St Mary Street/High Street

St Mary Street
Image taken in 2010
Image taken in the 1920s

St Mary Street (Heol Eglwys Fair) and High Street (Heol Fawr) are major commercial streets in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff city centre, Wales, which form a major north–south thoroughfare in the centre. High Street begins at the junction of Castle Street on the A4161 and ends at the junction of Church Street and Quay Street, from where St Mary Street begins until the roundabout at Callaghan Square on the A4160.

History

At the junction of Church Street, High Street (left) and St. Mary Street (right)

St Mary Street is named after the 11th-century church of St Mary's, which was the largest in Cardiff until it was destroyed by the Bristol Channel floods of 1607.

John Speed's 1610 map of Cardiff, showing High Street and St Mary's Church

Today the stretch of road is the home of a number of bars, night clubs and restaurants as well as branches of many major banks. Also fronting onto the street is Howells department store, which stretches from just after Cardiff Market to the corner of Wharton Street.

As of August 2007 the street was closed to private vehicles and only buses and taxis are allowed access to the whole street. The street is usually closed to all traffic on Friday and Saturday nights, to allow the efflux from night clubs and pubs located in that part of the street to clear. The Prince Of Wales (a J D Wetherspoon establishment) is a particular problem, both due to its high capacity, and its main frontage onto Wood Street (which stays open). At the northern end of the street is Castle Street, site of Cardiff Castle. To the south is Cardiff Central railway station.

Notable buildings past and present

Present buildings

Demolished buildings

Buildings past and present
Cardiff Town Hall
(demolished 1861)
 
Howells (now House of Fraser)
 
Cardiff Market
 
Prince of Wales Theatre
 
Royal Arcade
 

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Town Hall, St. Mary Street, Cardiff, late 19th century". Culturenet Cymru. Retrieved 2009-02-11.

Coordinates: 51°28′42″N 3°10′41″W / 51.47823°N 3.17799°W / 51.47823; -3.17799

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