Work on replacing Cardiff s famous Victorian summerhouse now underway

Work on replacing Cardiff s famous Victorian summerhouse now underway

» 14th January 2010 «

Work on a new wooden summerhouse to serve residents of Cardiff has finally started, it has been reported.

Bute Park in the Welsh capital had been home to an iconic summerhouse designed by celebrated architect William Burges from the Victorian era to the 1970s, when the building was moved to the city's St Fagans National History Museum for safekeeping.

Now, work is underway on a new wooden summerhouse to replace the original, with the timber frame building set to offer views over the Millennium Bridge and the River Taff.

As well as public facilities, the summerhouse will also serve as a kiosk and offer visitors to the popular park refreshments, with Councillor Nigel Howells confident that the £3.1 million Heritage Lottery money being used for the project will help bring the park back to its Victorian splendour.

"The restoration project will see the addition of many exciting features and improvements to the park overall," he told BBC Wales.

"The summerhouse kiosk will be a popular facility and I'm pleased that it is being restored back to the original Burges design."

The architect also oversaw the reconstruction of Cardiff Castle and designed the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Manchester Art Gallery.

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