A Walking Tour Through Tudor Cardiff: From the Hayes to Bute Park
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Long ago Tudor Cardiff faded into history, along with almost all of its buildings. Today, Cardiff is a bustling, modern city so it’s hard to believe that in the mid-1500s it was just a tiny port and market town on the River Taff. On this walking tour, I’ll help you look beyond the modern buildings at the clues that tell the city’s story of fame and notoriety in the days of the powerful Tudor dynasty.
Starting outside St John's Gardens, I’ll tell you about another garden, the Hayes, which once occupied the site of today’s St David’s Shopping Centre. As you make your way through the city centre, I’ll point out the only two remaining Tudor buildings and reveal the curious origin of some of Cardiff’s street names like Womanby, Golate and Wharton Streets. You’ll hear what life was like back in Tudor Cardiff including how different the daily diets of the rich and poor were and how literacy meant there were different laws for the different social classes. And on your way to Bute Park, where the tour ends, you’ll pass by St John The Baptist City Parish Church’s striking tower, Gorsedd Stone Circle which isn’t as ancient as it may seem and the spectacular Cardiff Castle.
As you walk through the modern streets, you’ll hear about the famous and infamous characters that shaped the city including:
- John Herbert, the Cardiff lawyer and politician who rose to serve Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, and whose resplendent tomb lies in the city centre
- The Earl of Pembroke, Henry VIII’s brother-in-law who managed to keep his head while all those around him lost theirs
- William Herbert, whose greed and cunning caused a headache for Elizabeth I’s government by turning Cardiff into a pirate haven
- Rawlins White, the fisherman who died a martyr near St Mary Street during the reign of Bloody Mary
Give yourself at least 40-minutes or take as long as you like on this walk through Tudor Cardiff filled with period music and sound effects to help bring the past to life.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
James Cowan
I love creating audio tours of cities which lie close to my heart in the hope that others will share my love and passion.
I wrote my first audio tour of Cardiff, Wales in 2018. I grew up with Cardiff on my doorstep and lived there most of my adult life. Discovering its incredible but still largely unknown history became an ever-growing passion. This led me to develop walking tours and telling people the history, legends and ghost stories of Cardiff and Wales – tales of Kings, Princes, and a one-time tiny town on the Taff that overnight become the world’s biggest coal port, from which emerged the grand domes, towers and columns of its beautiful civic centre….and all the time, in its woodlands and castles lurk ancient legends and tales of ghosts!
I am delighted that, thanks to VoiceMap, I have been able to convert some of these tours into self-guided audio tours.
Since 2019 I have had a new home, Copenhagen, and I have fallen in love with this city. Discovering its history, its character, and its characters past and present, has been an all-consuming pleasure, always full of surprises. In 2021 I was delighted to offer my first Copenhagen audio tour, which was a labour of love to research and develop, as a prelude to more Copenhagen tours following in 2022 and 2023.
In 2023 I was very excited to introduce my first ever audio tour in Poland, of Warsaw’s beautiful Old Town. I have been fascinated and deeply moved by Polish history since childhood, and as an adult I have been spellbound by the beauty of its cities, and awe struck by the resilience and determination of the Polish character despite everything the country has experienced.
In 2025 I published a series of audio tours of Łódź! I hope that my tours of Łódź shed new light on this striking, exciting, and much underrated city! Moreover, I hope that my audiotour of the site of the Łódź Ghetto serves as a powerful informational and educational tool, shedding light on the city's darkest chapter. Indeed, I hope all my Polish audio tours convey my admiration and respect for the country's history and culture.
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 6
St Mary Street - step back in time
This is St Mary Street. Gone is the peace and tranquility of birdsong and bees. Horses, carts and peo... Read More
View locations and route
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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St John's Gardens
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Museum of Cardiff
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The Hayes
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Caroline Street
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Saint Mary Street
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Golate
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Wharton Street
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The Old Library
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St John The Baptist City Parish Church
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Cardiff Town Wall
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Duke Street Arcade
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High Street Arcade
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High Street
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Quay Street
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Womanby Street
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Cardiff Castle
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Bute Park
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Blackfriars Friary
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Gorsedd Stone Circle
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Lady Bute’s Bridge
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start location5A High St, Cardiff CF10 1AW, UK
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Total distance3km
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Final locationCastle St, Cardiff CF10 3RB, UK
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Distance back to start location436.88m
Directions to Starting Point
The tour starts right in the heart of Cardiff City Centre. Please make your way to Working Street, and stand outside the large branch of Barclays Bank. The address is 28 Working Street, Cardiff, CF10 2DP. If using the front gate of Cardiff Castle as your starting point, as you face the castle please turn right and make your way to the far right hand corner of the castle. Here you will see a large pedestrian crossing. Cross here, and then immediately turn right to walk down St John's Street. This street lies between Burger King on the corner to the right, and the Spar store on the corner to the left. Keep walking, and after 100 metres St John Street becomes Working Street and very soon afterwards you will see Barclays Bank on your left.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
The route in the city centre is packed with lots of places to stop and grab a snack or hot/cold drink, either to take a break, or to have on the go. The Victorian arcades (there are several of joining the route we take) are a special treat and worth a quick diversion to take in their small shops and eateries (many of them are independent traders).
Best time of day
I recommend you do this walk after 10am and before 5pm. This is when the shops and attractions will be open should you wish to take a break from the tour (one of the stopping points, the Church of St John the Baptist, is open daily between 10am-3pm should you wish to look inside although we do not strictly enter as part of the tour). I do not recommend doing the tour earlier than 10am as there is a strong chance the route will be crammed with delivery vehicles and street cleaners which will make the route noisy and congested. After sunset it is not possible to enter Bute Park which is important to the last part of the tour.
Precautions
Most of the route is pedestrianised but parts of it have restricted vehicle access (eg making deliveries) so please always be aware of slow moving vehicles. Please take great care when you are asked to cross roads and please obey pedestrian light controlled crossing instructions. The route is safe by day as it is busy with pedestrians, without being overly crowded but, as always, please take common sense precautions regarding personal possessions.
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Questions and Reviews
Questions and Reviews
