Hailey Park celebrates 100 years

A North Cardiff park celebrated its centenary at the weekend.

Hailey Park in Llandaff North was opened on 3 May 1926 on a 20-acre site, within the boundaries of Bridge Road to the south, the River Taff to the west, and the the Glamorganshire Canal to the east.

The park came about because of a gift of 10 acres by Claude and Gertrude Hailey of Whitchurch, and that area became the northern half of the park.

The recently resurfaced section of the Taff Trail in Hailey Park

The council then bought a further 10 acres to the south (going as far as Bridge Road) from a Mr Emile Andrews, creating the area that would become Hailey Park.

Original plans for the park, approved by the council in 1924, included walks, flower beds, hard tennis courts, a boating stage, a shelter, a bowling green and recreational areas.

Further developments over the years included the council buying more land to extend the park to the north, and football pitches and a bowling green being added.

The park continues to be popular for a range of uses, and now includes a recently improved section of the Taff Trail, with work now under way on a new play area for children.

The park is the home venue for Llandaff North RFC and has hosted baseball cup finals.

In a post shared on the Friends of Hailey Park Facebook page, the Haileys' grandson wrote:

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the whole Hailey family I would like to pass on our thanks for all the work that is continuing to be done to maintain the wonderful space that you have all so dedicatedly preserved in memory of Claude and Gertrude.

Kind regards,

Robert Hailey

You can find out more about the history of Hailey Park here. Thanks to Cardiff Parks for the historical information.