Cardiff’s Dock Feeder Canal hasn’t seen the light of day since it was paved more than 70 years ago. But as part of a huge new redevelopment, the canal has now been opened up to be transformed into a large public space with a rain garden, amphitheatre and outdoor seating.
Work on the city’s new canal quarter began in February last year and is on track to be complete in summer 2023, with plans to open to the public in September. Drone images released by Cardiff Council show that concrete structures have been put into place to form the public realm area, bridges and viewing platforms along Churchill Way.
The three-mile waterway previously serviced the Glamorganshire canal, which used to bring steel and iron from Merthyr Tydfil to the Welsh capital. It also provided water to the docks on Cardiff Bay, ensuring they could operate even when the tide was out and helping them to become one of the world’s first 24-hour docks. Some parts of it are actually still visible on the bay.
Cardiff Council hopes that the new quarter will eventually become a bustling hub, attracting homes, hotels, hospitality, offices, leisure and retail. It will also include a series of rain gardens intended to ‘treat surface water and remove pollutants before it flows into the canal.
Dan De’Ath from Cardiff Council said to The Construction Index: ‘The opening of the dock feeder canal and the new transport scheme will not only mark the beginning of a new district centre for the city and act as a catalyst for new investment, but it will play an essential role in managing traffic flow and surface water drainage in the city centre.’
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