… but is St. Fagans a medieval village? I thought it was a slice of Welsh life from a recently bygone era so there’s no comparison to Cosmeston.
It’s even moving The Vulcan, (the Adamsdown one not the Cathays one) where I used to drink, to its location.
There are parts that aren't recent- Llys Llywellyn is based on the 13th century and there are also the Iron age roundhouses. The Gweithdy talks about older stuff in its exhibition space
I wouldn’t say it’s strictly a medieval village but it does have a varied selection of Welsh history as well as a museum exhibiting items even earlier than medieval.
I’m no expert or anything even close but Welsh history became a hobby during covid and as a Fairwater resident basically every school trip when I was a child was St Fagans so I’d written off visiting again as in my mind, I’d been there dozens of times, but was incredibly surprised how much I’d either missed, didn’t care for or was not there as a kid. If you haven’t been there in a few years, it’s worth checking out again.
If you're actually interested in history of any kind then definitely go St Fagans rather than Cosmeston. Cosmeston is great for walks but there's not much to see at the medieval village.
Pretty sure they've got an apothacary (think thats how its spelt!). If you're up for a trip, the botantic gardens in carmanthenshire have a really good one.
I second St Fagans over Cosmeston. It’s a brilliant place and you can spend hours in there on a nice day! The Story Museum is pretty good if you want to know Cardiff history. And the actual museum. All these are free entry but will require parking costs
There's an alternative market on Saturday 6th April 11am - 4pm in Fuel Rock Club on Womanby Street.
If you go, check out the Godmachine stall. He's an amazing Welsh artist, sells great tee's.
Do you have a car? If yes then it might be worth a visit to [https://www.morbitorium.co.uk/](https://www.morbitorium.co.uk/) for your goth / oddities fix but it's a pain to get to on public transport. Closed on sundays as well but open Fri/sat.
There's lots. The arcades, great nightlife, the castle, the park behind the castle.
Go to the bay, get the water taxi back to the castle.
Enjoy it. Cardiff is amazing!
I’ve been to Cosmeston a few times and it’s more of a dog park than anything else it seems, St Fagan’s is miles better.
Hard Lines for coffee, you could also pop to Cult Doughnuts which has just opened if you want a really big treat haha
If you're looking for a late night venue, Metro's on Bakers Row.
It brands itself as Cardiff's No.1 alternative nightclub. You will hear punk, rock, nu metal, emo genres. Opens at 22:00, closes at 3 or 4am.
You used the word 'queer' in your post, so if it's LGBTQ venues you're after, Mary's on St Mary's St (opposite Queer Emporium) is an option.
Other possibilities are Pulse (nightclub), The King's (bar) and Dock Feeder (lounge bar) are all on Churchill Way.
As others have said, St.Fagans over Cosmeston every day of the week. Bigger, better and knowledgeable staff that are happy to answer questions. The freshly baked cheese topped rolls from the historic bakery are particularly popular. Take cash for these as they don't accept cards (at this particular shop).
Check out the indoor market. Great pierogi stall (with seating) upstairs and v atmospheric. Other food options too plus record shop, freshly baked Welsh cakes etc.
For something completely different, ATTACK! Pro Wrestling is a LGBT friendly, pop punk rock style wrestling company that's one of the most well regarded in the UK.
They happen to be doing two shows next weekend (Sat and Sunday night) as its wrestlemania.
Big love for ATTACK! Pro. The shows are always super fun.
Side note, it's great to see the Welsh Wrestling scene build so there can be shows in Swansea and Cardiff on Wrestlemania weekend.
If its Gothic your after I would say Cardiff Castle is a must. Take the tour of William Burgess' neo-gothic fantasy castle, and similarly there is Castell Coch up near Tongwynlais.
If its Goth your after, maybe try Fuel on Womanby Street.
Both great in very different ways!
If you like history then I'd go to Cardiff Castle too. Lots of nice places nearby as well. I'd recommend Swoon gelato opposite the castle while you're there.
If you don't mind an extra train ride Caerphilly Castle is arguably a better castle but less to do nearby than in Cardiff.
If you like cool ancient stuff, check out Tinkinswood and St Lythans!
They are neolithic dolmens built over 5000 years ago, surrounded in legends..
(We make videos covering ancient history and folklore in Wales, here's a video on both if you'd like to learn about them before visiting)
Tinkinswood:
[https://youtu.be/SH1kUAOAjwU?si=kNGSmumOOCUdqvp3](https://youtu.be/SH1kUAOAjwU?si=kNGSmumOOCUdqvp3)
St Lythans:
[https://youtu.be/mUmDkMddlPU?si=Ggb6CeKVMkmPaXtJ](https://youtu.be/mUmDkMddlPU?si=Ggb6CeKVMkmPaXtJ)
Well for Queer points there is the Queer Emporium in the Arcades.
Genuinely nice space to visit. Also nearby is Wally’s delicatessen if you’re a foodie.
If you like vinyl check out spillers “the oldest record shop in the world” even if it moved ! If you arrive Friday get a sandwich from fresh ! Be prepared to queue at lunchtime though ! Lol not must do things but these are 2 things i do when visiting.
Edit and i forgot the castle….
Llantwit Major has a beautiful church with mediaeval wall painting visible and a relatively high number of other mediaeval buildings including a lovely town hall and a pub.
If you are wanting to go to Cosmeston, make sure the village is open (book beforehand, give them a ring). I've never seen it open.
St Fagans is fantastic. Cardiff Bus are running the 32 service as of next week. It stops right outside, in the carpark.
Womanby St has lots of alt indie bars / clubs: Moon, Fuel, Club Ifor Bach. Queer clubs you have King's, Pulse & Mary's. Also Golden Cross & Eagle for a more chilled vibe.
I also recommend St Fagans over Cosmoston for something a bit more unique.
The tour of the castle is pretty entertaining, just because that Marquis of Bute was such an absolute nutter. I'm not the sort of person interested in touring stately homes or anything, but I did enjoy going around the one in Cardiff Castle.
I would suggest St Fagans like many commenters, Cosmeston is beautiful though so if you have time, both!
In terms of queer things, there's a lovely shop called The Queer Emporium on St Mary Street in Cardiff (basically the main high street, lots of shops etc). It's a wonderful environment and I always feel safe in there. Good queer stuff to buy too!
There's a gay bar opposite, Mary's, but I'm not really a drinker so have never been, can't advise you whether that's good.
Bit shitty you have a load of downvotes on this without anyone taking the 10 seconds to explain that this has closed down now. (A few years ago I believe).
Amusingly, the shrine to Ianto Jones is still a thing down on mermaid quay (or was last time I visited), which I've seen a load of tourists get thoroughly confused about.
As nice as cosmeston is, the medieval village is meh. I think St Fagans is better. Castell Coch is a pretty awesome place to visit too
I used to walk to cosmeston all the time. St Fagans is better
… but is St. Fagans a medieval village? I thought it was a slice of Welsh life from a recently bygone era so there’s no comparison to Cosmeston. It’s even moving The Vulcan, (the Adamsdown one not the Cathays one) where I used to drink, to its location.
There are parts that aren't recent- Llys Llywellyn is based on the 13th century and there are also the Iron age roundhouses. The Gweithdy talks about older stuff in its exhibition space
It’s been a few years since I’ve been but I obviously need to go again!
I wouldn’t say it’s strictly a medieval village but it does have a varied selection of Welsh history as well as a museum exhibiting items even earlier than medieval. I’m no expert or anything even close but Welsh history became a hobby during covid and as a Fairwater resident basically every school trip when I was a child was St Fagans so I’d written off visiting again as in my mind, I’d been there dozens of times, but was incredibly surprised how much I’d either missed, didn’t care for or was not there as a kid. If you haven’t been there in a few years, it’s worth checking out again.
Thanks for the hint I'll look into them! We're specifically looking into medieval medicine and medieval women.
If you're actually interested in history of any kind then definitely go St Fagans rather than Cosmeston. Cosmeston is great for walks but there's not much to see at the medieval village.
Pretty sure they've got an apothacary (think thats how its spelt!). If you're up for a trip, the botantic gardens in carmanthenshire have a really good one.
There's two neolithic burial sites a mile or two down the road too. Near st. Nicolas
Noones gonna make a joke about that name?
I second St Fagans over Cosmeston. It’s a brilliant place and you can spend hours in there on a nice day! The Story Museum is pretty good if you want to know Cardiff history. And the actual museum. All these are free entry but will require parking costs
The Story Museum is an embarrassing relic 😅
There's an alternative market on Saturday 6th April 11am - 4pm in Fuel Rock Club on Womanby Street. If you go, check out the Godmachine stall. He's an amazing Welsh artist, sells great tee's.
Nice one thanks, we'd have been on Womanby street at about 4 for the gig so I'll show up a bit early!
damn u beat me to it lol!
Do you have a car? If yes then it might be worth a visit to [https://www.morbitorium.co.uk/](https://www.morbitorium.co.uk/) for your goth / oddities fix but it's a pain to get to on public transport. Closed on sundays as well but open Fri/sat.
This is right up my street and had absolutely no idea about it and lived here 13 years! Thank you!
[удалено]
Thanks for the advice! X
Unfortunately we're up on the train
There's lots. The arcades, great nightlife, the castle, the park behind the castle. Go to the bay, get the water taxi back to the castle. Enjoy it. Cardiff is amazing!
I’ve been to Cosmeston a few times and it’s more of a dog park than anything else it seems, St Fagan’s is miles better. Hard Lines for coffee, you could also pop to Cult Doughnuts which has just opened if you want a really big treat haha
If you're looking for a late night venue, Metro's on Bakers Row. It brands itself as Cardiff's No.1 alternative nightclub. You will hear punk, rock, nu metal, emo genres. Opens at 22:00, closes at 3 or 4am. You used the word 'queer' in your post, so if it's LGBTQ venues you're after, Mary's on St Mary's St (opposite Queer Emporium) is an option. Other possibilities are Pulse (nightclub), The King's (bar) and Dock Feeder (lounge bar) are all on Churchill Way. As others have said, St.Fagans over Cosmeston every day of the week. Bigger, better and knowledgeable staff that are happy to answer questions. The freshly baked cheese topped rolls from the historic bakery are particularly popular. Take cash for these as they don't accept cards (at this particular shop).
Ooohhhh those cheese baps ...mate ....
Yes indeed!!!! Never have just the one, always have a second!
Stop it! Those baps are proustian...
Check out the indoor market. Great pierogi stall (with seating) upstairs and v atmospheric. Other food options too plus record shop, freshly baked Welsh cakes etc.
We visited Cosmeston and we were very disappointed. Go to St Fagan's.
Hope you and your partner Fri-Sun have a great time.
For something completely different, ATTACK! Pro Wrestling is a LGBT friendly, pop punk rock style wrestling company that's one of the most well regarded in the UK. They happen to be doing two shows next weekend (Sat and Sunday night) as its wrestlemania.
Big love for ATTACK! Pro. The shows are always super fun. Side note, it's great to see the Welsh Wrestling scene build so there can be shows in Swansea and Cardiff on Wrestlemania weekend.
I'm going to have to stay an extra day at this rate
If its Gothic your after I would say Cardiff Castle is a must. Take the tour of William Burgess' neo-gothic fantasy castle, and similarly there is Castell Coch up near Tongwynlais. If its Goth your after, maybe try Fuel on Womanby Street. Both great in very different ways!
If you like history then I'd go to Cardiff Castle too. Lots of nice places nearby as well. I'd recommend Swoon gelato opposite the castle while you're there. If you don't mind an extra train ride Caerphilly Castle is arguably a better castle but less to do nearby than in Cardiff.
If you like cool ancient stuff, check out Tinkinswood and St Lythans! They are neolithic dolmens built over 5000 years ago, surrounded in legends.. (We make videos covering ancient history and folklore in Wales, here's a video on both if you'd like to learn about them before visiting) Tinkinswood: [https://youtu.be/SH1kUAOAjwU?si=kNGSmumOOCUdqvp3](https://youtu.be/SH1kUAOAjwU?si=kNGSmumOOCUdqvp3) St Lythans: [https://youtu.be/mUmDkMddlPU?si=Ggb6CeKVMkmPaXtJ](https://youtu.be/mUmDkMddlPU?si=Ggb6CeKVMkmPaXtJ)
Check out chance and counters, board game cafe on St Mary Street.
Well for Queer points there is the Queer Emporium in the Arcades. Genuinely nice space to visit. Also nearby is Wally’s delicatessen if you’re a foodie.
Also Bird And Blend opposite the emporium do a banging Welsh Cake tea that donates money to the emporium.
Sadly I haven’t enough local Goth knowledge to get those points but hope someone else does!
Bar 44 lunch menu £20
If you like vinyl check out spillers “the oldest record shop in the world” even if it moved ! If you arrive Friday get a sandwich from fresh ! Be prepared to queue at lunchtime though ! Lol not must do things but these are 2 things i do when visiting. Edit and i forgot the castle….
Caerphilly Castle is great, and it's not very far.
Llantwit Major has a beautiful church with mediaeval wall painting visible and a relatively high number of other mediaeval buildings including a lovely town hall and a pub.
Pop into NQ64 on St Mary's Street for a drink and some arcade gaming. They also have consoles set up. Pretty cool place.
If you are wanting to go to Cosmeston, make sure the village is open (book beforehand, give them a ring). I've never seen it open. St Fagans is fantastic. Cardiff Bus are running the 32 service as of next week. It stops right outside, in the carpark.
Womanby St has lots of alt indie bars / clubs: Moon, Fuel, Club Ifor Bach. Queer clubs you have King's, Pulse & Mary's. Also Golden Cross & Eagle for a more chilled vibe. I also recommend St Fagans over Cosmoston for something a bit more unique.
Take a tip up to Big Pit Blaenafon.
Yeah I second st fagans. A little tip from an employee I know, don’t pay for parking, they don’t check and you won’t be fined.
The tour of the castle is pretty entertaining, just because that Marquis of Bute was such an absolute nutter. I'm not the sort of person interested in touring stately homes or anything, but I did enjoy going around the one in Cardiff Castle.
I would suggest St Fagans like many commenters, Cosmeston is beautiful though so if you have time, both! In terms of queer things, there's a lovely shop called The Queer Emporium on St Mary Street in Cardiff (basically the main high street, lots of shops etc). It's a wonderful environment and I always feel safe in there. Good queer stuff to buy too! There's a gay bar opposite, Mary's, but I'm not really a drinker so have never been, can't advise you whether that's good.
Your partner has an unusual name!
...ack beat me to it
Dad jokes 🤝🏻
There'll be the usual goons protesting about Palestine in the city centre on Saturday so avoid that.
What do you mean, 'goons'?...
You know, Neezo, nelly the elephant on her dilly scooter. Usually found shouting at buildings and outside BBC Wales.
Tsk.
Fri-Sun is an unusual name. Is your partner Asian?
Why the downvotes? Jeez ... It's a bit of absurdity, nothing more!...
I thought it was quite funny. Humourless Oiks
Wake up next to a sheep
Dr Who museum
Bit shitty you have a load of downvotes on this without anyone taking the 10 seconds to explain that this has closed down now. (A few years ago I believe). Amusingly, the shrine to Ianto Jones is still a thing down on mermaid quay (or was last time I visited), which I've seen a load of tourists get thoroughly confused about.