In front of the Wales Millennium Centre, a huge modern building in the heart of Cardiff Bay, there is a strange oval-shaped plaza, and in its centre an equally odd tall metal tower. Most of the time, this tower has a constant stream of water running down it, which is pumped up through the centre to create a visually pleasing effect. Perhaps a little unimaginatively so, this is called the Water Tower, and it stands in the centre of what is now known as Roald Dahl Plass, named after the Cardiff-born author of Norwegian descent, famous for such works as ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’.

Originally an area of wetland at the mouth of the Taff River, the owner of the land, a mister John Crichton-Stuart who also happened to be the 2nd Marquess of Bute, was persuaded to construct a dock in the area to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for Welsh steam coal. In October 1839, the West Bute Dock was completed, and had a capacity of 300 cargo ships at a time (though don’t be fooled; these vessels were far smaller than today’s cargo vessels). The docks reached their peak in 1913, when Cardiff exported over 10,000,000 imperial tonnes of coal in that year. After the Second World War, the docks went into a sharp decline, and many fell into a state of disrepair and decay. By the 1980s, ideas began to emerge about a redevelopment project for the Bay area, and so the Oval Basin was filled in to become a grand plaza, which could host huge events to entertain people from across Wales, the UK, and the world.

Hope you enjoy!