Llandaff Yard

Following Nigel's successful "101 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Whitchurch" for AWEN, Terry was invited to add more to our local story. The local history and heritage theme suits him, so here goes, hold onto something solid.............

Llandaff Yard and Primrose Hill are names to conjure with before it all became Llandaff North. Primrose Hill was the area close to the railway station. My father and grandfather were 'Yardies', so I've taken more than a passing interest in this neighbourhood. The name Llandaff Yard is a legacy of its industrial past, the ironworks, foundries, boat repair and building that took place around the old Glamorganshire Canal there. It's an area that forged character, numerous sports teams, gave rise to many incidents well worth reporting on and there were pubs you never knew existed as the Sunday Closing Act wreaked havoc.

On the 19^th August 1871, according to The Cardiff Times, "a party of 150 persons, consisting of workmen of the College Iron Works, Llandaff Yard, with their wives and sweethearts, were brought down the Glamorgan canal in a canal boat and on reaching the gutway were taken in tow by a tug-boat and conveyed to Weston, where they purpose spending the day."

The gutway would be the canal lock and basin at Cardiff docks, but how incredibly adventurous and daring is this story, a small canal boat towed across the channel over to Weston, unbelievable.

Credit where it's due, reported in The Weekly Mail on 20^th February 1886, the Llandaff Yard Working Men's Club gave 'an entertainment' in the National School room to aid those who suffered in the Mardy explosion. It was presided over by Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, who lived at Rookwood, with a large attendance reported and one of the chief features was the performance of the Llandaff Yard Club Minstrels. It was a fantastic gesture within a community, but who knew of the Llandaff Yard Working Men's Club and where was it and what about the characters that made up the Llandaff Yard Club Minstrels?

Who knew of the Llandaff Yard Cricket Club that held a general meeting, according to The Cardiff Times in March 1886, at the Llandaff Yard Working Men's Club to appoint officers and committees for the 'cricket and rounders'? Was the rounders the origin of baseball in the area?

Among the many industries of the area who would believe there was once Goodall's Oil Merchants (ref photo above) seen advertised in the South Wales Daily News on 17^th May 1889 and of the opening the Match Factory at Llandaff Yard, reported on the 8^th February 1894 in The Evening Express? A much needed boost to the local economy, unfortunately not to last, being sold by the liquidator as reported on 14^th Feb 1899 in the South Wales Daily News.

The Victoria Laundry on Andrews Road would be known locally by many and on 17^th Feb1899 in the Western Mail they reported on the laundry inviting 20 guests from Cardiff to view the works. (The great and the good no doubt - I'm sure they would have a great interest in clean white shirts and bed linen). Unfortunately, The Victoria Hygienic Laundry also failed, The Evening Express on 22^nd July 1902 reporting on a meeting of the creditors with the Official Receiver remaining as trustee. However this was not the end, when on the 14^th August 1902 the Evening Express was quick to announce that Gwyn Nicholls (the famous Welsh international rugby player) and his brother in law Bert Winfield had acquired it with the possible excitement of him moving from Newport to play for Cardiff. Even more of a boost to the area was that the Evening Express, on 18^th January 1902, had reported on him having given a speech at a presentation for Llandaff Yard Rugby Club in which he mentioned "the first time I ever handled a football was on the ground of Llandaff Yard Football club and it is always the greatest pleasure that I pay a visit to this place." (Rugby back in the day was commonly known as 'football').

What of the name though? The Evening Express on the 25^th Sept 1902 reported a 'Lively Meeting' – "The district of Whitchurch, below Llandaff Station has within recent years grown so rapidly that a short time since a movement was set on foot to give the place some other name than that by which it is at present known, viz.. Primrose Hill. ....The promoters of the meeting having stated their case, a heated discussion ensued. Several expressed their objection to the movement, and stated that they were quite satisfied with the name the district bore at present. They had lived in the neighbourhood for a considerable time - in fact, long before it had reached Its present proportions and they had not experienced any inconvenience. As time went on the proceedings became exceedingly lively, and the meeting ended without anything being done."

Despite the resistance, change eventually came and on the 20^th June 1906 The Evening Express published a small article that read as follows:....The Postmaster General has assented to the request of the inhabitants of Llandaff Yard that the postal address "Llandaff North" should be substituted for Llandaff Yard. This new regulation will come into force on the 1^st prox."

There's a lot more on Llandaff Yard. Watch this space......

(All the reference material here is obtained and accredited to: The National Library of Wales – Newspaper Archive)

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