Cardiff walking tour: From St. David’s Hall to the Hayes

Do you have an hour to spare in Cardiff? Why not explore ‘the Diff’ or ‘Caerdydd’, as it’s known by locals, on this self-guided tour of Wales’s diverse capital city? We’ll stroll down the friendly streets, past several historic landmarks, and also venture off the beaten path to a few hidden gems.

Our walking tour starts near the cathedral at St. Davids Hall, where you’ll hear how the region’s mining activities trickled wealth into Cardiff. We’ll walk down Dead Man’s Alley to find out why it’s always closed on Good Friday before hitting St Mary and High street to go back in time and hear about the origins of the Welsh flag’s Red Dragon. As we pause at the glorious riverside site of the world-famous Principality Stadium, imagine what the city is like during an international rugby match, when thousands of excited fans throng the streets, singing Welsh songs. I’ll also tell you about the vindictive response of Cardiff’s elites to another sports facility, the Cardiff Arms Park, that threatened to block their view of the bay.

Not many cities have a magnificent Norman castle in their centre, but Cardiff does! We’ll learn about its history as we marvel at Roman ruins, towers, and the castle’s impressive entrance. I’ll tell you how a mysterious and elusive Welsh prince, Owain Glyndwr, laid siege to Cardiff Castle in a devastating uprising against English rule during the 1400s. As we tip-toe past the sleeping dragons that guard Cardiff University, I’ll share the academy’s history, and give you the chance to take a quiet moment in the beautiful Alexandra gardens to pay respect to Welsh lives lost in the victories of WW1 and the Falklands war.

You’ll also have an opportunity to:

• See St John’s church, the oldest in the city centre and, arguably, the oldest building still used in Cardiff today
• Marvel at the city’s many Victorian shopping arcades, the first of which was built in 1835
• Greet the unique and mysterious stone creatures who peer down into the city from the Animal Wall
• Say hello to Aneurin Bevan, the founder of Britain’s National Health Service or NHS, whose statue now stands on a historic bull-baiting site, where a spectator was once gored to death
• Pay your respects at the Memorial to Welshmen who died in the South African War
• Hear how the Bute family percolated its name throughout the city, with buildings like the Bute Library
• Take a break from our tour and follow your nose through Cardiff’s National Museum of Wales, to take in its resplendent impressionist collection and natural-science secrets
• Conjure up the Ghost of Lady Grey, in Cardiff’s ironically named New Theatre
• Walk past Welsh language chapels, including the Tabernacle Chapel
• Stroll through Cathays Park, often described as the finest Civic Centre in the UK
• See Jury’s Inn and a fish market that was converted to supply the city with electricity as far back as 1894

Take an hour, or go at your own pace, on this self-guided walking tour of the city. There are a few places to stop for a bite along the way. We'll walk through the centre of Cardiff’s culinary scene, including the Brewery Quarter and Chip Alley - a late-night stomping ground for locals and eccentrics.