Roath Park
🏟 Playground & park · Roath / Cyncoed, Cardiff
Roath Park
Cardiff's Grade I Victorian showpiece park, with a famous lighthouse lake, conservatory and two children's playgrounds.
🕑 Opening & entry
🌱 Gated areas open 7:30am to 30 minutes before sunset; the lakeside and recreation ground are open at all times. · Free · No booking needed
About Roath Park
Roath Park is Cardiff's best-known Victorian park and is managed by Cardiff Council. Opened in 1894 on land given by the Marquess of Bute, it is centred on a 30-acre man-made lake formed by damming the Nant Fawr stream, with the much-photographed Scott Memorial lighthouse at its southern tip remembering Captain Scott's 1910 departure from Cardiff for the Antarctic. The park is listed Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Families come for two children's playgrounds with swings, slides and climbing frames, including a separate enclosed area for toddlers, as well as rowing boat hire on the lake, a formal rose garden, botanic gardens and a 1970s glasshouse conservatory filled with palms, orchids and a fish-and-terrapin pond. The Terra Nova Cafe and lakeside kiosks serve drinks and light meals, and public toilets with baby-change are on site. Admission is free. The gated gardens open from 7:30am until shortly before sunset, while the lakeside promenade and recreation ground can be walked at any time. There is no dedicated car park, but free on-street parking is available around the lake.
⭐ What makes this place special
- 30-acre boating lake with rowing boat hire
- Scott Memorial lighthouse
- Victorian conservatory / glasshouse
- Rose garden
- Botanic gardens
- Recreation ground
🏞 Facilities
- Free entry
- Parking: No dedicated car park; free on-street parking on Lake Road West and Lake Road East.
- Toilets on site
- Café / refreshments
- Accessibility: Mostly flat, surfaced paths around the lake and gardens suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
- Dogs: Dogs are allowed in the wider park.
🧒 Ages & play
- Swings
- Slides
- Climbing frames
- Separate enclosed area for toddlers
📍 Nearby places to play
- Heath Park · approx 0.9 miles · Heath
- Howardian Local Nature Reserve · approx 1.0 miles · Penylan
- Bute Park · approx 1.5 miles · City Centre
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❓ Frequently asked questions
Is Roath Park free?
Yes. Entry to Roath Park is free. Boat hire on the lake is charged separately, but there is no charge to enter the park, use the playgrounds or walk around the lake.
What's in the playground?
There are two playgrounds with swings, slides and climbing frames, including a separate enclosed area suited to toddlers.
Are there toilets or a cafe?
Yes. The Terra Nova Cafe and lakeside kiosks serve refreshments, and there are public toilets with baby-change facilities on site.
Where is Roath Park?
Roath Park is on Lake Road West in the Roath/Cyncoed area of Cardiff, postcode CF23 5PG, a short distance north-east of the city centre.
Is there parking?
There is no dedicated car park. Free on-street parking is available on Lake Road West and Lake Road East around the gardens.