Overview

Located on the east bank of the River Taff, this picturesque park is a lush green space that welcomes all. I wandered past Cardiff Castle to the park entrance, admiring the animal sculptures that lined the aptly named Animal Wall. They had lions and tigers, and bears – oh my! I entered via the stone archway at Castle Street to find the Pettigrew Tearooms immediately on the right. I noted that the tearoom had a ramp, but I had no reason to pop in. Travelling along the path, I wandered through the unlit festive light display – it was a little early in the day – interacted with the instrumental installations along the way, and enjoyed the frolicking squirrels. If the weather's clear and you're able, I'd suggest you pay this location a visit – she's a Bute!

Transport & Parking

Paid parking can be found 50 metres from the entrance in the YourParkingSpace-owned car park across the street. This appears to be an online-only service, which can be paid for by the hour or via subscription. There are also bus routes close to the castle, just a short walk from the pier. There's a convenient bus stop across the street from the Castle Street entrance, where the 32, 61, 62, 63, 101, 102, 122, 124, and 320 bus services operate. Cardiff Central Railway Station is 1,290 metres away, which is about a 20-minute walk, so not particularly close.

Access

The wide paths throughout the park are mostly tarmac, with plenty of space for walkers, wheelers and bikers. During my visit, there was a Christmas light display, which added some rubber matting across the grassy areas of the park. This location also hosts the City Centre aquabus pier, although the access to the pier isn't great. It's sloped, sandy and difficult to navigate in a wheelchair or powerchair – despite the aquabus being listed as accessible. The route through the park is simple and lined with benches to take a rest along the way. There's also a small café called Servinis, where there is seating as well as coffee, ice cream and cakes.

Toilets

There's an accessible toilet at Servini's in the park, a small café with outdoor seating. The toilet is of a better standard than most facilities I've seen in a public park. It's reasonably clean and secured by a RADAR key lock. The room has space for a left-side transfer, with grab rails on both sides, and the flush is on the back left of the cistern when seated. Of the two sinks, only one is accessible due to the placement of a large flower box. Both sinks have lever-style taps, with rails on either side and a wall-mounted hand dryer nearby. There's a bin in the toilet, but it's positioned inconveniently close to your knees when you're sitting on the toilet seat. The red cord hung freely.

Staff

I didn't speak to anyone at either the café or tearoom.

Photos