On Saturday (29 May) a new facility, the Summer House Cafe, opened for the benefit of many thousands of visitors to beautiful Bute Park in the centre of Cardiff.
Located in the very heart of the park, at the end of the Millennium Bridge, the Summer House will provide much needed refreshment and toilet facilities in one of the park’s most popular areas. There had previously been no provision in the park for those desperate for a snack or a drink (or indeed use the toilet), but the new cafe means that hungry or desperate people will no longer be compelled to make a substantial trek either into the city centre or to Canton.
The fare on offer at the Summer House is uncomplicated and reasonable priced. Baguettes, sandwiches and paninis – all with a wide choice of fillings – provide the basis of the menu, together with a selection of cakes and pastries to complement a cup of tea or freshly ground coffee. Ice creams and a range of cold drinks are also available. Manager Llinos Probert, who had been running a popular cafe in Wellfield Arcade, Roath for several years, is keen to ensure that the new venture satisfies the needs of park visitors and hopes the Summer House is swiftly accepted as an exciting new addition to Cardiff’s cafe culture.
There is no indoor seating at the cafe, but there are a number of tables on a decent sized patio area for summer patrons. And very sensibly there is ample sheltered seating in a spacious verandah around the sides of the building too, the general inclemency of Cardiff weather clearly not having been forgotten by the cafe’s designers.
The building sits harmoniously in the beautiful parkscape, and powerfully echoes the design of a forgotten Victorian landmark. The original summer house had been designed by William Burgess (arguably Cardiff’s “Gaudi”), whose 19th century legacy remains such an important aspect of the city’s architectural heritage. The old summer house had been allowed to decline and fall into a state of disrepair over many years, and had eventually been dismantled and rebuilt in St Fagans Museum about 25 years ago, as part of the Museum’s wonderful collection of old Welsh buildings.
Cardiff Council has stated that it aims “to deliver a national people’s park for the capital city”. The rebuilding of the Summer House Cafe is part of this £5.6 million Bute Park Restoration Project, which has stirred a great deal of recent controversy in the city as not every change or innovation has been universally welcomed. However, the Council has sought to assure campaigners and citizens in general that it seeks to restore and conserve features of historical, environmental and horticultural interest while establishing a sympathetic and sustainable management regime.
Peter Davies
