Travel / 48 hours in
48 Hours in Cardiff
Martin Booth and his family head to the capital of Cymru for a weekend of Welsh cakes, wetlands and waterfalls
Cardiff Market
Cardiff Market is a Grade II-listed Victorian market
If, like me, your only previous experience of Welsh cakes have been dry and (dare I say it) rather bland, then make a beeline for Bakestones in Cardiff Market. Watch as all of the Welsh cakes here are hand-rolled and placed on a traditional griddle (the bakestone) using a method unchanged for generations. Our Welsh cakes made the perfect pudding after pizzas from Ffwrnes, looking down from the first floor balcony onto this rejuvenated Grade II-listed Victorian market which now sells everything from fish to flowers.
St Mary Street, CF10 1AU / www.cardiffcouncilproperty.com/cardiff-market
The Betty Campbell Monument
Betty Campbell was Wales’ first Black headteacher
Travel from Bristol by train like we did and a statue of a remarkable woman is just a stone’s throw from Cardiff Central. When Nelson Mandela made his only visit to Wales, he made sure to meet Campbell, the country’s first Black headteacher who was responsible for putting Black culture and history on Cardiff’s curriculum. Unveiled in 2021, this statue by Eve Shepherd in honour of a champion of multiculturalism, equality and diversity is the first statue of a real Welsh woman in Wales, and was commissioned following a public vote.
Central Square, CF10 1XR / www.thebettycampbellmonument.co.uk
Grangemoor Park
Grangemoor parkrun takes place every Saturday morning at 9am
Okay, taking part in a 5km run in the rain is not everybody’s ideal start to the weekend. But a parkrun in a new location is becoming a regular activity for my 14-year-old daughter Mersina and me, and the event in Grangemoor Park was within walking distance of our hotel. We may have initially sheltered underneath a huge flyover but then the run took us through the park next to the River Ely which was once one of the UK’s largest landfill sites before being transformed into a nature-rich green space at the turn of the millennium.
Grangetown, CF11 0SR / www.parkrun.org.uk/grangemoor
Brød
Brød promises a little taste of Denmark in Cardiff
Brød promises a little taste of Denmark in Cardiff, where it has locations in Cardiff Bay, Pontcanna, Penarth and Rhymney Riverbridge Business Park, the latter of which is their bakery which also has a takeaway hatch. At their cosy Cardiff Bay cafe, I enjoyed an overskåren, a flaky and layered pastry with marzipan and icing at one end, custard in the middle, and cinnamon and chocolate at the other end. If you are indecisive, this is the pastry for you. Look out too for freshly baked bread and a selection of seasonal sweet treats.
18 James Street, CF10 5EX / www.thedanishbakery.co.uk
Christmas at Bute Park
A dragon appears to made their home at Bute Park this Christmas
A mile-long trail in the shadow of Cardiff Castle makes for an enchanting promenade. Think of some of the best displays at Bristol Light Festival but without the walks between each location. This being in Wales, there is also a dragon (well, a dragon’s tail at least) alongside other installations including a dancing fountain, floating chandeliers, a postbox surrounded by flying letters to Santa and enough illuminated trees to last a lifetime. If your legs get tired, roast some giant marshmallows on the fire halfway round, and tuck into some more food and drink once your promenade is complete.
Bute Park, CF10 3ET / www.christmasatbutepark.com
The Norwegian Church Arts Centre
Roald Dahl was baptised at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff in 1916
Staying on the Scandinavian theme and out of the window of our hotel on the other side of Cardiff Bay, I spotted this distinctive white wooden structure. Built in 1868 as a church for Norwegian sailors, today it is an arts centre and cafe. So why does such a building exist? It’s all to do with coal, with Norwegian ships coming in large numbers to Cardiff to carry Welsh coal overseas. Coal mines also needed lots of timber, which was carried the other way from Scandinavian pine forests. A church like this one offered both a place of worship and a home away from home.
Harbour Drive, CF10 4PA / www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com
Where to stay in Cardiff
voco St David’s Hotel as seen from Cardiff Bay Wetlands
We got our first view of St David’s Hotel from the unexpected vantage point of the other side of Cardiff Bay Wetlands. One of the delightful extras at the recently refurbished five-star hotel is the chance to borrow a pair of binoculars to look out from the balcony in your room for migrating birds within this freshwater marshland. Or choose to play Giant Jenga, Cardiff Monopoly or on the Nintendo Switch. Whatever floats your boat. Float for real inside rather than outside in the hotel’s swimming pool, featuring a unique ‘water corridor’ and mini waterfall, where you can build up an appetite for the brilliant buffet breakfast.
voco St David’s Cardiff, Havannah Street, CF10 5SD / stdavids.vocohotels.com
All photos: Martin Booth
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