Roath

File:Albany Road post office - 1974950 - geograph.org.uk.jpg

Roath's main shopping streets are Albany Road, City Road, and Wellfield Road. The area is characterised by its several tree-lined avenues and Victorian era terraced streets. Roath houses a very diverse population including a large number of students, being very close to the main university campuses, a large ethnic minority population and many young professionals. Subdivision of the large Victorian properties is starting to occur in the areas at the south end of the district.{{fact|date=May 2023}}

Its close proximity to the city centre, its number of local amenities, churches, shops and restaurants and public houses and Roath Park make it a popular area to live.{{Cite web|date=2011-04-22|title=Let's move to Roath and Cathays, Cardiff|url=http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/apr/23/lets-move-to-roath-and-cathays-cardiff|access-date=2021-06-26|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

The area has five primary schools, Albany Primary School,{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Albany Primary School |url=https://www.albanyprm.co.uk/ |access-date=2021-06-26 |website=www.albanyprm.co.uk}} Marlborough Primary School, Roath Park Primary School,{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Roath Park Primary School |url=https://www.roathparkprimaryschool.co.uk/ |access-date=2021-06-26 |website=www.roathparkprimaryschool.co.uk}} St Peter's R.C. Primary School and Stacey Primary School.{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} St Peter's R.C. Primary School |url=https://www.stpeters.wales/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=www.stpeters.wales}} Community facilities include the YMCA Plas community centre{{Cite web |title=YMCA Plas |url=https://www.ymcacardiff.wales/our-centres/ymca-cardiff-plas-youth-community-hub/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=YMCA Cardiff Group |language=en-GB}} and the Mackintosh Sports Club.{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the Mackintosh Sports Club |url=http://mackintoshsportsclub.org/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Mackintosh Sports Club |language=en-GB}}

Samuel Lewis stated that the original name was Rhâth, adding that this was a common element in Welsh toponymy denoting ancient earthworks (cognate with rati, meaning a fortified enclosure in Gaulish and ráth, a ringfort in Old Irish).{{cite journal |title=Quand l'argent était d'or. Paroles de Gaulois. |journal=Gallia |volume=63 |pages=211–241 |author=Jean-Marie Pailler |publisher=CNRS|language=fr|year=2006 |doi=10.3406/galia.2006.3296|s2cid=194088001 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01908254/file/Gallia_2006_211-241_PAILLER.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01908254/file/Gallia_2006_211-241_PAILLER.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }} Lewis further states that several of these earthworks were still visible in his time (likely referring to the earthworks and ditches which had surrounded the old manor house for centuries), suggesting that the area may have been home to an important fortified settlement of the Silures tribe.{{cite web|title=Cardiff and District|url=http://someplacenamesinsouthwales.4t.com/rich_text_1.html|website=Some Place Names in South Wales}}

Roath has also been identified with Ratostabius, a disputed placename found in Ptolomey's Geographia. Both William Camden and Iolo Morganwg believed this place was in the vicinity of modern Cardiff, with Iolo suggesting that the Latin name was derived from "Rhath Taff".{{cite book |last1=Morganwg |first1=Iolo |title=The Iolo Manuscipts:A Selection of Ancient Welsh Manuscripts, in Prose and Verse, from the Collection Made by the Late Edward Williams, Iolo Morganwg, for the Purpose of Forming a Continuation of the Myfyrian Archaiology; and Subsequently Proposed as Materials for a New History of Wales |date=1848 |publisher=W. Rees; sold by Longman and Company, London |page=375}}{{cite book |last1=Morganwg |first1=Dafydd |title=Hanes Morganwg |date=1874 |publisher=Jenkin Howell |page=230 |language=Welsh}}

File:Roath Court - geograph.org.uk - 626431.jpg

Roath Court is a nineteenth-century villa on the site of the medieval manor house of Roath. Since 1952 it has been a funeral home.{{cite web|url=http://www.mylocalfuneraldirector.co.uk/funeralhome/jsummers-cardiff/|title=James Summers & Son Funeral Directors, Cardiff|access-date=8 February 2015}} Its Georgian portico, designed by Robert Adam in 1766 for Bowood House, Wiltshire, was moved there in 1956.{{Cite book |last1=Newman |first1=John |title=Glamorgan |series=The Buildings of Wales |location=London |publisher=Penguin |year=1995 |page=309}}

File:St Margaret's Church, Roath.JPG]]

Roath contains the Church of Saint Margaret of Antioch, built in 1870 in Gothic revival style on the site of an earlier Norman chapel. Designed by Llandaff architect John Prichard on a Greek Cross plan, it was financed by the third Marquess of Bute, in spite of his conversion to Catholicism in 1868. Inside is an opulent mausoleum housing tombs of nine members of the Bute family, including the first marquess and his two wives. The tower of St Margaret's was finally completed in 1926.

Roath once had a railway station on the South Wales Main Line, but this closed in 1917.J. Childs. Roath, Splott and Adamsdown. The History Press 1995.{{cite book|last=Quick|first=M. E.|title=Railway passenger stations in England, Scotland and Wales – a chronology|year=2002|publisher=Railway and Canal Historical Society|location=Richmond|page=364|oclc=931112387}}

Prior to the 2010s the community was known as Plasnewydd, though was renamed as Roath, being a name that was more widely recognised.{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/roath-any-name-would-smell-2126229 |title=A Roath by any other name would smell just as sweet |work=Wales Online |date=27 February 2009 |access-date=2018-01-07 }}

• Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings (School of Engineering)
• Roath Library
• Mansion House, Richmond Road, used as the mayor's residence for much of the 20th century
• Shah Jalal Mosque, Crwys Road (formerly Capel Crwys)
• St Margaret's Church (and the Bute Mausoleum)
• St. Martin's Church, Albany Road[http://stmartininroath.webplus.net stmartininroath.webplus.net]
• St. Edward's Church, Blenheim Road[http://www.roath.org.uk/StEdward/ Roath.org.uk]
• St. Peters RFC
• The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street
• Trinity Methodist Church

Starting in 2009, the Made in Roath arts festival took place each October. The event showcased art, music, performance and literature in a variety of venues including peoples' homes.Graham Henry, [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/10/14/made-in-roath-festival-returns-91466-29593165/ 'Made in Roath festival returns'], South Wales Echo, 14 October 2011. Retrieved 2012-10-17. The tenth festival took place in 2018.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-22 |title=Made in Roath festival celebrates 10 years |url=https://jomec.co.uk/thecardiffian/2018/10/22/made-in-roath-arts-festival-celebrates-its-10th-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=The Cardiffian |language=en-GB}} Made in Roath now exists as a community arts organisation that arranges exhibitions and residencies.{{Cite web |title=madeinroath – art in the heart of roath |url=https://madeinroath.com/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |language=en-US}}

Between 2013 and 2016, local organisers Wayne Courtney and Nathan Wyburn hosted the 'Roath Bake Off'[http://www.roathcardiff.net/2013/02/18/the-great-roath-bake-off-2013/ 'The Great Roath Bake Off 2013'], RoathCardiff.net, 18 February 2013. Retrieved 2018-12-14. festival in St Andrews United Reformed Church, Roath. In December 2018, they announced that the event would be revived for 2019[https://www.facebook.com/RoathRocks/photos/a.407150579425018/1308613239278743 'Roath Bake Off - 2019 announcement'], Facebook - Roath Rocks, 13 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-14. as part of the campaign to raise funds for the church it was held in.

• William Cope, 1st Baron Cope, politician and international rugby player
• Lionel Fanthorpe
• Peter Finch, writer and poet
• Boyd Clack, writer, actor and playwright
• Brian Hibbard, musician
• Nathan Wyburn, artist and local events organiser alongside Wayne Courtney aka Wyburn & Wayne.
• William Erbery (1604-1654), curate of St Woolos, Newport between 1630 and 1633 then Vicar of St Mary's Church in Cardiff before being forced to leave his post due to his Puritanism. He established the first nonconformist congregation in Cardiff
• Maureen Rees, British reality TV star (b. 1942)
• John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey, Labour politician and Lord Chancellor. Grew up in Castle Road (now City Road).{{Cite web |date=3 September 2020 |title=Viscount John Sankey, Lord Chancellor – Roath's top brief. |url=https://roathlocalhistorysociety.org/2020/09/23/viscount-john-sankey-lord-chancellor-roaths-top-brief/ |access-date=2 March 2022 |website=Roath Local History Society}}

• Tredegarville

{{Reflist|2}}

• J. Childs. Roath, Splott and Adamsdown. The History Press. 1995. {{ISBN|9780752401997}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.roathcardiff.net RoathCardiff.net], Community news and information about Roath in Cardiff
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2754947 Geograph.co.uk], photos of Roath and surrounding area
• [http://www.roathcardiff.com Roathcardiff.com], History and photos of Roath
• [http://www.madeinroath.com Madeinroath.com], Arts festival and community project in Roath
• [https://www.roathlocalhistorysociety.org roathlocalhistorysociety.org], Local history society focussing on the Ecclesiastical Parish of Roath

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{{Communities of Cardiff}}

Category:Communities in Cardiff

Category:Districts of Cardiff