City Road is one of the oldest roads in the Roath area probably dating back to medieval times. It used to be called Plucca Lane until around 1870 when it was was renamed Castle Road, after Roath Castle (Mackintosh House) and then later renamed City Road in honour of Cardiff being made a City.
This page contains images of City Road over time, starting from the Newport Road junction going up to the Albany Road junction, or as some local call it Death Junction as it is the site of a former gallows.
Before you begin your virtual tour, here are some links to articles elsewhere on our website that take in the history of City Road:
- The Early History of City Road
- A Rough History of City Road
- Cycling in City Road
- The History of the Roath Park Hotel
- Gaiety Cinema – domed or doomed?
- Viscount John Sankey, Lord Chancellor – Roath’s Top Brief – grew up on City Road
- Ernest Willows – Airship Pioneer – after whom the pub is named.
1949 Tram exiting City Road onto Newport Road in 1949. Roath Road Wesleyan church on the left and Lloyds Bank on the right – both now gone
Workers repairing the tram lines at Newport Road and City Road junction
The start of City Road at the junction with Newport Road. Roath Road Wesleyan church on the left prior to it being bombed in WWII.
Start of CIty Road from Newport Road junction. Year unknown, possibly 1990s.
Solomon Andrews Garage and the bomb-damaged Roath Road Wesleyan church, City Road
Roath Road Wesleyan at the corner of City Road and Newport Road. Site now occupied by Eastgate House. Church was bombed in 1941 and demolished in the mid 1950s. St James church in background, recently converted into apartments.
City Road in 1910. The Parade enters City Road on the left just past the Institute for the Blind cart.
City Road 1908 looking towards Newport Road from junction with the Parade. On the right is the ironmongery business owned by Solomon Andrews where it remained for many years until it was eventually demolished to allow for expansion of the Solomon Andrews garage.
City Road around 1912 near the junction with The Parade.
City Road around 1920. Fligelstone Pawnbrokers on the right at No.22 with the three ball sign.
City Road in the snow of 1982. Roath Telivision and Radio was at No.20, now The Joker Barber Shop. BTD Office Equipment was next door, now Damas Sweets & Coffee. (Photo credit – Chris Courtney in Cardiff Days Gone By).
52 and 54 City Road (corner of Shakespeare Street) – N W Nash & Co 1924 (top) and 1935 (bottom)
Roath Castle Hotel, 89 City Road – corner of Penlline Street – see history of the pub on our Pubs history page
City Road with the No3 Trolley Bus heading to town and B.S.A. House (134-140 City Road) and the Roath Park in the background (photo: Byron Barnett)
E R Goundry – Chemist – 158 City Road – corner of Arran Street, where Granny Mac’s now is.
157 City Road – Chris Howard Motors in the 1970s
160 City Road:- General Motors – 1970s (?) (Photo credit – Howard Williams), 2021 – old shop sign uncovered during renovation work. Percy Newbury had a fruiterers shop here in 1927. He was preceded by the Daffodil Manufacturing Co, wholesale blouse and jumper manufacturers from 1922 to 1924 and succeeded by the Home and Colonial stores from 1929 to 1961.
Roath Park Hotel on the right.
Roath Park Hotel, City Road, (picture credits: top rt – Sarah Louise on Flickr, bot left: Pint of 45.) – more of the history of the Roath Park Hotel
J Hepworth & Sons, 198 City Road , corner of Keppoch Street
Gaiety Cinema, City Road, Roath, around 1912
The history and more pictures of the Gaiety Cinema can be can be found here on our Cinemas page.
1990: Park Conservative Club and fire damage to adjoining property at 219 City Road
Northern end of City Road just before the five-ways junction. (photographer – unknown)
Roath Local History Society 