List of shopping arcades in Cardiff

Shopping arcades in Cardiff include indoor shopping centres and arcades in Cardiff city centre, Wales. Cardiff is known as the "City of Arcades", due to the highest concentration of Victorian, Edwardian and contemporary indoor shopping arcades in any British city.

Up until the 1790s there were only 25 retail shops in Cardiff. Most shopping at that time was made from market stalls. The opening of the Royal Arcade in 1858, which was the first indoor arcade built in Cardiff, significantly increased the number of shops in Cardiff.

Cardiff's Victorian arcades have been attracting new shops and customers since emerging from the economic recession. Existing retailers have expanded which demonstrates resurgence of the capital’s unique shopping malls, according to the landlords, Curzon, who is responsible for the High Street, Castle, Duke Street and Wyndham arcades. The area around the arcades will be affected by pedestrianisation of High Street in late 2010, to create the £2.5m Castle Quarter. This is expected to attract more shoppers and tourists to the Victorian arcades.

The total length of Cardiff's city centre arcades is 797m (2,655 ft).

The market consists of two shopping levels, a ground floor and a balcony level which wraps around the market exterior walls on the interior [1]. There is a large H. Samuel clock [2] above the High Street entrance [3], which was presumably donated by the H. Samuel jewellery chain, which once had a store just outside the High Street entrance. Traders in the market offer a variety of fresh produce, cooked food, various delicacies and more durable goods. A trader of note is Ashton's the fishmongers, who have traded in the market since 1866 at the Trinity Street entrance selling a wide range of fresh seafood.

One of the longer of Cardiff's famous Victorian arcades, Castle Arcade is home to a variety of shops selling, among other things, crystals, air pistols, fancy dress, books and clothes. There are several shops on the gallery level.

...
Wikipedia