This section of wall on Bute Park's southern edge is topped with stone figures of lions, seals, bears and other creatures. In the 1930s they were the subject of a newspaper cartoon strip and many Cardiff kids grew up thinking the animals came alive at night.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.73 MILES
You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film…
0.13 MILES
There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…
0.43 MILES
Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that…
24.95 MILES
This mighty, innovative steamship was designed by engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. You get to wander the galley, surgeon's quarters and…
26.43 MILES
The haunting riverside ruins of this sprawling monastic complex have inspired poets and artists through the centuries, most notably William Wordsworth,…
St Fagans National History Museum
3.86 MILES
Historic buildings from all over the country have been dismantled and re-erected in the semirural surrounds of St Fagans village, 5 miles west of central…
0.05 MILES
Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…
24.67 MILES
Imposing Chepstow Castle perches atop a limestone cliff overhanging the river, guarding the main river crossing from England into South Wales. It is one…
Nearby Cardiff attractions
0.05 MILES
Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…
0.08 MILES
This stone circle was erected in 1978 when Cardiff hosted the National Eisteddfod. Such so-called gorsedd stones are found all over Wales where…
0.13 MILES
There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…
0.15 MILES
As you're walking through Bute Park, look for the outline of the foundations of 13th-century Blackfriars Priory. It was destroyed in 1404, when Owain…
0.2 MILES
Also known as Millennium Stadium ('Principality' is the current naming-rights sponsor), this spectacular venue squats like a stranded spaceship on the…
0.24 MILES
A graceful Gothic tower rises from this 15th-century church, its delicate stonework looking almost like filigree. Along with the castle keep, this is one…
0.29 MILES
This excellent little museum uses interactive displays, free audio guides, video footage and everyday objects to tell the story of Cardiff’s…
0.29 MILES
Croeso (welcome) to a bastion of the Welsh language in the overwhelmingly English-speaking capital. Cardiff's beautiful Old Library has been converted…