Parc Hamadryad
🏟 Playground & park · Butetown, Cardiff
Parc Hamadryad
Waterside park in Butetown with a children's playground, big playing fields and broad paths, next to the Cardiff Bay Wetlands nature reserve.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Open at all times; no charge for admission · Free · No booking needed
About Parc Hamadryad
Parc Hamadryad is a large waterside park in Butetown, close to Cardiff Bay, taking its name from the seamen's hospital ship HMS Hamadryad that was moored nearby from 1866. The present-day park was created in the early 2000s on land reclaimed from salt marsh and mudflats, funded and laid out by Cardiff Council following the closure of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, and it covers around 14 hectares together with the adjoining Cardiff Bay Wetlands. Much of the site is open playing fields and grassland crossed by broad, surfaced pathways that are popular for walking, running and cycling. There is a children's playground immediately east of the Hamadryad Centre, close to the south end of Burt Street, with gates on the western side of the play area and further access from Hamadryad Road and Pomeroy Street. The southernmost part of the park has been developed as a freshwater wetland nature reserve, creating a rich habitat for birds and other wildlife and giving the park a distinctive waterside character. The park is open at all times with no charge for admission, serving the growing communities of Butetown and Cardiff Bay.
⭐ What makes this place special
- Large playing fields and open grassland
- Broad surfaced walking and cycling paths
- Adjoining Cardiff Bay Wetlands freshwater nature reserve
- Waterside and wetland wildlife habitat
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Play surface: Play area laid out on a bark surface (historically)
- Accessibility: Flat site crossed by broad surfaced pathways
- Dogs: Dogs permitted on the open parkland; under control
🧒 Ages & play
- Children's playground with play equipment
- Fixed play structures on a surfaced area
📍 Nearby places to play
- Grange Gardens · approx 0.4 miles · Grangetown
- Grangemoor Park · approx 0.7 miles · Grangetown
- Despenser Gardens · approx 1.2 miles · Riverside
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Parc Hamadryad free?
Yes. Parc Hamadryad is a free public park in Butetown, managed by Cardiff Council, and is open at all times with no charge for admission.
What's in the playground?
There is a children's playground with fixed play equipment immediately east of the Hamadryad Centre, close to the south end of Burt Street.
Where is the playground entrance?
The play area has gates on its western side close to the end of Burt Street, with further access to the park from Hamadryad Road and Pomeroy Street.
Is there a nature reserve here?
Yes. The southern part of the park is the Cardiff Bay Wetlands, a freshwater wetland nature reserve that is good for birdwatching and wildlife.
Where is Parc Hamadryad?
It is on Hamadryad Road in Butetown, near Cardiff Bay, CF10 5UY, within walking distance of the bay waterfront.