| Bute Park and Arboretum | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Bute Park and Arboretum | |
| Location | Cardiff, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°29′20″N3°11′20″W / 51.489°N 3.189°W /51.489; -3.189 |
| Owner | County Council of the City and County of Cardiff |
| Official name | Cardiff Castle and Bute Park[1] |
| Designated | 1 February 2022; 3 years ago (2022-02-01)[1] |
| Reference no. | PGW(Gm)22(CDF)[1] |
| Listing | Grade I[1] |
Bute Park and Arboretum (Welsh:Parc a Gardd Goed Bute) is a park inCardiff,Wales. It comprises 130 acres (53 ha) of landscaped gardens and parkland that once formed the grounds ofCardiff Castle. The park is named after the3rd Marquess of Bute, whose family owned the castle.
The Castle Green was landscaped in the late eighteenth century byCapability Brown, but the park itself was laid out from 1873 on byAndrew Pettigrew, head gardener to the 3rd Marquess.[2] In 1947, the5th Marquess of Bute presented the park toCardiff County Borough Council. It is still held in trust for the citizens of Cardiff, by Cardiff Council, who maintain the park with the aid of volunteers & community groups
The park is situated along the east bank of theRiver Taff and adjoiningCardiff Castle, and offers a combination of arboretum, flower gardens and recreation grounds. Most of the park is laid to grassland but there is an abundance of woodland and tree-lined avenues.Sophia Gardens andPontcanna Fields are on the opposite side of the river, reached by two footbridges. Sophia Gardens is home to theGlamorgan County Cricket Ground, wheretest matches are played, and to theSport Wales National Centre.[3][4]
Within the park there are sculptures such as wood carvings formed from retained tree stumps (in 2012, a series of additional carvings were commissioned as part of the Restoration Project) which encourage natural play. An ironwork sundial, originally placed in the park in 1990 after a Festival of Iron event, was removed in 2006 and replaced by a small, round formal garden to honourStuttgart (Cardiff's Germantwin town). This feature was designed by the Parks Service in Stuttgart and planted by horticultural apprentices from both cities as part of a programme of exchange visits between the two parks departments.
.jpg)
The dock feeder canal runs along the eastern edge of the park. Its origins go back to medieval times when it was a millstream, constructed to feed the Lord's Mill, situated below the western walls of Cardiff Castle. This line is clearly seen on the Bute Estate Maps of 1824.[5] In 1833, the line of the mill stream was incorporated as a water source for the development ofCardiff Docks by the2nd Marquess of Bute and was reformed as the dock feeder when the docks were constructed between 1836 and 1841.[6] The dock feeder is still the main water supply to the docks.
Between 1981 and 2019, the park hosted an annualGuy Fawkes Night firework display, namedSparks in the Park in its later years. The event was organised by Cardiff's local branch ofRound Table and profits were distributed to charity. The event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and in 2022 it was cancelled indefinitely due to increasing costs and organisational issues.[7]
The Cooper's Field part of the park has hosted concerts by artists includingFlorence and the Machine,You Me at Six andEmeli Sandé.[8]
Bute Park and the grounds of Cardiff Castle are designated Grade I on theCadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.[1]
From 2007 Cardiff Council undertook a £5.6 million restoration project, which was part-funded by a £3.1 million grant from theHeritage Lottery Fund. The project provided new facilities and restored historic features in the park, including:
The park is maintained by a team of Park Rangers and gardeners based on site, who are supported by volunteers.
.jpg)
