Central Square

Why go

The station forecourt and BBC Cymru Wales headquarters frame a useful first impression of modern Cardiff. Pause here to locate your onward route and compare the open public space with the dense commercial streets beyond. Its interest lies in urban change rather than a collection of sightseeing interiors.

What to look for

• The public space faces Cardiff Central railway station.
• BBC Cymru Wales forms part of the square’s modern setting.

The full story

Temperance Town once occupied this ground with terraced houses, churches and shops. After the railway station was rebuilt, the Great Western Railway pressed for improvements to its surroundings. The neighbourhood was demolished in 1937, and a bus station opened in 1954. That bus-station site later became part of another major redevelopment, producing the contemporary setting around the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters. The open square therefore represents successive decisions about what a railway arrival should look like, rather than an untouched historic forecourt. Knowing what stood here adds depth to a brief stop: beneath the polished station-side landscape lies a lost residential district, followed by decades when bus travel defined the space. The station remains the clearest reference point through those changes.

Useful to know

• Use the square to orient yourself when arriving by train.
• Treat any BBC interior visit as a separate activity requiring its own tour arrangements.

Your next visit

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