Louise played host to a group of eight walkers on an evening tour of Penarth with the emphasis on Joseph Parry (1841-1903) a Welsh composer and musician born at Merthyr Tydfil but who is buried in Penarth.
Leaving Penarth cliff top and pounding pavements to Westbourne Road a plaque on the wall of a house named Cartref at Victoria Square commemorates the fact that Dr Joseph Parry resided there shortly before his death.
Renowned for Myfanwy and the hymn tune Aberystwyth, Parry was also the first Welshman to compose an opera written in the Welsh language called Blodwen. He was born into a large family and after leaving school worked at the local coal mines at the age of nine before moving on to the Cyfarthfa Ironworks where his father was employed. In 1854 the whole family emigrated to the United States of America settling in Danville, Pennsylvania where Parry sought employment at the Rough and Ready Ironworks. Although he was interested in music he had no chance to study it until the ironworks was temporarily closed and as some of his co-workers were musicians, they offered him music lessons and during this time he learned how to read and write as well as studying harmony.
Upon returning to Wales in 1874 he became the first Professor of Music at Aberystwyth University and later accepted a similar position at Cardiff University. When he was offered a Chair at Cardiff University he and his family moved to Penarth where he became the organist at Christ Church Congregational Church which was demolished in 1989. After his death more than 7,000 people came to pay their respects and lined the route from his home to Christ Church where the family worshipped and also to St Augustines.
After admiring All Saints Church, built between 1889 and 1891 having been designed by JP Seddon and J Coates Carter and surrounded by a lovely green open space, it was interesting to note that the church hall was featured in some of the TV series of Gavin and Stacey (when Nessa and Uncle Bryn sang ‘Islands in the Stream’ for example).
Their route continued along Victoria Road to Penarth Railway Station as rain began to fall. The station buildings were erected in 1878 but now the space is filled with the Railway Hotel and making their way into Plymouth Road a jaunt along the lane led to the Dolly Steps. They were built in 1905 and apparently specifically designed for Victorian ladies to walk up and down easily without having to lift their skirts and reveal too much ankle and this area is also known as The Dingle.
Making their way into the delightful Alexandra Park which was named in 1902 after King Edward VII’s wife, firstly they paid a visit to the aviary to view finches and multi-coloured budgies before moving on past a delightful fountain to view the War Memorial, designed in white marble by the renowned sculptor Sir Goscombe John whose work decorates much of Wales but in particular Cardiff and which was unveiled on Armistice Day 1923.
Probably part of the park which is overlooked is the peaceful Garden of Remembrance which lies within the park, adjacent to Rectory Road and became the first permanent remembrance garden in Wales following its creation in 1934.
Walking along Church Road and avenue brought them to ‘Top Church’ or St Augustines; a Grade 1 listed building which proudly stands around 220ft above sea level that was a great landmark for sailors coming up the Bristol Channel who as soon as they spotted it knew they were almost home. Its churchyard is maintained by the Friends of St Augustines keen to protect and encourage wildlife and they have installed bird, bat and swift nesting boxes for that purpose as well as raising money to conserve Joseph Parry’s grave.
Buried on the north side of the church, Parry’s monument is a marble column topped by a lyre with 7 strings and two of them are broken to represent the fact that two of his sons perished before him.
In drier weather and heading along Penarth Head Lane to the viewing platform known as the Garth which apparently gave Penarth its name, views were blotted out by mist.
Heading downhill through the Kymin where the house dates to 1870 and was once occupied by JS Batchelor (1820-1883). There is a statue erected to his memory which stands at the Hayes in Cardiff and he was a Welsh politician and campaigner against slavery. Born at Newport he moved to Cardiff and set up a timber and building business with his brother during the 1840’s, also becoming Mayor of Cardiff. But after speaking out against the Corn Laws and publicly opposing the Bute family who were the masters of Cardiff at that time he was outlawed and the business failed.
Making their way down Beach Road to Penarth Pier, built in 1894 for promenading, they were joined by member Pam who is recovering from a knee operation.
Strolling along the promenade, built in 1883 with its lights strung between lamp posts already illuminated led them into the Italian Gardens, laid out in 1926 on a site previously used to house bathing machines.
Then climbing steps into Windsor Gardens which has two lodge houses where visitors had to pay an admission fee until 1932, when the land was donated to the public, a short walk along the top of Cliff Hill and back to the Wales Coast Path led back to their start after a very interesting evening.