High Street Arcade, Cardiff

High Street Arcade, Cardiff

This arcade and Duke Street Arcade are the only adjoining arcades in Cardiff. High Street Arcade runs roughly west-east between High Street and St John Street, with a kink near its midpoint. It was built in 1885, to the designs of T Waring and JP Jones.

Originally the arcade had 34 shops, and the woodwork was painted in two shades of green picked out with black and red details. At the opening ceremony in June 1886, Dr DE Jones, Mayor of Cardiff, said the arcade would reduce crowding in the streets, give pedestrians a safe and commodious thoroughfare and shelter visitors from wet weather.

High Street Arcade was built by the Cardiff High Street Arcade Company. Traders leased the shop units. Before the arcade had opened, the company received three times more applications than the units available. Most of the tenants lived in the rooms above their shops.

High Street and Duke Street arcades were sold in the mid-1980s. Today High Street Arcade has 23 retail units on its ground floor, with offices and other businesses on the first floor.

Our QR codes for the arcade are displayed at Eccentrix ladies’ footwear shop, which occupies units 28 to 34. An early occupant of 28, in the 1890s, was EH Smith, a seller of ladies’ and children’s underclothing, stocking corsets, pinafores, Holland aprons and other garments.

Where is this HiPoint?

Postcode: CF10 1BB

Website of Eccentrix shoe shop

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