# History of City Rd, Plasnewydd, cardiff!



## Sweaty Betty (Mar 25, 2007)

Any ideas where i can find some information on the history of City Rd, i have just found out that my Great grandfather owned a sucessful cycle business and workshop............

Im sketchy on names but there must be some old photos somewhere 

Any ideas.....google was not my friend


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## King Biscuit Time (Mar 25, 2007)

There is a City Road local history group - they did loads for the 100th anniversary of City Road in 2005 (Theres a plaque outside Roath Park Conservative Club marking the 100th anniversary celebrations).

They have info on all the buildings on City Rd (I think) and how the use of these buildings changed over time.

I'm not sure if they're separate from Roath Local History Society, or just a part of it, but they're based in Penylan Library in the corner of Roath Park - go and have a look - they have files there that you can look at and you should be able get some contact info to find out more.


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## Udo Erasmus (Mar 25, 2007)

Wasn't death junction once the scene of the local gallows where they hung people. (The junction where Mackintosh place, richmond road, Albany road & Crwys Road intersect).  I had always assumed it was called death junction because of a number of car crashes that occured due to so many roads intersecting, until I heard this alternative grittier explanation.


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## lunatrick (Mar 26, 2007)

Udo Erasmus said:
			
		

> Wasn't death junction once the scene of the local gallows where they hung people. (The junction where Mackintosh place, richmond road, Albany road & Crwys Road intersect).



I've also heard that too...not sure if it's true or not but gives a whole new meaning to the name! not just 'cos it's a nightmare to cross!


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## King Biscuit Time (Mar 26, 2007)

Udo Erasmus said:
			
		

> Wasn't death junction once the scene of the local gallows where they hung people. (The junction where Mackintosh place, richmond road, Albany road & Crwys Road intersect).



Theres a plaque on the side of the Nat West bank there commemorating the hanging of two people back in the day. I think they have been been made saints now or something? Someone have a goosey next time you go past and report back!


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## Udo Erasmus (Mar 26, 2007)

Even more intriguing is the whole "Plasnewydd" name of the area.  I have never ever heard anyone say "I live in Plasnewydd" or refer to the area by that name.  Everyone always calls it Roath.  The only time you hear it called Plasnewydd is occasionally on letters and in election literature.

What is the difference between Plasnewydd and Roath?  As far as I can see they refer to same reality.


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## Sweaty Betty (Mar 26, 2007)

Udo Erasmus said:
			
		

> Even more intriguing is the whole "Plasnewydd" name of the area.  I have never ever heard anyone say "I live in Plasnewydd" or refer to the area by that name.  Everyone always calls it Roath.  The only time you hear it called Plasnewydd is occasionally on letters and in election literature.
> 
> What is the difference between Plasnewydd and Roath?  As far as I can see they refer to same reality.



No, plasnewydd is the whole block of streets that run off the left hand side of City Rd as you come from Albany,I dont know where the boundaries are but thats the major part of it....


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## King Biscuit Time (Mar 26, 2007)

Check the council website - there's no such ward as 'Roath' per se, I think bits of Roath fall into a few wards (massive innit), but the bulk of it is in what people call Plasnewydd (which I always think of as being the inside of a triangle made of  City Rd, Albany Rd and Newport Rd.) Don't forget that massive bit of Roath that is more or less Splott - around Broadway.


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## Udo Erasmus (Mar 26, 2007)

Yeah, Broadway is called Roath & Roath Library is there, but everyone knows that it's really Splott.  I think we need to campaign for areas to be called by their true names.  

But answer the question, have you ever heard anybody say "I live in Plasnewydd".  Plasnewydd is our rulers name for the area.

And let's not even get into the _minefield_ of Pontcanna . . .


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## Brockway (Mar 26, 2007)

Udo Erasmus said:
			
		

> Yeah, Broadway is called Roath & Roath Library is there, but everyone knows that it's really Splott.  I think we need to campaign for areas to be called by their true names.
> 
> But answer the question, have you ever heard anybody say "I live in Plasnewydd".  Plasnewydd is our rulers name for the area.
> 
> And let's not even get into the _minefield_ of Pontcanna . . .



I lived on Broadway, so to speak - always thought it was Adamsdown. Possibly the extreme outskirts of Roath but not Splott.


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## King Biscuit Time (Mar 26, 2007)

I was chatting to a bloke in the council (socially!) about street signs in Cardiff, saying how smart the ones in other cities looked, because they have the part of town you're in written in the corner.

He reckons they'll never be able to have that in Cardiff, because the lines are so blurred - no-one's ever really sure where they live.

I used to live right at the top of Whitchurch Rd, is that The Heath or Gabalfa?
Off Marlborough Rd, is that Roath or Penylan?
Richmond Road - Roath or Cathays?


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## Brockway (Mar 26, 2007)

King Biscuit Time said:
			
		

> I was chatting to a bloke in the council (socially!) about street signs in Cardiff, saying how smart the ones in other cities looked, because they have the part of town you're in written in the corner.
> 
> He reckons they'll never be able to have that in Cardiff, because the lines are so blurred - no-one's ever really sure where they live.
> 
> ...



I'd say Old Gabalfa; Roath; and Roath. But they've changed the boundaries over the years so god knows.


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## Dic Penderyn (Mar 26, 2007)

some cardiff people get all het up about all this stuff. 

From what I can tell it comes from the fact that 'cardiff' was orginally a suburb outside Llandaff that grew to take in lots of little villages and fill in the gaps inbetween. 

Unlike Newport which is a much more important place historically, sportingly, and indeed morally.


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## Brockway (Mar 26, 2007)

Dic Penderyn said:
			
		

> some cardiff people get all het up about all this stuff.
> 
> From what I can tell it comes from the fact that 'cardiff' was orginally a suburb outside Llandaff that grew to take in lots of little villages and fill in the gaps inbetween.
> 
> Unlike Newport whichit a much more important place historically, sportingly, and indeed morally.



Fighting talk. Newport is a suburb of Cardiff anyway - it's Llanrumney East.  

How is Newport morally superior to Cardiff Dic?


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## Udo Erasmus (Mar 26, 2007)

Brockway said:
			
		

> I lived on Broadway, so to speak - always thought it was Adamsdown. Possibly the extreme outskirts of Roath but not Splott.



When I wrote Splott I meant Adamsdown.

I have heard that whether you live in Pontcanna depends on whether you are buying or selling your house.

I have also noted that the difference between Canton and Pontcanna is as you walk down from Severn Road into Severn Grove, suddenly their are more trees on the road.


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## zog (Mar 26, 2007)

Udo Erasmus said:
			
		

> Yeah, Broadway is called Roath & Roath Library is there, but everyone knows that it's really Splott.  I think we need to campaign for areas to be called by their true names.
> 
> But answer the question, have you ever heard anybody say "I live in Plasnewydd".  Plasnewydd is our rulers name for the area.
> 
> And let's not even get into the _minefield_ of Pontcanna . . .



When I used to live in riverside we called it South Pontcanna. No fecker believed us though.


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