Originally Posted by
Enoch Mort
I have lived in the vicinity of the Lake for over 30 years and its a great place but there is no doubt in my mind that it is not what it once was.
The childrens playground behind the dam is great as are the arboretum and ornamental gardens beyond. The promenade is always kept well stocked with flowers and is a great place to walk. However the silt problem of the lake itself is only going to get worse. I remember rowing around the islands once upon a time. That hasn't been possible for some time. The development of North Cardiff and the surface water run off from housing estates that were once green space has inevitably lead to the build up of silt. A desilting exercise around the islands was undertake 10 years or so ago and it did improve the situation but I don't think anything has happened since. The situation appears to have got worse in that a boom that was once stretched across the lake just south of the islands to prevent access by boats was moved to the middle of the lake. It seems to be a problem that can only get worse.
The Council have always recognised that the amount of wildfowl on the lake is a problem. The geese grazing, especially on the Lake Road West side, reduces some of the grassed areas to a sea of mud during rainy periods. In the 1960s, the Council would close the promenade at both ends and a member of Parks staff would carry out a cull with a shotgun. However, times have a changed and when, in the early 90s, a cull was suggested to reduce the amount of wildfowl, especially geese, there was uproar in the Echo. In the late 90s the Council obtained a licence to prick the eggs in the nests on the islands. In more recent times the Council has undertaken clearance of the undergrowth on the islands a by-product of which was to reduce nesting opportunities
I am a regular user of Roath Park Lake and its environs. I run around it and when family come from afar they get the obligatory walk around it whatever the weather. Reduced investment in Parks and Open Spaces across Cardiff is obvious ( not the Council's fault they are trying to make reducing funds go as far as possible). I have always regarded Roath Park Lake as one of the jewels in the crown of Cardiff Parkland but it is evident to me that it is not what it once was which is sad,