The Society hopes Cardiff Council will work with the owner to develop plans for reusing the Cardiff’s Grade II*-listed old Bute Road Station which was instrumental in the development of modern Cardiff.
Grade II*-listed, 1842, unknown architect
Arriving at Cardiff Bay by train today you would never guess that this dilapidated station was the home of the first steam-powered passenger train service in Wales, and vital to the development of Cardiff as a port in the nineteenth century. Thought to be designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it was originally used as the headquarters of the Taff Vale Railway between 1842 and 1843, and has been Grade II*-listed as an early surviving example of purpose built railway architecture in Wales. Regrettably, the building has not benefitted from any of the recent developments in Cardiff, including the regeneration of Tiger Bay, and the station has gradually deteriorated since the station museum closed in the 1990s, suffering from the worst effects of water ingress, vandalism, and weeds. Since the station platform still serves commuters, and a canopy has recently been added in anticipation of higher traffic, it is hoped the building can be turned to a related use, perhaps as a shop or cafe.
The Victorian Society Director, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘This year, for the first time, the Top Ten has no entries from London or the South East. We simply got far more nominations from other regions. This perhaps reflects the vastly different financial climate for development. But whatever the reason I hope Old Bute Street Station’s inclusion in the Top Ten will spur Cardiff Council and the owners to urgently find a way to bring this building back into use and provide a fitting gateway to the area. Retaining historic buildings like those in the Top Ten is vital to maintaining local identity and creating places in which people want to invest, live and work.’
Status Update / March 2026
In 2019, the building was restored and adapted thanks to a £1 million grant, delivered jointly by the local authority and the Welsh Government’s town centre loan scheme. The completed development, which incorporates a coffee shop at ground level and office space on the first and second floors, was undertaken in anticipation of infrastructure improvements on the Butetown branch line. It complements a new platform and ticket office, designed to wrap around the original station envelope.