**Cardiff’s Dark History Unveiled: The City’s Red-Light District Uncovered**
Cardiff, a city steeped in a rich tapestry of history, reveals a darker side that dates back centuries. Some corners of the Welsh capital were once infamous as red-light districts, with a seedy underbelly that thrived amidst the city’s industrial past. Going back to the 1800s, areas such as Charlotte Street and Whitmore Lane were known as the city’s initial “red-light” zones, notorious for brothels and pubs that attracted questionable characters.
The red-light district of Cardiff witnessed a surge in notoriety from the 1830s until the 1870s, with Bute Street taking over as the new centre for such activities thereafter. Charlotte Street and Whitmore Lane were labelled as “dens of infamy”, where every stone of the pavement was said to have been stained with human blood, painting a grim picture of the area.
However, as time progressed towards the end of the 19th century, these streets gradually disappeared from city maps, making way for modern developments that now stand in stark contrast to the scenes of the past. Today, towering buildings and bustling traffic have replaced the once-infamous areas, with only the Golden Cross pub remaining as a reminder of the bygone era.
Notorious figures such as Kitty Pig Eyes, The Notorious Jack Matthews, and Swansea Sue once roamed these streets, alongside a community comprising pimps, sex workers, gangsters and thieves. The Glamorganshire canal, known as The Black Ribbon, flowed past these districts, with reports of violence and cruelty towards women by individuals like Ned Llewellyn and Liverpool Dick surfacing in historical accounts.
Artist Anthony Rhys delved into the history of Charlotte Street and Whitmore Lane through his book ‘Notorious’, shedding light on the disturbing violence and hardships faced by residents of these areas. The eradication of these streets from the city map led to the shift of Cardiff’s red-light district to the docks area, propelled by the industrial boom that transformed the city.
Author and historian Neil Sinclair recounted the seedy underbelly of Tiger Bay along Bute Street, where illicit activities flourished alongside a strong sense of community. Prostitution in Cardiff, as highlighted by researcher Simon Jenkins, was a prevalent issue in various districts of the city, with arrests and incidents marking the dark undercurrents that ran through Cardiff’s streets.
While the red-light district of Cardiff may have faded into history, its legacy serves as a poignant reminder of the city’s complex past and the resilience of its inhabitants. Cardiff’s transformation from a small town to a bustling metropolis has seen it evolve beyond its seedy underbelly, into a vibrant and multicultural city that continues to thrive amidst its historical narratives.