Cardiff Central Market will celebrate its 120th anniversary this weekend and will mark the occasion with the unveiling of a rejuvenated façade.
The traditional Victorian landmark at the heart of Cardiff city centre has been undergoing restoration works over recent weeks and the ‘mini facelift’ to the Trinity Street entrance will be revealed when scaffolding around the doorway is removed this Sunday to coincide with its special birthday.
Works to upgrade the entrance’s appearance, which have cost in the region of £30,000, have included stone and brickwork repairs and cleaning, as well as restoration to the glass panels and ironwork above the main doors to return the Grade II listed building to its former glory.
The market was opened on May 8, 1891 by the Lady Mayoress of the day, the Marchioness of Bute. A plaque to commemorate the occasion can still be seen today near the Trinity Street entrance.
Ashton’s the fishmongers, one of the best known stallholders in the market today, have been tenants since the 1891 opening and the market continues today to offer a wide range of goods from fresh food to homewares, books, flowers, pets and much more.
The façade improvements are in addition to work carried out earlier this year to pave the market’s coat of arms in the pavement outside the St Mary Street entrance, replicating the symbol outside the Trinity Street entrance, and are part of wider works to create an attractive and visitor-friendly Castle Quarter in the city centre.
Executive Member for Finance and Service Delivery, Cllr Mark Stephens, said: “Cardiff Central Market has played an integral part in the city’s retail economy over hundreds of years from its beginnings as a farmers’ market in the 1700s to its current position today.
“We recognise that the market still has an important role to play in the creation of the Castle Quarter and are delighted to have been able to invest in maintaining this jewel at the heart of the city. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the market’s 120 years providing a wealth of goods to the people of Cardiff than with this celebration of a fantastic, historical building.”
