Bute Park to Pontcanna Fields

London’s got Hyde Park, New York’s got Central Park, and Cardiff?  Well, Cardiff’s got Bute Park – and what a beaut it is 🙂 

I’m pretty sure the last time I set foot in Bute Park I was eighteen.  I went with with some friends after school armed with a couple of party-size bottles of Reef (Oh God, remember Reef?) and we swigged them under a tree and thought we were really cool.  One of the surprising things about Bute Park is how huge it is; tucked away between North Road, Cardiff Castle and Cathedral Road it’s easy to forget that it’s there at all, and similarly while you’re wandering along the paths between the trees it’s easy to forget that you’re in the middle of the city.

We finished up near the riding school off Western Avenue (between the WJEC and Tesco Extra).  During the middle of the week it was so quiet – not to mention the fact that you can park up at Pontcanna fields for free for the first two hours (with three hours for only £1). The short walk into town – past Sophia Gardens and ending up outside the castle – takes about half an hour on foot, whereas the longer route over the Taff takes at least an hour.