There’s a chance to uncover some of Cardiff’s hidden secrets later this month on two free guided walks to mark Open Doors 2010.
Cardiff Council’s tourism team is working with local history guide Jim Cowan of Cardiff History and Hauntings to develop two walking tours that will encourage people to look beyond the modern city centre surroundings and uncover secrets lost in time.
One walk will explore the area between St John’s Church, one of the city’s oldest buildings, and Cardiff Central Library, one of the newest, while the second walk will take in the history and architecture of the Civic Centre.
Both walks will run twice each, on Saturday September 11th, and last about an hour.
Jim Cowan says there’s a lot more to Cardiff than meets the eye, and he’s looking forward to sharing some of the stories he’s unearthed over the years.
“People tend to forget that there was a thriving town here in medieval times, with the Hayes very much part of it, and I hope I can give people a sense of what it might have been like then,” he said.
“The Civic Centre, on the other hand, is often overlooked by visitors and residents, but its history and architecture sets the scene for Cardiff’s development into a capital city, and I hope people will finish the walk with a sense of pride.”
Cllr Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, said the Council was pleased to be supporting Open Doors.
“We have opened up buildings for Open Doors in recent years, most notably the tiled corridor in the Old Library, which people will soon be able to access more freely once the new city museum is open.
“But we’re really pleased to be able to offer something different this year with these walks because we know there’s a lot of interest in the city’s history. The Centenary Walk is one of the most popular ways of discovering Cardiff, and our surveys always show that history and architecture are high on the list of visitors’ interests.
“We’re very grateful for Jim for his help with developing and leading the walks and I’m sure he’ll really bring the city’s story to life.”
The Historic City Centre walk starts at the Tourist Information Centre in the Old Library at 10am and 11.30am. The Civic Centre walk starts from the National Museum steps at 2pm and 3.30pm. The walks are free but places are limited so must be booked in advance at the Tourist Information Centre, by telephone on 029 2087 3573, or by email [email protected].
