of the Taff. Tylyway's cell is the most likely origin of the name Radyr; from the Welsh yr adur, meaning "the chantry", although Arudur Hen is also possible.Norman occupation & Middle Ages
The Norman motteMotte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
in the ‘mound field’ is a flat-topped mound 30 metres (98.4 ft) in diameter at the base and 3.8 metres (12.5 ft) high, surrounded by a ditch 7 metres (23 ft) wide. An adjoining bailey
Ward (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
to east of the motte could indicate the boundary between Norman and Welsh land. The motte was surrounded by a timber palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
around a wooden keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and formed part of a defensive line with similar mottes at Thornhill
Thornhill, Cardiff
Thornhill is a northern suburb in the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, south of Caerphilly . It is a relatively modern area with housing stock dating mainly from the late 1980s and beyond...
and Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
. The early settlement that became Radyr developed around the Norman church and manor house in what is now Danescourt
Danescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
. Surveys in 1307 describe an agricultural hamlet surrounded by arable
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
fields. The 14th century Welsh Lord of Radyr Cynwrig ap Hywel, followed by his descendants, farmed the area until it was devastated by the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
plague and battles between the Marcher Lords
Marcher Lords
A Marcher Lord was a strong and trusted noble appointed by the King of England to guard the border between England and Wales.A Marcher Lord is the English equivalent of a margrave...
in 14th century and 15th century when the whole area was laid to waste.
Mathew family
inherited the land through marriage to Catherine, the heiress of Radyr, and built Radyr Court, an imposing manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
on the site of what is now the Radyr Court Inn in Danescourt. The house was used as a court and although it was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century, the three large dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
s survived and can still be seen at the Inn. On Thomas' death shortly before 1470, his lands passed to his eldest son David and then to his younger son William Mathew(d.1528), who was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Sir William accompanied King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
in 1520. His successor was his eldest son Sir George Mathew who became the MP for Glamorgan constituency
Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales, returning two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided it into five new constituencies: East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda.- MPs...
and in 1545 Sheriff of Glamorgan
High Sheriff of Glamorgan
This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires who were from the earliest times officers of the crown...
.
Successful Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
nobles were expected to have extensive deer parks
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
, but Sir George created a deer park that partially caused the decline of the family fortune, as it ranged so far to the north of Radyr it caused the previous income from tenant farmers to cease when they were evicted from their farms. He also had twenty-four children, (eight of whom were illegitimate). Many of these children were daughters and large sums of money were required to provide dowries
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
for them. On his death Sir George's lands passed to his eldest son William, who also became a Member of Parliament and invested in the Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
ironworks. This proved to be an astute move as the feudal system was being replaced by the beginnings of industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
. William's descendants however inherited a diminishing fortune and Captain George Mathew, the last of the family to live in Radyr, married Elizabeth Poyntz and the couple departed from Radyr to live on her estates at Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
in County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during 1625.
Stuart period
The new owner of Radyr was wealthy landowner Sir Edward Lewis, who was knighted by King James IJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. Sir Edward was the owner of St.Fagans Castle and its surrounding lands, scene of the Battle of St Fagans during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The Lewis fortune finally went to Elizabeth Lewis, who married the 3rd Earl of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation was in 1675 for Charles FitzCharles, illegitimate son of King Charles II by his mistress Catherine Pegge...
, the principal landowner in Cardiff, Penarth and Barry.
A survey in 1766 shows that the Plymouth family owned the freeholds in most of Radyr and continues to do so today. Twenty two acres of residential land within Radyr were sold by Plymouth Estates in 2007.
Development from the 18th century
Built in 1749, the Melingriffith Tinplate Works just across the River TaffRiver Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
from Radyr was built on or near the site of an old corn mill that had operated as far back as the late 12th century. Melingriffith was the largest working tin factory in the UK, until the much later construction of the Treforest Tin Works. People in Radyr would set their watches by the sound of the works hooters, which were also sounded to see in the new year. The tinplate works became the major employer for workers from Radyr and would remain so for nearly two hundred years.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
that carried raw iron ore from the Pentyrch Iron Works until around 1815, when the Pentyrch tramroad was completed. The tramroad crossed the River Taff over the Iron Bridge. The feeder’s lock was permanently closed in 1871 when it was bridged over, but traces of it still remain.
The tin works closed in 1957, and today the only signs that the works ever existed at all are the mostly dry bed of the original Melingriffith feeder stream that still runs down from the River Taff from just above the Radyr weir, and the recently restored water pump standing opposite Oak Cottage. The works site itself has been completely cleared, and is now a modern housing estate.
The Melingriffith feeder stream made its way to the original Glamorganshire Canal
Glamorganshire Canal
The Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in south Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Construction started in 1790, and the 25 miles of canal was fully opened by 1794. Its primary purpose was to enable the Merthyr iron industries to transport their goods, and it later served the coal...
, where they ran in parallel through the Tin Works and out the other side at Melingriffith Lock. Where they had come together north of the Tin Works, any overflow from the Canal was originally designed to empty into the feeder. This point is now at the southern end of the Glamorganshire Canal Local Nature Reserve and all the water from the canal runs into the feeder before disappearing into a piped water course that passes under the modern housing estate.
At the southern end of the housing estate, the feeder re-emerges at the point where the Melingriffith water pump stands, the pump originally designed to lift water from the bottom of the feeder back into the Canal at Melingriffith Lock. Today, the Glamorganshire Canal has been almost totally overbuilt. Ty Mawr Road has replaced the route of the canal from Melingriffith all the way to Whitchurch.
Samuel Lewis says in his 1849 "Topographical Dictionary of Wales" says of Radyr:
"A parish, in the poorlaw union of Cardiff, hundred of Kibbor, county of Glamorgan, in South Wales, 3½ miles (N. W. by W.) from Cardiff; containing 279 inhabitants. This parish probably derives its name, signifying "a cataract," from the rushing waters of the river Tâf, by which it is bounded on the north-east. It was formerly comprehended within the hundred of Miskin, but has been recently separated therefrom. It comprises about eleven hundred acres of arable and pasture land, inclosed and in a profitable state of cultivation: the surface is in some parts elevated, and in others flat, but no where subject to inundation; the soil is a strong brown earth, favourable to the production of good crops of grain of all kinds, potatoes, and hay. The substratum is partly a hard brown stone, and partly limestone of very good quality. Radyr Court, formerly the seat of the family of Matthew, ancestors of the late Lord Llandaf, has been partially taken down, and the remainder has been modernised, and converted into a farmhouse. The turnpike-road leading from Cardiff to Llantrissent passes a little to the south of the parish; and the Tâf-Vale railway runs through it, nearly parallel with the river, which is crossed by the line in this vicinity. Some of the inhabitants are employed at the iron-works in the parish of Pentyrch.
The living is a vicarage, endowed with £200 royal bounty; patron and impropriator, the representative of the late Earl of Plymouth, who is lord of the manor: the tithes have been commuted for £113. 9s. 0d, of which a sum of £38. 9s. 0d is payable to the impropriator, and a sum of £75 to the vicar. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is a neat plain edifice, with a curious turret at the west end. There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists; a Sunday school for gratuitous instruction is held in it, and another at Radyr Court. In the parish is a spring of very cold water, called Y Pistyll Goleu, "the bright water-spout," issuing from the side of a hill, under a considerable depth of earth over a limestone rock: it has by some writers been termed mineral, but it is not known to possess any other properties than that of its extreme coldness, which renders it efficacious in curing sprains and weakness of the sinews."
Until the mid 19th century Radyr was a collection of small farms, crofts and cottages, but after Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
opened in 1863, the population increased from 400 to over 600 residents over a twenty year period. The Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
and its successor the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
brought significant employment to Radyr and when Junction Terrace (the first 'street' in Radyr) was built to house the railway workers it was the start of a steep demand for housing in Radyr that transformed the peaceful hamlet and continues to do so today.
Wartime Radyr
Whitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
and set up a 'Citizen Guard' from those too old or too young to enlist. Losses suffered by the village are recorded on the War Memorial in Heol Isaf.
During the Second World War thousands of children were evacuated from metropolitan areas like London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. One evacuee, Patricia Armstrong aged nine, was knocked down by a passenger train and killed on a Saturday afternoon in May 1943 while negotiating the Gelynis foot crossing at Morganstown. She was an evacuee from the Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
area and was lodging with a family in Morganstown. As air raids on Cardiff
Cardiff Blitz
The Cardiff Blitz refers to the bombing of Cardiff, Wales during World War II.At the time, Cardiff Docks was the biggest coal port in the world and, for a few years before World War I, it handled a greater tonnage of cargo than either London or Liverpool....
increased, even younger children from Radyr were evacuated to residential boarding schools at Rhoose and Bridgend.
Post-War history
An extensive housing programme was started in the 1960s which saw Radyr undergo a rapid increase in population, particularly in the numbers of children. In 1964, Radyr Comprehensive School had 135 pupils on its roster – this number had more than trebled during the following ten years. The new development, known as the DanescourtDanescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
estate, was built on land surrounding Radyr Court, and the land was officially incorporated as a suburb of Cardiff in 1974. Danybryn Woods, which is located near to the development, was retained as the entire forest is protected by a Tree preservation order
Tree preservation order
A Tree Preservation Order or TPO is a part of town and country planning in the United Kingdom. A TPO is made by a Local Planning Authority to protect specific trees or a particular area, group or woodland from deliberate damage and destruction...
and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
was renovated in 1998 with the surrounding tracks replaced, resulting in shorter journey times to Cardiff city centre.
Governance
Westminster
The electoral ward of Radyr and Morganstown falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff WestCardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff West is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
. It is bounded by the wards of Whitchurch & Tongwynlais
Whitchurch & Tongwynlais
Whitchurch & Tongwynlais is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales. It covers some or all of the following areas: Coryton, Tongwynlais and Whitchurch in the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff North...
to the northeast; Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
and Llandaff North
Llandaff North
Llandaff North , is a community in the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It is located in the north of Cardiff and can be considered a two part ward, each containing about half the population; a northern section of mainly middle class housing, and a southern section of mainly public...
to the southeast; Creigiau & St. Fagans
Creigiau & St. Fagans
Creigiau & St. Fagans is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales.The ward covers the village of St. Fagans and a part of the village of Pentyrch and the surrounding rural areas.The ward falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff West...
to the southwest; and Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
to the northwest.
The current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Cardiff West is Kevin Brennan
Kevin Brennan (politician)
Kevin Denis Brennan is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West since 2001, and was a Minister of State at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families before the 2010 general election...
who was elected in the 2001 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, and represents the Labour party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Brennan is the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Cabinet Office and Minister for the Third Sector.
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh AssemblyNational Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
member for Cardiff West
Cardiff West (Assembly constituency)
Cardiff West is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
is Mark Drakeford, who replaced Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
AM after his retirement at the 2011 Welsh Assembly election
National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats...
. Morgan had been the constituency's Assembly Member since its inception in 1999, and is the former First Minister for Wales
First Minister for Wales
The First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
.
Cardiff Council
The Radyr & Morganstown electoral division has an electorate of 4,368 (1 May 2008) and has one seat. A ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, Roderick McKerlich, was elected for the first time on 1 May 2008 to represent Radyr on Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
. Cllr McKerlich has been appointed as a member of the Council's Environmental Scrutiny Committee which scrutinises, measures and actively promotes improvement in the Council's performance for environmental sustainability.
Community Council
Radyr is administered by Radyr & Morganstown Community Council, which is funded by an addition to the Council TaxCouncil tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
bill paid by local residents. The Community Council is run by eleven elected councillors from three separate wards within the parish - Radyr North (4 seats), Radyr South (3 seats) and Morganstown (4 seats). At the Community Council's annual meeting on 15 May 2008, David Silver was elected Chair of the Council for 2008 and 2009 and Rachel Granger was elected Vice Chair.
Geological structure
The surrounding soilSoil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s are mostly a strong, brown, dry earth, well adapted for arable farming and the growing of grains of all kinds that contributed to the area being a mostly farming community until the modern era. Soils were further enriched over the millennia by alluvial deposits
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
from the River Taff. The substratum under the whole area is a deep brown sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and lime shale that was likely laid down under a warm ocean at some stage in the distant past and subsequently ground down by glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s during the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
around 18,000 years ago. Radyr Stone is a Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
used widely for decorative work in the Cardiff area, including Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
, Cardiff Docks and in the bridges of the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
.
Radyr Weir
River Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
rises in the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
as two rivers. At Abercynon
Abercynon
Abercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
it is joined by the River Cynon
River Cynon
The River Cynon is a river in South Wales and is one of the larger tributaries of the River Taff.It arises within Cwm Cadlan in the Brecon Beacons National Park as the Nant Cadlan and is supplemented by a number of small streams arising from springs in the Carboniferous Limestone and Twrch...
and at Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
it is joined by the River Rhondda
River Rhondda
The River Rhondda is a river in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales which has two major tributaries; the Rhondda Fawr and the Rhondda Fach .- Description :...
. From Pontypridd, it runs roughly south, through Taff's Well
Taff's Well
Taff's Well or Taffs Well is a village located just north of the city of Cardiff and from its city centre. Located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taff's Well serves as a commuter town.-Name:...
and Radyr and into Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
.
First built in 1774 to provide water along a feeder to power the Mellingriffith tin-plate works, the weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
on the River Taff
River Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
at Radyr is the third obstruction to migratory salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and sea trout (the others being Llandaff Weir and Blackweir, both of which also have fish passes). Since the early 1980s the salmon and sea trout stocks in the Taff have been recovering from nearly 200 years of industrial pollution and exploitation. During 1993 the National Rivers Authority
National Rivers Authority
The National Rivers Authority was one of the forerunners of the Environment Agency of England and Wales, existing between 1989 and 1996. Before 1989 the regulation of the aquatic environment had largely been carried out by the ten Regional Water Authorities...
monitored over 500 salmon and 700 sea trout returning to the river to spawn.
From 1749 iron from Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
was initially transported to the works using pack-horses, then tub boats were used on the Taff passing onto the feeder via a lock at Radyr Weir. Parts of this lock can still be seen alongside the feeder sluice. In 1815 the tub boats were discontinued and a tramway constructed along the Taff. There is a public picnic site adjacent to the Radyr weir.
The River Taff through Radyr is flanked on both sides by an undeveloped greenway that cuts uninterrupted through northern Cardiff all the way to Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
in the very centre of the city, before the river discharges into the newly created Cardiff Bay freshwater lake that is enclosed by the Cardiff Bay Barrage
Cardiff Bay Barrage
The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s.-History:...
.
Radyr Woods Nature Area
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
. The community nature reserve extends to 5.67 ha (14 acre) with a network of footpaths and boardwalks and includes evidence of iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlements and remains of an early cooking hearth. Originally part of the Tudor deer park owned by the Mathew family and later Radyr Quarry, the area is owned by Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council
The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council consists of 75 councillors, representing 29 electoral wards. The authority is properly styled as The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff or in...
and Plymouth Estates, managed by the Radyr community council with the support of Cardiff Council's Parks Service.
Radyr Woods provides important habitats for a wide range of species. It also has a number of natural springs that feed a duck pond and a kingfisher
European Kingfisher
The Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, also known as Eurasian Kingfisher or River Kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa...
pond. Recent housing developments between the reserve and the railway line have added complementary public open space with picnic areas and a children's play area. Since 1986 all maintenance and development of the reserve has been carried out by a volunteer group known as The Friends of Radyr Woods.
Radyr Hawkweed
Radyr Hawkweed is the common name of Hieracium radyrenseHieracium radyrense
Radyr Hawkweed is the common name of Hieracium radyrense, a very rare endemic species restricted to Radyr in south Wales, UK. First identified in 1907 it was described as a variety in 1948 and a species in 1955.. and belongs to Hieracium section Vulgata...
, a very rare endemic microspecies
Apomixis
In botany, apomixis was defined by Winkler as replacement of the normal sexual reproduction by asexual reproduction, without fertilization. This definition notably does not mention meiosis...
related to the aster, daisy, or sunflower family
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, so far only identified with Radyr, originally at the quarry. First identified in 1907 it was described as a variety in 1948 and a separate species in 1955 and belongs to Hieracium
Hieracium
Hieracium known by its common name Hawkweed and long ago by its classical name hierakion which comes from the ancient Greek hierax, "a hawk"...
section Vulgata. It has rarely been seen and regular surveys between 1998 and 2004 indicate that today only a single population of around twenty five plants survives in the wild.
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, six possible plants of the Radyr genus were found on an old garden wall, but confirmation of identification is still awaited.
Neither the species nor the sites have any current legal protection, and it could be under significant threat of survival in the long term from inappropriate gardening or care. Seed samples of the Radyr Hawkweed have been provided to the Millennium Seed Bank, the international conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
project coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
, and plants are being carefully cultivated. The plant normally flowers between May and early July and Radyr residents are urged by botanists to be on the look out for further examples of the endangered species while walking in the area.
Demography
| Year | Population of Radyr | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 196 | – |
| 1811 | 106 | -46% |
| 1821 | 128 | 21% |
| 1831 | 227 | 77% |
| 1841 | 279 | 23% |
| 1851 | 417 | 50% |
| 1881 | 519 | 24% |
| 1891 | 610 | 18% |
| 1901 | 816 | 34% |
| 1911 | 1,238 | 52% |
| 1921 | 1,634 | 32% |
| 1931 | 1,586 | -3% |
| 1951 | 1,568 | -1% |
| 1961 | 1,690 | 8% |
| 2001 | 4,658 | 176% |
| 2009 | 6,000 | 29% * |
| source: Vision of Britain except *, which is estimated by the Office for National Statistics. Historical populations are calculated with the modern boundaries | ||
According to the latest estimates, Radyr has a population of 6,000 people. The 2001 census showed that the suburb had a total population of 4,658, of which 2,268 are male and 2,390 are female. The average age of the population is 39.7 years. 68.27% of residents are married, with 20.81% having never married. 73.97% declared their religion as Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. 23.97% stated no religion and 0.9% stated Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. 96.02% stated their ethnicity as white, 1.76% as Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 1.03% as mixed race, 1.01% as Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, and 0.2% as Black. 15.5% are Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers.
Landmark buildings and local attractions
Danybryn Cheshire Home was once a private house owned by Sir Lewis Lougher MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, then had two wings added to accommodate the residents, who are physically disabled young people. The Thatch is the only thatched cottage in Radyr and was built for the Mathias Family in 1936. The Church of St John the Baptist is over 750 years old.
The Taff Trail
Taff Trail
The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...
cycle path, which runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Cardiff Bay and Brecon, passes through Radyr via Radyr Weir. Other structures of importance include The Old Church Rooms and Radyr War Memorial. In nearby districts are St Fagans National History Museum
St Fagans National History Museum
St Fagans National History Museum , commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture and architecture of the Welsh people...
(formerly the Museum of Welsh Life) and Castell Coch
Castell Coch
Castell Coch is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is situated on a steep hillside high above the village of Tongwynlais, to the north of Cardiff in Wales, and is a Grade I listed building as of 28 January 1963.Designed by William...
.
Education
The Church Rooms in Park Road also functioned as a primary school until 1896 when the Board School opened next door. Older pupils had to travel to secondary schools in PenarthPenarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
by train. The area is served by the part-time Radyr Library.
Nursery and primary schools
Bryn Deri Primary School opened in 1976 and has included a Nursery SchoolNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
since September 1999,. Radyr is also served by a private pre-school called Park Road Nursery, and a Welsh Nursery called Cylch Meithrin, both of which are based in the Old Church Rooms.
Radyr Primary School in Park Road opened in 1896, and new classrooms were added in 1968 to accommodate the rising population. The school currently has 11 classes and over 300 pupils.
Secondary education
Radyr Comprehensive SchoolRadyr Comprehensive School
Radyr Comprehensive School is a coeducational comprehensive school and Sixth Form college located in Radyr, a suburb of Cardiff, Wales, that opened in 1973. It the current roll is around 1,400 students from ages 11–18, with around 250 in the sixth form....
has over 1400 pupils from across west Cardiff. It also has a large Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
college with around 300 students, and an active adult education centre.
Religious sites
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
, part of the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
.
The historic parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, Saint John the Baptist, adjacent to Radyr Chain, is located in the Danescourt
Danescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
estate (in Llandaff). It is over 750 years old and was altered in the 19th century.
Christ Church is now the main Parish church in Radyr. Designed by the Llandaff diocesan architect George Halliday, the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was ready for use at Easter 1904 and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and tower were completed in November 1910. It has a peal of eight bells donated by Lieutenant Colonel Fisher, which are all inscribed with the names of members of his family.
Radyr Methodist Church on Windsor Road replaced an earlier Methodist Church in Heol Isaf. Radyr is also served by Radyr Baptist Church, whose congregations are held in the Old Church Rooms in Park Road.
Sports and recreation
Taffs Well RFC
Taffs Well Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based in Taff's Well in south Wales. Taffs Well RFC were founded in 1887 and applied for and were successful in gaining membership to the Welsh Rugby Union in 1900...
is the closest rugby team to Radyr and was formed in 1887. The club has provided three former Welsh Rugby captains and six Welsh International players during its history.
Radyr Golf Club was established in 1902 after moving from its original nine-hole course at the Ty Mawr in Lisvane
Lisvane
Lisvane is an affluent community in the north of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, located north of the city centre. Lisvane is one of the most desirable areas of both Cardiff and Wales, and as of 2011, has an average house price £410,000 with many properties worth in excess of £1 million...
. It is a 6053 yards (5,534.9 m), par 69 (SSS 70) course for men and 5485 yards (5,015.5 m), par 72 (SSS 72) for women, and operates all year round. Laid out by the course designer Harry Colt, the Chairman of the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
recently described Radyr's course as "One of Colt's Little Jewels".
Radyr Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1914 by twenty Radyr 'Gentlemen' with the help of the Earl of Plymouth Estates. Its initial location was near the railway station but the courts were badly laid. Again with the help of Plymouth Estates, the club lifted the turf from all three grass courts and re-laid it on its current site next to Christ Church on Heol Isaf.
Radyr Cricket Club was founded in 1890 by the Earl of Plymouth who granted a hundred year lease for the current riverside ground to the local residents for a nominal sum. The pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1973 while the team were away on tour. Under the leadership of the new Chairman Keith Terry, a huge fund raising effort was made and a new pavilion opened on the footprint of the old one in 1975. Radyr currently plays in the first division of the South Wales Cricket League
South Wales Cricket League
The South Wales Premier Cricket League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in South Wales. The league was founded in 1999 as the South East Wales League, being renamed following its accreditation as an ECB Premier League in 2001....
.
Cardiff Corinthians Football Club
Cardiff Corinthians F.C.
Cardiff Corinthians F.C. are a football club from Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Football League.-History:The club was formed in 1898 when players from the Alpha Cricket Club decided to form a football teamto keep in touch during the winter months...
(known locally as the "Corries") have played their home games at the Riverside Football Ground in Radyr since 1974 and compete in the first division of the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
.
The main shops in Radyr are located in Station Road. One of the buildings on this road, named Bryn Melyn, is now a dental surgery but was originally the village Post Office.
Rail
At the turn of the 20th century Radyr was home to a busy railway from where coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
trains were either transferred onto the Taff Vale line
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
to Cardiff Docks, or the Penarth district line, to the docks located at Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
, 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) southwest of Cardiff city centre. Also, the Barry Railway Company
Barry Railway Company
The Barry Railway Company was a coal pit owner developed and owned railway company, formed to provide an alternate route for the sea export of coal mined in the South Wales valleys to the existing monopoly of the Taff Vale Railway and Cardiff Docks...
freight route ran just to the north of Morganstown. To the south-east of Radyr was an extensive railway marshalling yard which included another railway bridge over the Taff to provide an alternative route towards Llandaff. The sidings were lifted in preparation for a housing development in the 1970s.
Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station
Radyr railway station is a railway station serving the Radyr area of Cardiff. It is located at the foot of the hill at the eastern edge of the village, alongside the River Taff and adjacent to the Taff Trail.-History:...
is still a major regional station, with over 200 trains stopping on a weekday and a recorded annual footfall of over 400,000 passengers per year. Radyr is the northern terminus of the Cardiff City Line
Cardiff City Line
The City Line is a commuter railway line in Cardiff that runs from Coryton to Radyr via Cardiff Central. Regular passenger services on this route started in 1987. Passenger trains run from Monday to Saturday. The line is also used as a diversionary route for trains to Merthyr, Aberdare and...
. Trains run southbound via Fairwater
Fairwater railway station
Fairwater railway station is a railway station serving the Fairwater area of Cardiff, Wales. The station was built when the City Line west of Cardiff Central reopened to passenger services in 1987....
to Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
, normally continuing to Coryton
Coryton railway station (Cardiff)
Coryton railway station is a railway station serving the Coryton and Pantmawr area of Cardiff. It is the terminus of the Coryton Line north of Cardiff Central in which the line originates from Cardiff Queen Street....
via the Coryton Line
Coryton Line
The Coryton Line is a commuter railway line in Cardiff from the city centre to Heath, Birchgrove, Rhiwbina, Whitchurch and Coryton.The line is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales as part of the Valley Lines network. ATW replaced the previous franchise, Wales & Borders Trains in December...
. Trains also run southbound from Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Line
The Merthyr Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from central Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The line is part of the Cardiff urban rail network, known as the Valley Lines...
to Bridgend
Bridgend railway station
Bridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
and Barry Island
Barry Island railway station
Barry Island railway station is a railway station, fifteen kilometres south-west of Cardiff Central, serving Barry Island in Wales...
respectively. Services operate northbound to either Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil railway station
Merthyr Tydfil railway station is a railway station serving the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It is the terminus of the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales...
, Aberdare
Aberdare railway station
Aberdare railway station is a railway station serving the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line, 36 km north of...
or Treherbert
Treherbert railway station
Treherbert railway station is a railway station serving the village of Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the northern terminus of the Rhondda Line north west of Cardiff Central....
via Pontypridd
Pontypridd railway station
Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr and Rhondda lines and is the main line station for the town.Until the 1930s, Pontypridd had another two stations...
. All passenger services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
.
Bus
Cardiff BusCardiff Bus
Cardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
services 33, 33A and 33B and Stagecoach's
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
122 operate from Morganstown and Radyr to Cardiff central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station
Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used...
via Danescourt
Danescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
, Fairwater
Fairwater, Cardiff
Fairwater is a district in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is located a few miles from Culverhouse Cross which connects Cardiff to the M4 motorway.- History :The name Tyllgoed, meaning "dark wood" goes back to the 15th century...
and Canton
Canton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
.
Road
The B4262 road (Heol Isaf) runs through the centre of Radyr and Morganstown leading northbound to Taff's WellTaff's Well
Taff's Well or Taffs Well is a village located just north of the city of Cardiff and from its city centre. Located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taff's Well serves as a commuter town.-Name:...
and the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
towards Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, and southbound to the A4119
A4119 road
The A4119 is an A road linking Tonypandy with Cardiff in south Wales.Settlements served by the route include:*Tonypandy*Penygraig*Williamstown*Tonyrefail*Ynysmaerdy*Talbot Green*Llantrisant*Groes-faen*Creigiau*Llandaff*Canton*Riverside*Grangetown...
(Llantrisant Road), which links Llantrisant
Llantrisant
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The town's name translates as The Parish of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St...
with Danescourt
Danescourt
Danescourt is a suburban area in the west of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.-History and amenities:Danescourt is a housing estate located on the edge of the suburb of Llandaff leading to Fairwater and Radyr...
, Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
and Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
.
The M4 corridor around Cardiff was announced in 1971 as a replacement for a northern link road that had been on the statutes since 1947 but never actually constructed. The northern "Lisvane and Radyr route" for the M4 was eventually chosen after a number of noisy public enquiries and active objections by residents from both communities. The new motorway was completed and opened on 10 July 1980, and passes between Radyr and Morganstown on its east west route between London and Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
. Due to increased volume of traffic this section is being widened to three lanes. Costing over £71m this work was completed in December 2009. However, Radyr is not directly accessible from the motorway.
Twin towns
Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu
Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It's about 400 km southeast of Paris, via Chartres, Le Mans, Angers, and Nantes....
, a town south-west of Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
(Cardiff's twin city) on the southern shores of the Lac de Grand Lieu in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which has over 300 hectares of vineyards producing Muscadet
Muscadet
Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as...
wine. The first exchange visit took place in May 1986 and Twinning Charters were signed by Chairmen of both community councils. On the 10th anniversary of the twinning fellowship, Radyr presented the people of St Philbert with a red telephone box.
The following year the French presented the Radyr community with a wine press
Wine press
A wine press is a device used to extract juice from crushed grapes during wine making. There are a number of different styles of presses that are used by wine makers but their overall functionality is the same. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit...
, now sited in the gardens of the Old Church Rooms. The 20th anniversary was celebrated with a reception at the Old Church Rooms in 2006. The twinning committee is one of the more active in the area and cultural exchanges between the two communities take place annually. In 2008 forty five visitors from St Philbert visited Radyr, and a visit by villagers to St Philbert also took place. The twinning committee also arranges Boule tournaments and social events throughout the summer.
Notable people
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
(1916–1990) lived at a house called Ty Mynydd in Radyr (which was demolished in 1967) as a boy in the 1920s. He described it as an "imposing country mansion, surrounded by acres of farm and woodland" in his book Boy: Tales of Childhood
Boy (book)
Boy: Tales of Childhood is the first autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to...
. Jimi Mistry
Jimi Mistry
-Early life:Mistry, was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England to an Indian Hindu father and an Irish Roman Catholic mother. He was brought up a Roman Catholic and attended St. James' Catholic High in Cheadle Hulme before his family moved to Cardiff where he attended Radyr Comprehensive School...
(born 1973), who is an Asian-British actor and appeared in Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, The Guru and East Is East
East is East (film)
East Is East is a 1999 British black comedy/drama film, written by Ayub Khan-Din and directed by Damien O'Donnell. It is set in a British household of mixed-ethnicity, with a British Pakistani father and an English mother in Salford, Lancashire, in 1971...
, attended Radyr Comprehensive School.
Local sportsmen include Harry Corner
Harry Corner
Harry Richard Corner was an English cricket player. He was educated at Blundell's School and was a member of Great Britain's gold medal winning cricket team at the 1900 Summer Olympics, the only time to date that cricket has featured in the Olympics...
(1874–1938), an English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in the Great Britain team that won a gold medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics
A cricket tournament, played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, took place on 19–20 August at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The only match of the tournament was played between teams representing Great Britain and France, and was won by 158 runs by Great Britain....
, who lived, died and was buried in Radyr. Hugh Johns
Hugh Johns
Hugh Richard Lewis Johns was best known as a football commentator for ITV. During his career, he covered a thousand matches including four FIFA World Cup finals. - Early life and career :...
(1922–2007), who was best known as a football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
commentator for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, retired and died in Radyr. Frank Meggitt
Frank Meggitt
Frank Meggitt was a Welsh cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played for Glamorgan...
(1901–1945), a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, also lived in the town after retiring from the sport. The athlete and runner Timothy Benjamin
Timothy Benjamin
Timothy David Benjamin is a former professional athlete from Wales. He specialised in the 400 metres, and in his teens was coached by Jock Anderson, in the same training group as Christian Malcolm...
(born 1982) was born and raised in Radyr.
Another notable resident is Sir Martin Evans
Martin Evans
Sir Martin John Evans FRS is a British scientist who, with Matthew Kaufman, was the first to culture mice embryonic stem cells and cultivate them in a laboratory in 1981...
(born 1941), the Professor of mammalian genetics at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
who received the American equivalent of the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2001, was knighted in 2003 and awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for medicine for his work on stem cells. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences
Academy of Medical Sciences
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the United Kingdom's national academy of medical sciences. It was established in 1998 on the recommendation of a group that was chaired by Michael Atiyah. Its president is John Irving Bell....
.
Radyr in the media
The writer Roald DahlRoald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
lived in Radyr as a boy in the 1920s, describing his house as an "imposing country mansion, surrounded by acres of farm and woodland" in his book Boy: Tales of Childhood
Boy (book)
Boy: Tales of Childhood is the first autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to...
. More recently, the outdoor scenes in an episode of the TV science fiction series Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, called Small Worlds
Small Worlds (Torchwood)
"Small Worlds" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the fifth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 12 November 2006...
, were filmed mostly around Radyr Primary School.