 | |
| Native name | 1310: Houndemammeby 1550: Hunmanby 1715: Home & by 1731: Homandby Error ((native name checker)): parameter value is malformed (help) |
|---|---|
| Location | Cardiff, Wales |
| North | Castle Street |
| East | St. Mary's Street |
| South | Quay Street |
| West | Westgate Street |
Originally, before the River Taff was diverted, the street ran north from the towns quay where the modern Westgate Street is sited, towards Cardiff Castle.[1]
After Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, Duke of Gloucester, rebuilt Cardiff Castle from wood to stone in the 12th century, the medieval town began to spread out from the castle's rebuilt South Gate. The first stage was between Working Street in the east, Quay Street in the south and what was then known as Houndemammeby Street to the west. To the far west, the town was protected by the River Taff, with tents pitched on the land between.[2]
All of these street names originated in the Norse language,[3] with Houndemammeby translating as "the home or dwelling of the hound man or keeper of hounds", or simply "huntsman's dwelling".[4] Although there is no direct evidence of a Viking presence in Cardiff, the street's names suggest that the Danes could have reached the port town.[4] The name then changed regularly through the next few hundreds of years:[4]
The word Womanby is early Teutonic language in origins, and translates as "the abode of the foreigners". It was hence probably used to signify the strangers quarters, where the native Welsh and resident non Anglo-Norman's were permitted to live together under the shadow of the mediaeval castle.[4]
The street has always been a home to many businesses, not least those associated with ale, beer and entertainment.[5]
In 1759 an affray took place in the street, between the crews of the trader The Eagle of Bristol and the man-of-war Aldbrough. With all participants armed with either swords, pistols, cutlasses, pikes or muskets, and they fought between themselves until Edmund Ffaharty lay dead, and many others were wounded. Investigated by the sherriffs men, they passed the case to the coroner's court with the brief to hush the whole affair up. Thus the court ruled that Ffaharty had been shot by a "person unknown", and that no further investiagtion was required.[4]
Charles Evans, writing to the Evening Express in 1901, said:[4]
We will, figuratively speaking, come out of the Globe and enter Womanby Street. The first pub we see, The Horse and Groom has changed its face but not its name; the next house used to be a very noted hostelry, called the Red Cow. It was, a few years ago, greatly enlarged, going back to what is now Westgate Street, its name is altered to the more pretentious one of The Grand. A little lower down the street or lane - Red Cow lane, it was often called in those days - used to be an important and well known Cardiff Boat hostelry kept by my grandfather, Mr David Evans, who was head constable of the town, as his tombstone, now lying at the foot of the Cross in St John's Churchyard, Cardiff, will testify.
The obviously named Cardiff Boat was a seamans hostelry, that would welcome all sailors who made it past the charms of the ladies of Tiger Bay and into the centre of the city.
One of the earliest pubs in Cardiff, and also one of the smallest, the Horse and Groom was said to be haunted by a poltergeist. A very tradiational pub until a make-over in the last decade to match the more trendy hostelrys on St. Mary's Street, it was originally adorned with years-old pictures of the regulars behind the bar, and in 1967 there still existing an open brass gas pipe for lighting one's choice of smoking implement. It still exists today, but in a far more crisp and resultantly atmosphere lost variation.[4]
The site of the Red Cow pub, which was on the eastern side of the street opposite Club Ifor Bach until the early 1900s, now houses its sister establishment the Y Fuwch Goch public house (English Welsh pub in the heart of the city).[6]
After the Restoration, in 1638 William Ebery the Vicar of St Mary's Church, Cardiff and senior members of his congreation were barred from the premises after they refused to read the Book of Sports. These people together with others of a similar mind formed the core of a congregation, that in 1696 was granted land in Womanby Street by Alderman John Archer. This allowed them to build the first Trinity Church, later known as a Presbyterian chapel.[7]
In 1718, the church was endowed with a nearby dwelling house in Castle Street. After a fire gutted the building, the church was rebuilt and reopened in 1847. In 1888, Trinity Church amalgamated with Llandaff Road English Congregational Church, and sold the church in Womanby Street, funding the construction of the current New Trinity English Indepdendent chapel in Cowbridge Road East, Canton.[8][9]
51° 28' 46.88" N, 3° 10' 55.88" W Jones Court, which leads off of Womanby Street, was built in 1830 by the Marquis of Bute to house labourers imported for the expansion of Cardiff Docks. Each of the 50 houses had just two rooms, and with no water supply or drainage, the occupants faired poorly in the Cholera outbreak in the city in 1849. Cardiff Council acquired Jones Court from the Marquis in the early 1900's, and used it as council offices until post-World War 2. In a dilapidated state by 1980, and housing only the cities Weights & Measures office, it was fully restored and reopened by the Lord Mayor in February 1982. During the restoration, it was found that the land had long been used as the cities rubbish dump for the properties on the High Street, again confirming the low social stance of the area. Now Grade1 listed, Jones Court is the last remaining example of the over 50 19th century housing courts that had existed in Cardiff.[10]
In 1983, Club Ifor Bach (English: The Welsh Club), started on Womanby Street, to promote the Welsh language in Cardiff by engaging Welsh-medium youth entertainment. It has since proved a successful launchpad for various Welsh-medium groups, including Super Furry Animals, Gorky’s, Zygotic Mynci and Catatonia.[11]
In 2011 as part of Cardiff Council's redevelopment and pedestrianisation of St. Mary's Street, known as the Castle Quarter, Womanby Street and Quay Street were included in the scheme and given refurbishment.
Started in February 2010, Castle Quarter, in keeping with the nearby Cardiff Castle, was designed on a Victorian architecture theme, including Victorian-style street lighting and commemorative seating. Work commenced on Womanby Street and Quay Street in February 2011. The street was repaved and pedestrianised, with access permitted solely for delivery vehicles from the North (Castle Street) and permit holders from the South (Quay Street). Works were completed in Spring 2011.[12]
Due to its age and enclosed nature, Womanby Street has appeared in a few media productions. It first appeared in a television serial adaptation of Jack Jones's novel series Off to Philadelphia in the Morning starring Connie Booth,[13] and in the 2000s appeared in the revival of Doctor Who.[4]