History of the market

Cardiff Market is a Victorian indoor market situated inside the heart of Cardiff for over one hundred years. It was built by the Third Marquise of Bute to create a meeting place for the local community and was finished in 1891. The designer of the current market was William Harper, who made the Victorian building out of steel and glass. Inside the market there are two levels of stalls, the ground floor that provides a base for most of the shops and upstairs little restaurants and more shops are formed on a large balcony, which covers the entire top floor. Before the stall owners purchased the stalls they were rented out by the market itself. You were able to rent a stall for a day or a week at a time. On the balcony, still visible if you look closely, you were able to rent a table for the day. These were mainly rented by people from the local area selling their home-made products. Although many believe it used to be a prison before, this is incorrect. This fallacy most likely origins from the fact that a prison site was located near it. Another fact about the market is the four-faced clock in the middle of the ground floor. It is seen as a landmark of Cardiff city and very unique in its design. However, the clock is no longer the original clock made by H. Samuel, but in 1963 a newer design was put in its place by Smith of Derby.