PGW(Gm)19(CDF)

Cathays Cemetery  

II*  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Cardiff  

Heath  

318129  

178885  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Urban cemetery;  

1859; early twentieth century  

Cathays Cemetery is registered for its historic interest as a well-preserved large Victorian multi-denominational cemetery, retaining most of its original layout and ornamental evergreen planting. It contains some elaborate and interesting memorials dating from 1859 onwards. The registered area also has group value with the fine main entrance gateway and forecourt walls (LB: 13682), mortuary chapels (LB: 13683) and lodge, cemetery house (LB: 25824) designed by R.G Thomas, architect of Newport in collaboration with T. Waring, borough surveyor. Cathays Cemetery is situated in the Cathays area of Cardiff to the north of the city centre. It is kite-shaped, bounded on the east side by a railway, and on all other sides by roads. It is divided into a northern and southern half by the A48 dual carriageway, the southern part being the original cemetery. The two halves are quite separate, although inter-visible across the deep cutting of the A48. The first cemetery on the site, Cardiff New Cemetery, opened in 1859 in open countryside to the north of Cardiff. It was a multi-denominational cemetery, each faith being allocated a section, and with chapels for 'Episcopals', 'Dissenters', and Roman Catholics. It was laid out with a central axial walk orientated north-west/south-east leading to twin chapels and a grand entrance and lodge at the southern end. Branching off from the main walk were two curving side walks forming a heart-shaped plan. On either side of the chapels were symmetrical layouts of oval and crossing paths, with further paths leading around the outer parts of the cemetery. At the north-west end was a Roman Catholic chapel with radial walks leading off from it. The cemetery was planted mainly with conifers, particularly flanking the main walks and around the perimeter. This layout is shown on the six-inch first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1886. Most of the original layout of the oldest part of the cemetery survives, the main parts missing being the Roman Catholic chapel and the oval path layout to the south-west of the Dissenters' chapel. By 1915 it had expanded to Whitchurch Road in the south, and a new area to the north of the Taff Vale railway, which followed the route of the present A48 road, was opened up across former farmland and allotments. The southern section is laid out with straight crossing tarmac paths, with the graves in rows, several entrances, the boundaries planted with trees. The main entrance is in the middle of the south-east side, flanked by iron railings. It consists of iron gates in triple stone gothic arches, the central one larger and surmounted by a cross. This was built in 1857-59, designed by R.G. Thomas of Newport and T. Waring of Cardiff. To the north-east is a two-storey gothic lodge of stone with a pitched slate roof. Its smaller windows are trefoil-headed. Inside the main entrance are twin gothic chapels on either side of a central reception room surmounted by a bell tower, with porte-cochères and linking passages between them. The chapels are in the same style as the entrance and lodge. They were built in 1857-59 by R.G. Thomas and T. Waring. Further south, along the south-east side is another entrance with double iron gates and stone piers with recessed gothic panels and triangular tops ornamented with half-trefoils. Similar piers are used at all the entrances. In the south-west corner is a small gate flanked by stone piers. Near the east end of the south side is a similar, wider entrance, with double iron gates and side pedestrian gates flanked by incurving stone walls. The south-east corner of the site is occupied by the fine Carnegie Library building (LB:13681). The west side, along Allensbank Road, has two entrances, one main one and one side one, with iron gates, piers, and flanking banded walls Plantings include limes, cypresses, yews, pines and a monkey puzzle. The northern half of the cemetery is laid out with straight crossing walks, graves in uneven rows, and with similar planting to the southern section. Sources: Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan (ref: PGW(Gm)19(CDF)) Ordnance Survey first edition 6-inch map of Glamorgan, sheet XLIII (1886) Ordnance Survey second edition 25-inch map of Glamorgan, sheet XLIII.11 (1901).