Cardiff Bay

Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the regeneration area created by the Cardiff Barrage which impounded two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a new 500 acre freshwater lake around the former dockland area south of the city centre of Cardiff in south Wales. The bay was formerly tidal, with access to the sea limited to a couple of hours each side of high water. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2400x1800, 1704 KB) Summary Cardiff Bay Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Cardiff Bay Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2400x1800, 1704 KB) Summary Cardiff Bay Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Cardiff Bay Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The Cardiff Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ...

History

Cardiff Bay has always played a major part in Cardiff’s development by being the means of exporting coal from the Welsh valleys to the rest of the world, powering the industrial age.

The coal industry helped fund buildings including City Hall, the Coal Exchange and the New Theatre and helped the Third Marquis of Bute, who owned the docks, become the richest man in the world at the time.

As Cardiff exports grew, so did its population; dockworkers and sailors from across the world settled in neighborhoods close to the docks, known as Tiger Bay, and communities from up to 45 different nationalities, including Norwegian, Somalian, Yemenese, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean and Irish, helped create the unique multi-cultural character of the area.

After the Second World War most of the industry closed down and became derelict. But, in 1999, new life was pumped into the area after the building of the Cardiff bay barrage which was one of the most controversial building projects of the day. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Development

The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was created in 1987 to stimulate the redevelopment of the run down areas of Tiger Bay and Butetown. Since the early 20th century, when the city was the world's largest coal merchants port, Cardiff's docklands had been in decline. By the 1930s they were a mass of empty land and abandoned buildings and had become an embarrassment to the city as it tried to become an international capital. The Development Corporation aimed to attract private capital by spending public money to improve the area. Despite opposition by environmentalists and wildlife organisations, the mud flats at the mouths of the River Taff and River Ely were inundated, with loss of habitat for wading birds. The barrage has created several new habitats for freshwater species with a growing wetlands habitat at the mouth of the Taff to the south of the Hamadryad Park. The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the government of the United Kingdom in 1988 to undertake development of the bay area of Cardiff and develop it into a European city. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Tiger Bay is the former dock area of Cardiff. ... Butetown electoral division of Cardiff The Docks is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... The River Taff is a large river in South Wales. ... The River Ely is a small river in south Wales. ...

Successes and failures

When the Development Corporation was wound up in March 2000, it had achieved many of its objectives. The whole area was unrecognisable from just ten years before. Much private land was now open to the public, particularly around the inner harbour and the north side of Roath basin, although the walkway across the barrage remains incomplete, to the dismay of some. Private capital had come from many sources: insurance company Atradius, hotelier Rocco Forte, many housebuilders and retailers. New homes and jobs had been created, the National Assembly for Wales was based in the Bay, the barrage had created a world-class environment. In addition the development had promoted growth in the main city centre. New apartments were built, as was the Millennium Stadium and retail centres. Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... // Atradius is a leading credit insurer with total revenues of around EUR 1. ... Sir Rocco Forte is a British hotelier born in Bournemouth. ... Type Unicameral Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas Members 60 Political groups Labour Plaid Cymru Conservative Liberal Democrats Last elections May 3, 2007 Meeting place Senedd, Cardiff, Wales Web site http://www. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ...

Connecting the Bay area to the centre of Cardiff was a primary goal when plans to develop the docklands were first mooted. Original plans included a grand boulevard (similar to where Lloyd George Avenue is located now) with high density commercial and residential units straddling on both sides. This would have created significant demand for quality public transport provisions facilitating connections to the new Bay area but quality public transport was often of poor quality and, despite much improved connections through the Cardiff Bus BayCar service, the most efficient way of reaching the Bay area is by car. Cardiff Bus is an Australian Bus Company. ...

Aborted Schemes

• Cardiff Bay Opera House, designed by Zaha Hadid in a competition, was never built.

Cardiff Bay Opera House, ill-fated project to build a worthy home for the renowned Welsh National Opera. ... Interior of Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany Bergisel Ski Jump, Innsbruck BMW Central Building, Leipzig Vitra fire station, Weil am Rhein, Germany Maggies Centre, Kirkcaldy Zaha Hadid (Arabic: زها حديد) CBE (born October 31, 1950, Baghdad, Iraq) is a notable Iraqi-British deconstructivist architect. ...

Cardiff Bay Today

The Wales Millennium Centre, seen from Roald Dahl Plass

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 363 KB) The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 363 KB) The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. ...

Tourism and exhibitions

• St David's Hotel & Spa, a 5-star world class hotel.
• Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre, a portable building known locally as 'The Tube'.
• the Pierhead Building, ex-HQ of the Bute Dock Company, a large elaborately detailed, Grade 1 Listed, red brick building built in 1897. It houses the Visitor Centre for the Welsh Assembly.
• National Assembly for Wales: Crickhowell House, the Senedd and the Pierhead Building.
• Cardiff Bay Sea-Train, a miniature railway to show tourists around the Bay and the Docklands.

St Davids Hotel & Spa is a luxury 5-Star hotel situated in Cardiff, Wales. ... The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales and is adjacent to the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. ... Bute Docks is located in Cardiff. ... The Forth Bridge, designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, opened in 1890, and now owned by Network Rail, is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland. ... Type Unicameral Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas Members 60 Political groups Labour Plaid Cymru Conservative Liberal Democrats Last elections May 3, 2007 Meeting place Senedd, Cardiff, Wales Web site http://www. ... Image:Crickhowell House2007. ... The National Assembly for Wales Building at night The Senedd in the daytime The Senedd (Welsh for Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. ... The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales and is adjacent to the Senedd building and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. ... Bute Docks is located in Cardiff. ...

Cultural and arts

• Wales Millennium Centre for the Performing Arts.
• Norwegian Church Arts Centre, a rescued and rebuilt historic wooden church.
• Techniquest, an entertaining, educational science centre mainly for schoolchildren.
• Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve, a coastal marsh with rare species and public walkways.
• Roald Dahl Plass, a large open amphitheatre hosting carnivals and festivals in the summer.

The Wales Millennium Centre The Millennium Centre on its opening night The Wales Millennium Centre (Welsh: Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is a £106 million performing arts complex located on the Cardiff Bay waterfront. ... Techniquest is a science and discovery centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales. ... The Wales Millennium Centre in the Plass. ...

Water-based attractions

• The Water Bus, which offers a public transport service and tourist cruises.
• Cardiff Bay Barrage, accessible via the Water Bus & by road, is free to explore and also has guided tours.
• the Helwick Lightship, a restored old lightship with a cafe.
• Queen Alexandra Dock
• several smaller docks with landscaped seating areas and bridges, and views across the Bay.
• numerous small private yachts and fishing boats moored within the Bay.
• Sailing, Windsurfing & Powerboat tuition at Llanishen & Cardiff Bay Sailing Centre

A New York Water Taxi docks at Pier 11 near Wall Street. ... Cardiff Barrage Entrance locks The Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. ... The Cardiff Barrage Entrance at Queen Alexandra Dock. ...

Commercial and nightlife

• style-conscious shops, bars and restaurants at Mermaid Quay.
• The Point, a popular club and live music venue.
• The Coal Exchange (aka The Exchange Centre), a venue for staged events.
• Harry Ramsden's fish and chip bar - a large, prominent building.
• Bosphorus a Turkish restaurant offering a panoramic bay view
• Cardiff Bay Ice Rink
• Cardiff International Sports Village (under construction)
• Red Dragon Centre (formerly Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village), a large shopping, leisure and entertainment complex which also hosts a permanent Doctor Who exhibition, Doctor Who Up Close.
• Atlantic Wharf, the area surrounding the refurbished Bute East Dock, with modern residential and commercial developments, and Cardiff County Hall.

Mermaid Quay is a commercial and tourist area of Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. ... The Point is a church-turned-popular music venue in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. ... The Coal Exchange was a market floor for trading in coal, and is now a venue for staged events, in Cardiff, Wales as well as containing a number of offices. ... Harry Ramsdens is a worldwide restaurant chain dedicated to traditional British-style fish and chips. ... Bosphorus - photo taken from International Space Station. ... The Cardiff Bay Ice Rink is an ice rink in Cardiff, Wales. ... Cardiff International Sports Village (also known as the Cardiff Sports Village or the ISV) is located in Cardiff Bay in the city of Cardiff, Wales. ... For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Welsh capital. ... The County Hall is the head office of Cardiff Council, located beside a disused dock in Butetown, Cardiff. ...

Appearances in the media

Cardiff Bay was used as the high-tech urban setting for the Ninth Doctor Doctor Who episode Boom Town and for the Torchwood spinoff, whose makers deliberately avoided stereotypical portrayals of Wales to portray Cardiff as a modern urban centre.^[1]. Roald Dahl Plass features prominently. The Ninth Doctor refers to the ninth official incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). ... Boom Town is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 4, 2005. ... For plants known as torchwood, see Burseraceae. ... The Wales Millennium Centre in the Plass. ...

Access to the Bay

• By rail: Cardiff Bay railway station.
• By road: from the city centre: either Lloyd George Avenue or Bute Street.

Cardiff Bay railway station (previously Butetown railway station) is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff. ...

See also

• List of places in Cardiff
• Penarth Marina
• Cardiff

This is a listing of places in Cardiff, capital city of Wales. ... Penarth Marina is situated in the sheltered waters of Cardiff Bay, near Cardiff. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ...

References

The Western Mail is a daily newspaper published by Western Mail and Echo Ltd in Cardiff, Wales. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• A map of Cardiff Bay
• Cardiff Harbour Authority