Around Llandaff

It takes less than an hour to walk from Llandaff to Cardiff, and there is a pleasant walk on each side of the river Taff. Access can be gained to the west bank by the footpath from Bridge Road past the Rowing Club, or by the path which passes the west end of the Cathedral. The east bank can be reached near Llandaff North Bridge or Western Avenue Bridge. There is a footbridge at Blackweir, about half way to Cardiff, for those wishing to make a round walk by the riverside.
   There are still some splendid beech, lime and chestnut trees in Llandaff. The ilex or holm oak grows abundantly, as does the alder by the river, and in the Churchyard there are fine mature yews.
   Song birds are abundant in the Churchyard and neighbouring gardens. Near the river it is worth looking out for cormorants, mallard, moorhen, all three types of woodpecker, and, on rare occasions, a kingfisher. Coot and heron have been seen and pied wagtails visit both sides of the river.
   The flora of Llandaff is worth a second look, even for non-botanists. More than 150 species were found in our 1982 survey. Mexican fleabane grows in walls and all over the Campanile; the path alongside Dean's wood includes hedge woundwort, figwort, lesser celandine, broadleaved willowherb and wood garlic. Continuing along the path by the weir it is possible to find hemlock, water plantain, red bartsia, chamomile, gorse, foxglove, coltsfoot, Himalayan balsam and plenty of Japanese knotweed. In the graveyard across the little bridge where the mill-stream formerly flowed there are carpets of speedwell and also horsetail, ox-eye daisy, comfrey and the spear thistle. Near the Cathedral grows wall-rue, and, in the crevices of the Cathedral itself, pellitory-of-the-wall.

The future

Llandaff's architectural legacy, its ancient street pattern, and the attractive open space around the Cathedral and along the river, have created a distinctive place and shaped a community confident in its own identity. The constraints of traffic growth and development pressure make it essential that the history and character of Llandaff is acknowledged as the basis for future management. There are many opportunities to improve access and environmental quality and make Llandaff even more attractive for residents and visitors alike, a place where town and country meet around Green and Cathedral.

Information for this note has been drawn from the Llandaff Society's guide to Llandaff, John Hilling, Llandaff past and present (1978), John Newman, The buildings of Glamorgan (1995), and the Llandaf Study, undertaken in 1989 for the Llandaff Society by the Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Design at Cardiff University. Visuals have been taken from the Llandaf Study and from materials collected by the society

Web design: Matthew Griffiths: the Civic Trust for Wales 1/2000.