your comments
Mandy Keith nee Wright, New Zealand
I live in NZ now and have done since 1989, but the Dell holds massive memories for me and reading everyone's comments brought a huge smile to my face. Great, great memories of all sorts. Falling thru the ice on the top pond and Russell Theaker carrying me home - nice one Russ! The swing over the pond, the newts, the bullrushes, oh and the privet was an amazing burst of colour then and was well looked after by a miserable caretaker. Throwing snowballs at Ian Gould (Goopy), Marc Careless, John Rees and so many others. It was probably where most of us had our first snog! Great to see your name up there Karen Middleton and Sandra Bines. A great little find this site.
Hayley, 15, Fairwater
I live just outside the Dell and I would like to say that ll the people who have already commented it's nice to see how much you enjoyed the Dell. My mum Arleen Iles used to go there as a child. But now, if you ignore the smashed glass in the park, the rest of the Dell isn't too bad. Where it lacks is places where young people have no control such as the overgrown stingy nettles. People who say yobs and thugs have taken over you'd be surprised - none of the ones I know over there go to cause trouble. But it's the only place for people my age to go relax and have fun with their friends and have a laugh. I do feel sorry for those who felt intimidated but that's not the intention of kids today. We just want to be left to have fun and be kids.
Andrea McCulloch
How lovely to read your comments, and I'm so pleased your boys enjoyed their visit, Karen. I remember the kick my two children, now long grown up, got out of seeing the places where their Mum, Aunty K and Uncle Lee played (and "Aunty" Di of course!) I'm such a long way away now but hopefully those nearer will attend meetings scheduled and work towards keeping the Dell a precious green space. The Dell is so very special - don't let it slip into history.
Karen Middleton, formerly Fairwater
I love reading everyone's comments about the Dell, it brings back so many fantastic memories. I don't live in the area anymore, but I took my two sons there a few months back and took them to all my old haunts - they were fascinated. I used to live in Elfed Green and met up with my old neighbour who took us in and updated me on the old place. I remember having my photo taken by a photographer from the Cardiff Leader (remember that?) on the pond with two friends - they took a whole lot of photos of children at the park enjoying themselves. I can still see them now. Long hot summers were brilliant in Fairwater, the Dell especially, what a fab place to grow up. Hello to everyone from my time there, especially Sandra Bines from Heol Gwilym - she got me into a lot of trouble!
JonB
The council is finally pulling their finger out and making moves to improve the Dell (as of May 2007). I understand that there will be a meeting at the OAP day centre on Plasmawr road in June. If you are concerned about the future of the Dell and it's current poor state, I encourage you to attend. If you do NOT, then please do not object, when the Dell is turned into another housing development.
Mike Collins, Hirst Cres now Radyr
Having been born in Hirst Cres the Dell was a very important place - it was our very own special place. All the kids from Hirst Cres, Heol Gwilym, Ferrier and Frewer Ave, Elfed Green, Doyle Ave etc played there. Climbing trees, fishing in the pond and the Mansion pond for newts and the stream in the private park, where the biggest bullheads were making rope swings over the quarry, building "underground dens" where the social club is now situated and nicking pears from Dan's house, just too may good memories. I still see many of these good friends who played over the Dell as kids - now much older. It's good to see some the names I recognised from those days, Lesley and Paul Trott from Hirst Cres, Lizzie nurse from Heol Gwillim, the Hurleys, the Melhuishes and so many others. It's a shame to see it overgrown and neglected just like the Insole Court, another childhood adventure. Does anyone remember the naval cadets rowing their boat on the Mansion pond, fully uniformed? What a sight to us kids.
Levi Brady, 13, Fairwater
I have lived in Fairwater since the age of 2. I wish I could have memories of the Dell that you have but I don't other than the ones in the snow. The Dell is now a disaster - most of the park is gone. So if you can do anything please do so as I would like my little sister to have the memories that I don't have.
Esther from Cardiff
I didn't live in Fairwater but spent most of my teenage years there. I can remember the Dell very well, especially the secret garden which was always locked for some reason, even though you could get in and out easily! Does anyone know why it was always locked? The flowers in there were amazing, very colourful and exotic! I spent some very lazy, hazy summer days in the Dell!
Kyle, Roath
An explanation from what I know about Devil's Island - We used to use the steap hills in the quarry as our own natural theme park, there we about four or five 'slides' in all and each had a name such as 'Devil's Drop', can't remember any others. I can just about remember silly ghost stories about why it was called that due to the old mansion across the road but I can't remember them unfortunately. I never realised there used to be farm or estate there and would like to investigate it a bit more. Anyone know of any websites with this information?
Meriel Turner (Jones), Fairwater
I used to live with my parents in Marionville Gardens and my back garden backed onto the Dell. Oh what fun we had, I can remember happy memories of fishing for tadpoles in the lake, playing on the self-made rope swings we used to make over the quarry and sliding down the slopes on our sledges in the snow. Unfortunately my parents passed away and I had to move from Marionville Gardens, but those happy memories will live with me forever. Unfortunately our own children will never understand the fun that used to be had!
Haydn Greatrex, Cardiff
I too was fortunate enough to grow up in Fairwater in the 60's and 70's, and after having read all the comments about the Dell realized how lucky I was to grow up in such a time as to fully appreciate its wonders. I grew up in Keystone Road and remember some of the people who have written comments ... Gerry Hurley's brother Gary, myself and my brother and often a few others used to take our guitars over the Dell for sing a long. Remembering the old oak tree and chilling out in its huge branches on a summers day, or playing on the rope swing over the pond (and falling off many times to go home wet and muddy) are memories that make me smile. Thank you from me to everyone who has added their memories about this wonderful place. It's just a pity it is not what it used to be like.
Mike, Fairwater
I grew up in Amethyst, went to Cantonian early 90s and used to love the dell. Every day before school would go to the ski slope on a "Darlows 4 sale" board then over the big oak tree on the swing. What a difference there now - too many kids thinking they're gangsters.
Andrea McCulloch
I've checked the locality on old maps available on websites. As a child I remember that the story was that the crater in which the pond was sited was formed by WW2 bombing; the pond is not shown on Victorian maps, so this may well be the case. As for "Force Pond"; I have no idea as to its location, but with local history being such a popular hobby you may well find information elsewhere that informs you. Good luck.
Nicola, Cardiff
I also grew up in Fairwater in the late 60's and 70's, and the Dell also holds many magical memories of my childhood. Me, my sister and brother, and every other child in our sreet (Kerrigan Close, Hirst Crescent, Heol Gwilym) would spend every spare moment, exploring the private sneaking over the fence and driving the parky insane. We would then move up the top to what we knew as the mansion - we were convinced it was the foundations of a long ago mansion house. We would leave our house about 9.30am and not return untill tea time. We would have had our lunch on the Dell, which consisted of jam samwiches and bottled tap water. I don't remember the cows and bulls, but I have great memories of paddling in the bottom pond and fishing for the bullheads and salamanders, but I remember all my childhood pals more, we all stuck together and looked out for each other back then. I too can remmember every single nieghbour but I am sad to say that now you are lucky to know two. So to the Hancocks, Selways, Collings, Mores, Longdons, Jameses, Cliftons and too many more to mention, I hope your childhood was a magical as mine.
Dan Sheehan, Oklahoma, USA
Was this called "Force Pond" in previous years (1880)? If not, do you have any idea where it is?
Andrea McCulloch, now Co. Durham
When I first wrote this 18 months ago, I thought it might get a small response - I'm delighted with the pleasure it's brought everyone who reads it, and sad at some of the changes you report, but it's a reflection of life today, I guess. Just to clarify. The Dell aka Fairwater Park, isn't part of the old Waterhall Farm. Waterhall School, which became Cantonian High School's Lower School in 1969, was built on the Waterhall Farm site, and that lies a good half - mile away from the Dell. It's the other part of the Cantonian HS campus that lies in the shadow of the Dell. I recognise very few of the names here, but some of you might remember my brother and sister, Leon and Karina Kudins, who both still live in the Cardiff area.
Mohamed Stacey from Cardiff
I remember the dell in the 70s and 80s and remember all the fun times I had there. Many hours me and friends would be on the rope swing which was on the oak tree which has been cut down now due to being unsafe. And playing on the frozen pond which we used to call the Mansion, and the park which had swings and a monkey climber. Reading these comments brought back some great memories for me and I'm gonna visit the Dell again soon with my daughter and show her where I used to play as a child.
Simon Parsons
I came across this site whilst looking to book ski lessons on the dry slope for my little daughter. As a child (late 60's) I lived on St Fagans Road & my mother would take me to the stream & small pond (near the private park)regularly during the summer where I would fish & play for hours. I was there again recently following a visit to the ski slope - it hasn't changed that much! The private park was alway a point of fascination, it looked so mystical and I would get lifted up just to see over the fence. I'm sure as I read, the Dell is subject to gangs now but unfortunately - during my childhood at least - it always was, particularly during the 70's. Some of my friends in the 60's were Huw Williams and Michael Davies, I've no idea where they are now both left Fairwater in about 1970. I visited the the pond at the top of the Dell several years ago to walk our weimaraners and the pond looked better than during the 70's. Ducks were swimming on it and it was reasonably clean, but so much more could be made of it with a little time and effort; unfortunately, despite our best intentions we always leave it to somebody else.
David Jones, Pontypridd
If the Dell is part of the old Waterhall Farm then I lived in the cottage next to the pond. I was nearly ten years old when I left. The land was bought to build the new school and housing estate. The cottage was part of the farm. My dad worked on the farm as a farm hand. There was no gas or electric in the cottage. My mam still has a feather from a duck my dad shot off the pond.
Ffion Blower from Fairwater
Me and all my mates go down 'Devil's Island' which is the quarry. The pond is now full of rats so you have to be careful. Everyday when I'm in school we go over the Dell ... a lot has changed since I was younger. When I was 5 I used to go down there with my nan and the dogs but now we go down Poplar Park which has changed as well.
Peter Sage, Australia
I lived opposite the Dell in Fairwater Road for about 3 years. Often playing with friends in the wide open fields and woods. I am sure it has changed and probably now a housing estate. I went Fairwater Junior school around the era of Mr Spriggs. Do any of you remember him?
Renee Brady
Unfortunately I live near the Dell now and I read all your lovely stories of what the Dell used to be like and all your wonderful stories of when you were children. I'm finding it a great shame that I currently have children growing up here and would like to say that because of the disrepair of the park my children are not being blessed with these same memories. So I would like to ask anyone who reads this to get in touch with your local councillor and try and get it back to what it once was. It seems we pay massive amounts in council tax to only end up now worse off.
Katherine McDonnell from London
I have to say that everyone's comments have bought back some fond memories from my childhood. During the 70's, myself and two young brothers used to explore the Dell all day during the summer holidays! We used to live in Ely, and would leave early in the morning with our jam sandwiches for sustenance. Catching the Bullheads and sticklebacks with our hands. We also used to slide down the hill with broken cardboard boxes, so much fun! It is a shame parks these days do not hold the same fond memories for the youth of today. Living in London my daughter will never experience the excitement of exploring these places. Thanks for the fond memories.
Jak from Elfed Green
The dell has got a wonderful view to the millenium stadium and at night you can see it all lit up. Me and my friends are annoyed that sometimes we want to play football but the grass is to long. We sometimes play golf there and the grass is so long we can't find our balls.
Liz Nurse from Cardiff
This has been a real treat reading everyone's memories of the Dell. I lived and still live in Heol Gwilym and as a child spent a lot of my time over the Dell. I remember on one occasion I had new red wellies and I was half way up the road when my mam called me back to tell me not to go near the cows as if the bull saw my wellies he would chase me. I remember running back home to put other shoes on. I couldn't have been more than say five or six at the time.
I've seen lots of changes where the dell is concerned. Its still a nice place but only in daylight and better if you have company with you. The little paddling pool known as the Brook is full of junk and has become overgrown. I believe people have tried to tidy it up, but as soon as its done, along come the kids to make a mess of it once again. Up until three years ago I used to walk my dog every morning through Elfed Green up to the pond and back down to where the ski slope is. I just loved that walk, sadly I don't have a dog now so the walk is not the same as when I had Jack. Thelma I remember you. I still see Veronica from time to time.
Stacie Nicholls, 15, Fairwater
What you all say about the Dell is interesting because it isn't like that anymore - the pond is very filthy and could do with a good clean up. The gangs that hang around there are awful. I wish I could've had the fun of being able to enjoy myself because the way everybody describes everything makes me want to be able to see what it used to be like and not what it is now!
Jak Price
The Dell is a wonderful place to be at some times but it is very quiet most of the times and very dirty with the owners of dogs that don't pick the mess up. So my friends and me could play there if there wasn't as much mess - it would be a very good place.
Thelma Rose (nee Perry) now living in Canada
Who would have thought that "The Dell" would hold such wonderful memories for so many children! Living on Pwllmelin Road in the 50's and 60's my sisters and I played there practically every day during the school holidays. We would walk along the dirt track, which ran the length of the stream with its beautiful gardens (guarded by a park keeper who always told us to clear off when peeking over the fence), down to the pond and catch tidlers in our jam jars. Then we would sit under the big oak tree with our little picnic lunches which consisted of marmite sandwiches and a bottle of water. Such carefree days, although I must admit even way back then it wasn't safe to go there after dark, everyone lived in fear of the Ely mob!
Pam Walsh from Cardiff
Hi Gerry, glad to here you still remember me. I think we are all very fortunate to have such a wonderful place for our childhood memories.
Gerry Hurley
I would just like to say to Pamela Melhuish I dont remember locking you in the cowshed, but that was a long time ago. I do however remember you very well and hanging out together a lot.
Lesley Ball (nee Trott), Australia
I spent four great years in Hirst Crescent and attended Waterhall school. I had previously been a "RAF Brat" moving from school to school and this was my first experience of having somewhere permanent for a while. I remember the Dell very well. It was a meeting place for all the local young people. We would walk and talk and sit on some logs and sing (yeah). I remember using my Mum's metal tray as a toboggan and sliding done the slopes and stopping when the tray hit the trees. I also remember some of the lovely plants that grew down the dell.
I have sadly lost touch with all the girls and boys I knew in the 1960s but would love someone to remember me.
Pamela Walsh (nee Melhuish) from Cardiff
I grew up in a house on the 'slope' in the 50's and 60's, my mother still lives there. Fond memories of playing in the farm and down the dell, and Gerry Hurley of Calgary you locked me in the cowshed. I don't walk through the dell these days - I prefer to remember it as it once was, a wonderful safe place for children to play.
Gerry Hurley, Calgary, Canada
Thanks for all the memories you guys. I also grew up in Fairwater in the 50s to the 70s. My house backed onto the farm from Plasmawr Road at the dell. I remember going down to the farm and help with the milking of the cows ... also playing hide and seek at the farm and hide in the bull shed one day. Didn't stay in there too long - that was a big bull! We were always over at the dell playing and getting chased by the parkie for looking at his flowers the wrong way. I remember everthing - you all talk about so many good memories. Wouldn't change one day of childhood - keep up the good work.
Carol Johnson NR Dover
I did a teaching practice at Waterhall in the late 1960s. I suppose it had just been built. All I remember is a modern tower block for a school. Is it still there?
Sue Selley From Cardiff
Is the Dell part of the old Waterhall Farm?
I was born there in 1956 just before the farm was compulsory purchased by the council to make way for the Waterhall School and estate.
penny evans from gozo
Growing up in Amethyst Road. I also played in the dell as a child. Hiya Susie Donaldson. We had the best adventures (a la Famous Five). I remember swinging on a rope over the frozen pond and playing in the exotic jungle which was the private and had great hideaways, jumping over little bridges and stepping stones, to be lost in its beautiful flora was a childs paradise.
Not forgetting curlywurlys,bags of quavers, jubblies, spanish tobacco & sharing 10 park drive. Roly polying down the hill from the huge oak. And singing Sound of Music at the top of our voices coming over the top to Elfed Green from Cantonian High School. Hello to everyone from The Dell of the late 60's and 70's.
Diane Payne (nee Middleton) Australia
Oh the dell - what great fun we had as children, to have the wide open space of the dell as our back garden. The pond - I crowned myself as the grearest newt and salamander catcher of all time!!! Wearing my dads wellies having to grab hold of them before I moved my foot otherwise I left them stuck in the mud. The poor unsuspecting newt or salamander would swim past me only to be caught up in my net, and I would trundle off home to show the catch of the day! I remember those beautiful Elm trees that sadly had to be cut down when they got Dutch Elm disease. They grew wonderful specimens of fungi, and I remember going and collecting some for a nature class at Peter Lea primary. I have faint memories of a big fire burning at the Quarry, but whether this is fact or fiction I can not say. I could write for hours as the memories are flooding back, and no, I would not change my childhood either!!
Gareth Davies from Sully
I grew up in Amethyst Road, and spent plenty of happy times in and around the Dell. What a pleasure it has been to be reminded of all those fantastic years. I myself still do not know why the small park was always locked, but it provided a sense of intrigue to young and inquisitive minds.
Sandra Bines Canton
Hi
I grew up in Heol Gwilym, the dell was our playgroud, my self and Karen Middleton from Elfed Green, would spend many an hour playing in the dell, falling in the pond and getting stuck up trees, we used to sit at the top of the dell at night look over Cardiff, until her mum came and told us to get home.
when they built the ski slope we were there on our bits of card sliding down the slopes.
I still go past the dell every week, the navel college has houses built on it now, but the rest is the same.
maureen black from Leicestershire
I was brought up in Carter Place and have many memories of the Dell. Our dog then called Blackie loved to paddle in that stagnant water at the top of the Dell and it took ages to wash and clean him as he stank to high heaven. Many a time have I and my sisters tobogganed down that slope and hit the trees at the bottom. The small park on the one side was looked after by a gardener who was sacked one day, and the park was then opened up to the public and became a wasteground spoilt as it was never looked after again. Around the quarry area in the Autumn grew superb blackberries which we picked and ate.
There was a swing over that quarry which was a long piece of rope. I have fallen off it many times and had numerous bruises.
Life has changed since those days, simple activities do not seem to give the same pleasure as it did then.
Robert Baker, formally of Cosheston Rd
I remember the Dell very well, with fond memories. I can remember the old naval cadet force just at the bottom of the Dell, swinging out from trees over the quarry, playing with family and friends. Sadly I havent been back for some years (too many to mention). Thanks for the memories BBC.
Andrea McCulloch, originally Elfed Green, Fairwat
Reading all the comments was really interesting. Julie, it's great that you took time to write a message from Elfed Green. Some thirty-five or so years ago in Elfed I remember that we had trouble with our drains, but no WW2 relics came to light at that time.
My guess is that they were dumped there when the houses in Elfed were built, around 1947. As mentioned in my story, our house was on the right hand corner site facing the Dell.
I can remember my mother digging up a horseshoe in the garden, a common enough event on former farmland, but as far as I recall, that was the only artefact we ever found.
I wonder if old parish magazines might hold some answers - I remember reading one some twenty years ago that had some fascinating stories, with tales of how men from "Old" Fairwater employed by the Plymouth estates had strict job conditions, being only allowed to drink two pints in the pub, for example. I wish I could remember more.
Anna Wheeler from Fairwater
My husband and myself moved to Fairwater 8 years ago from Cathays, we have a dog and I always used to take her to the Dell for walks. Unfortunately I had to stop as it become to frightening with the gangs that hang around there. We now go to Llandaff park where there are more dog walkers around.
Jamie, 16, Pentrebane
I hate to say it but the Dell has become a very frightening place to be when you're on your own. Gangs of yobs loiter in the park drinking and smoking drugs.I have myself been attacked whilst walking through there alone.
Julie Rowlands, Elfed Green, Fairwater
Myself and my family have been living in Elfed Green for the last 4 years. During recent rainfall we had a blocked drain and to our surprise when we lifted the manhole cover it was full of world war II helmets and a couple of gas masks. We have asked elderly residents in the street but they don't recall anything other than there was an ammunition dump over the other side of the Dell. Do you happen to know how or why they would have got there?
Chris, Liverpool
I grew up in Amethyst Road too! What a smile reading all this has put on my face! Thank you BBC!
David Lawson
It's a long time since I wandered down from Frewer Avenue on a hot summer afternoon to see who might be hanging around the Dell. I might stop to pet one of the two horses, Peter and Paul, grazing on the cows' field. They were old friends I first met hauling a milk cart around my former stamping ground in Canton. I can still picture the milkman, with a shock of black hair, a withered arm and a long beige work coat. The milk came from cows also grazing here. The farm was still working until the sixties, with a muddy track leading onto Plasmawr Road, milk cooling in the brook and a real, live bull in the shed at the bottom of the cowss field.There might be a few kids splashing in the brook or trespassing in the secret garden which ran from the little bridge to Pwllmelin Road. If not, they were swarming over the giant oak on the brow of the hill, swinging from perilously frayed ropes over quarry wood, or scrumping apples in the Reardon Smith Nautical College orchard.
As a last resort,they would be squelching around the reservoir - a gigantic lake near Marionville Gardens that seemed to shrink to a muddy pond when I saw it with adult eyes.
As an eight-year-old, the Dell seemed to go on forever - a wide, wild world for a kid out of the narrow alleys of Canton. You needed mates around to feel safe enough to wander further. That might involve a trek past Fairwater Green to put pennies on the railway line or paddle in the river (watching out for Ely toughs looking to give outsiders a pasting).
Much safer was an expedition in the other direction along the Rusty Line which wandered from Waterhall out to the mysterious Bluebell Wood deep in the countryside.
Andrea McCulloch , formerly Fairwater
Bob and Sue, thank you both so much for those memories. The pond in the photo actually looks much prettier than I remember it, I suspect it may have been landscaped at some stage.
The paddling pool you mention was part of the stream near what became Clos Y Nant, Bob. Originally I think it must have been used by the farmer as a safe place for his cattle to drink. It had sticklebacks and bullheads in it.
When the family relocated from Grangetown in the mid 1950s, cattle still grazed on the Dell, and into the 70s loose horses would periodically wander onto it, usually from the fields behind Keyston Road. I still remember my mum, a very keen gardener, sprinting onto the fields with coal shovel and bucket to collect the unexpected bonus of free fertiliser.
The quarry certainly wasn't Devils Island in my day - nor were there ducks in the pond. A nice addition.
Bob Millard from Fairwater,Cardiff
The pond is still there Andrea although it could do with a clean up.There are now quite a few ducks living there and I spotted several young ones born earlier this year.
I know the 'quarry' part near the pond. My daughter attends the local high school and I asked her what the children call it now and she told me 'Devils Island'.When I asked why she didn't have an answer.Funny how names change with each generation of children!
Those old pine trees which sit right on top of the Dell are still there but one or two of them look worse for wear.
I remember further down the Dell there was a paddling pool which the local children used.Now it's silted up and nature has taken over the pool producing some nice looking flowers there.
The railings around the park has long gone and it's quite overgrown now and sadly some of the trees there have been damaged.But the Dell is a wonderful place to visit in the summer months and the views from the top of the Dell are still superb!
Sue Donaldson from Caerphilly
I was born in Amethyst Road. I remember the Dell. My brother and I used to go play up on the rope swing, a gang of our friends in tow. We used to call it boarding. It was so much fun and the private closure where we would sneak in and have hours of fun. It's all gone now. Kids today don't have much imagination, but boy did we have some great times. We knew everyone in our street. I know noone where I live now. I wouldn't change a day of my childhood.
