Royal Arcade

In Cardiff, South Wales, there is a shopping complex called the Royal Arcade. The Royal Arcade, a Grade II listed building constructed in 1858, is Cardiff's oldest arcade. A free library was established in Cardiff in 1861 through voluntary donations above the St. Mary Street entrance to the Royal Arcade. Before the turn of the century, the Cardiff School of Art operated out of spaces above the arcade, where J. M. Staniforth and Goscombe John were among the enrollees. It runs parallel to the Morgan Arcade but to the south, from The Hayes to St. Mary's Street, and it passes directly underneath David Morgan's department store.

The property assets contained within the different holding companies were sold to real estate company Helical Bar in late 2004 for £25 million following the mutually agreed-upon closure of David Morgan's. The Cardiff Arcade Company Limited, David Morgan Limited, and Deymel Investments Limited are all now under liquidation.

Some of the original shopfronts from the Royal Arcade still exist today at numbers 29, 30, and 32 on St. Mary Street. A number of independently owned stores can still be found in the arcade, which runs directly across from the new St. David's 2 development and is close to Cardiff Central Library. These stores include Wally's Delicatessen, which has been in the arcade for 60 years, and those that specialize in Welsh textiles, gifts, and homeware.

Location: Cardiff, South Wales