Lamby Lake is a coarse fishery and fishing club in Cardiff, located within Parc Tredelerch, which…read moreis a wildlife area that's home to coots, swans, mallards and other birds as well as some beautiful dragonflies in the summer. The lake itself covers 10 acres and feels quite remote from the traffic and noise of the city centre, despite being easily accessible. It also feels quite windswept and a bit sparsely planted - although trees and plants are growing up and this aspect will improve. At the moment you can feel quite exposed to the elements there, though, so it's worth taking a few extra layers if you're stopping there for long! The fishery is run by a team of well-known local anglers with plenty of experience, and the fishing stock are growing fast and spawning well. Day tickets cost £6 and are available on the bank from the lake's 'bailiffs'. Enthusiasts can also get membership for £60 (or night membership for £150) - with 50% off for OAPs and children under 16. There are quite a few related shops nearby, including Gary Evans Tackle Shop, which is handy if you need to pick up a few things on your way to the lake.

A friend of mine is a big fan of fishing and goes regularly to these lakes,which offer both trout…read morefishing and coarse fishing from early in the morning until dusk every day, with tuition available for beginners. Located in pretty countryside between Cardiff and Newport, the site covers 35 acres, has eight lakes, and a network of roads and gravel paths that link up each of the areas. Up at the main Lodge building there's a well-stocked tackle shop selling all the kit and accessories you could need, and there's also refreshments in a bar and restaurant area (with a big wood burner and comfy sofas) and toilets. As well as catering for individual fishing enthusiasts, they offer corporate packages for entertaining clients or rewarding staff - either fishing or clay pigeon shooting, with lunch as part of the package.

The staff are always helpfull. I have fished horseshoe lake carp lake match lake and willow.Always…read morecaught plenty of good sized fish. Easy fishing pleasant surroundings , never crowded. I'd give it 10 out of 10

For anyone into fishing, Hendre Lake Park in the St Mellon's area of the city is well worth knowing…read moreabout. The whole park is centred around the big 10-acre lake - where you'll also often spot local school children enjoying some educational pond-dipping sessions during the week. It's right next to a substantial residential housing area, so tends to be well-used and is far from 'remote' - but it's a pleasant enough space for a walk and some wildlife spotting. There's been quite a bit of European Union funding given to the project, and the lake is constantly being improved to make the fishing better there. Most of the park falls within the Gwent Levels Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of all the rare and protected plants that grow in the area, particularly in the reens (which are historic ditches criss crossing the area). The lake itself is obviously used for fishing and by schools for environmental studies, but there are also pathways running around the edge for casual walkers and joggers.

This is another former licensed tipping ground that's now been transformed into a haven for…read morewildlife and conservation - something Cardiff seems to be very good at! At the heart of the park there's a 4 hectare lake , which is circled by two kilometres of footpath, plus a boardwalk that snakes across the lake. The lake itself is stocked with fish, and at the water's edge lots of reeds and other greenery has been planted to encourage wildlife. You can often spot coots, swans, mallards and other birds around the water's edge, and colourful dragonflies hovering about and landing on the reeds. The only thing I would say is that you're quite exposed at this park, so if it's very hot or very windy there aren't so many places to shelter! If you're driving here, there's a car park off Lamby Way with picnic tables, or you can park on streets in Rumney then just walk the short way to the park via Brachdy Lane.

Ah fishing. The great past time for all that is lazy. I do really love fishing when the weather is…read morenice, coupla tinnies and chilling with your mates. Love it. The Wharf is incredibly peaceful and is overlooked by the Wharf pub and residential flats. For as little as £4 you can dip your rod in and fish away till nightfall. You will need to bring your own equipment and chair though. You can visit there shop though and buy bait etc so that's handy.

There is so much to do and see in Roath Park that each activity almost warrants its own category…read more One of the things to do is take you kids to the playground. A few words of warning though - if you go at the obvious times your kid may have to wait for a go of a swing or a slide as it gets pretty popular. My advice is to go there on a sunny weekday afternoon rather than a weekend and you're child is guaranteed the run fo the place. There is a variety of swings, a big slide built into the banking, a small slide, climbing frames, roundabouts all you need to keep you occupied for an hour or so, sorry I meant all you need to keep you children occupied - I didn't have a go on any of them honestly!

Such a cute park! I had tons of fun with my aunt and 2 younger cousins on the pedal boats (word to…read morethe wise : AVOID the algae, we ended up getting trapped and had to get a friendly couple to push us out XD). The boat is also quite a workout, we ended up getting lazy and making the 8 year old and the 12 year old pedal, classic haha! Lovely place to walk around, had a playground for the kiddies. Very enjoyable hour or so spent here.

The Barrage is a great place for a relaxing walk or a bit of boat-watching, and on a clear day you…read morecan see right across the Bristol Channel to where our English bretherin live. It's a bit of a walk from the bay, probably about half an hour, but it's a very pleasant one and there's some interesting scenery on the way, ranging from old warehouses to small historic displays. Once you reach the Barrage you'll be treated to stunning views of the whole of the Bay, and if you're here at sunset then there are some brilliant photo opportunities to be had. There's also plentiful fishing to be had and it can be a good spot for bird-watching if it's the right time of year. There are regular benches along the way if you need a quick break and some toilet stops if you forgot to go back in the Bay. At the middle of the Barrage there's a small decking area with some sail-like structures above it that make for a nice quiet spot if you want to pause and take in the view, or if you just want to go somewhere for some me-time. And of course there's the barrage gates where you can watch the comings and goings of the boats and the lock mechanisms in action.

This is my favourite place to walk, run, skip or cycle in the whole of Cardiff…read more It takes about half an hour (if you walk, if you skip its a little less) to get to the barrage, at a nice pace, and along the way you will pass many a scene worth taking in from the skater park, to an outside exhibition about the importance coal had in the south Wales economy etc etc etc. When you get to the barrage you can watch boats of all shape and sizes (depending on the depth of the owners pockets) leaving and coming into the bay through its impressive mechanical locks. I'm nowhere near describing how nice it can be to experience this walk so all I'll say is if you are in the bay and have an hour or so to spare then take a walk down to the barrage and you will not be disappointed.

The Lordship of the Manor of Worlton, Dyffryn St Nicholas…read more The Manor of Worlton, Dyffryn St Nicholas comprises of the former Parish of St Lythans, St Nicholas and a small part of Wenvoe in the county of Glamorgan South Wales. The Manor lies within the Cantref of Brenhinol Now called the Hundred of Dinas Powys in County of Glamorgan, South Wales. There is a cromlech on St Lythans common, The common commands one of the most extensive, luxuriant and diversified prospects in South Wales. About 200 acres,of the common are uncultivated. The manor of Worlton, Dyffryn St Nicholas has been know as Manor of Worlton, or Dyffryn St Nicholas, Dyffryn Golych, Tref Golych, or Columbarium. The earliest record of the Manor are of the land of the manor granted by the King of Glamorgan to the Bishop of Llandaff, These grants and donations of land are found fully documented in Llandaff Charters in the Book of Llandaff The story of Manor dates back to the 640 A.D. when the Manor was granted to Bishop Oudoceous (Welsh: Euddogwy) of Llandaf by The King Of Glamorgan, King Judhail (Welsh: Ithael) in 640 CE According to the Liber Landavensis, The Book of Llandaff , The King Of Glamorgan King Ithael, son of Athrwys, riding across the land of Guocof (Wenvoe), his horse stumbled, and he was thrown. With a gratitude perhaps slightly heightened by the badness of his horsemanship, he, while rising, vowed the church of Elidon, then before him, with all the lands,and the village of Guocof, (Wenvoe) with all its liberty and comanage if fields and woods in water and in pastures to Almighty God, as represented by the church of Llandaff.' As usual with this book, the boundaries, though minutely set forth, are not now to be identified, the very names being gone. These are the spring of Gurunni, the dingle of Cui, the Carn, Blaen-Pant-Golych, Lotre Elidon, Powisva Dewi, and Carn-Ynis-Tair-Erw. (L. Land., p. 401.) In a later grant, in the same book, The King Of Glamorgan King Meurig ap Hywel, being excommunicate and repentant, restored to the church the village of Tref-Golych, which the context shews to be St. Lythan's, and which had been resumed. With it he also gave three modii (about twenty- seven acres) of land. The places named as boundaries are, Powisva, the Mound, the Stone, Carn-Gistlerth, Carn-Guocof, the Gurunni, the Gulich, Carn-Tair-Erw, and Powisva-Dewi. [Ibid., 527.] The earns and the mound have disappeared, but were not improbably the casing of the cromlechs of St Lythans After the Norman Conquest the Christian Church in Wales was formed into and governed by four principal bishoprics or diocese. The first was Llandaff in mid south Wales followed by St. Davids in the South West, Bangor in the North West and finally St. Asaph in the North East. The first Bishop of the diocese of Llandaff was Bishop Joseph, Bishop of Glamorgan appointed in 1027-1045. The bishops were the principal property and landowners in their diocese and as such held the titles of Lord of the Manors. Each Manor provided income to the church by way of land rent, tolls, fishing rights, rights of wreck, markets and fairs Each successive Bishop became the Lord of the Manor until the disestablishment and disendowment of the Church of England in Wales and the formation of the Church of Wales in 1920. The ecclesiastical manorial titles were passed to the custody of the University of Wales who disposed of some of them in the mid 1980's and all the remaining thirteen titles in July 2000 including the Lordship of the Manor of Worlton, Dyffryn St Nicholas, Because the Lord of the Manor was the legal owner of most of the property and land in the manor including the common land these ancient titles are counted as property and purchased and transferred in the same way as all agricultural land and property by legal contract and conveyance. And so it was on July 8th 2000 the ownership of the ancient title of the Lord of the Manor of Dyffryn, Worlton and St Nicholas, Which recorded history can be traced back to 640 AD and for the first time became the property of a lay person and his family. His name will be recorded and added to the Manorial Rolls which are held in safe custody by the Master of the Rolls at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. In June 2000 the University of Wales on behalf of the Bishop of Llandaff Sold The ancient chief Lordship Of The Manors of Dyffryn, Worlton and St Nicholas,. It was purchased by a local land owner Sean Thomas Arthur Rafferty Who wishes to protect the future rural countryside way of life in the vale of glamorgan. On this special day Sean Thomas Arthur Rafferty, Lord Of Dyffryn, Worlton and St. Nicholas, who is the also the Baron Of Ballyanne, Lord Of Ballyanne, A Barony Estate comprising of 6,480 Acres, in Parish Ballyanne, Co Wexford and 45,724 Acres Barony of Idrone, Co Carlow, Ireland. Lord of St Mullins, and Lord of Poulmonty, a Barony estate comprising of 19,474 Acres in Barony of

Last year I decided to try some of this windsurfing lark at The Channel view leisure centre,…read morededicated water to all things water sports related. I went on the absolute beginners course which to begin with is expensive. £124 for two days. But once you get your level one it goes down to £34 for 5 sesh so gets better as you do. What consists of the beginners course is to begin with an on land simulator to make you feel an utter charlie. YOu are embarrassingly guided by qualified wind surfing tutors. You are then allowed out in the wet stuff after a few hours and this is where the real fun begins. Expect to get wet, col and spend more time off your board than on it...Well me anyway. It was so much fun my face was hearting from smiling so much over the two days. It's a great way to meet people and you become quite close to your group over the time and I still speak to a couple of the people I met there. There is so much more at CBWAC with Kayaking, sailing, rowing and power boating. If summer pops up this year you must visit here!

This Centre is housed in a purpose-built facility in South Cardiff, on the edge of the River Taff…read moreby Cardiff Bay. Despite the name, they actually offer activities both in the water and on land - including climbing (using Channel View's indoor climbing wall and automatic belaying equipment, as well as the outside bouldering facility); archery; bell boating in a vessel up the Taff; bush survival skills; trail biking; sailing; windsurfing; course and sea fishing; rowing; etc. For parties and corporate days they do day packages, and this is what I've experienced - all great fun, with excellent tuition and guidance, and a choice of 16 different activities (though obviously you have to choose in advance and book which you want to do, as there's not enough time to fit all of them in!). Great for a team day out away from the office.

David and Melise who own Victoria Park Angling have been there for a year and a half (when this…read morewent to print on 25th August 2010) but it feels like they have been running the business for decades. They know their stuff and know what fellow anglers want. They are always prepared to help because they enjoy what they do. This is how a small business should be helpful and friendly. Whether you are a seasoned angler or new to it as I am David and Melise will help you out whether it be picking your first rod or having a trusty old one repaired.