A walk around the shopping and entertainment district of Cardiff Bay offers the chance to take in a variety of architecture, most of it modern, the most striking examples being the Welsh National Assembly building, otherwise known as the Senedd, and the Wales Millennium Centre, a cultural centre staging theatre and other shows. However, one building in particular which stands out from the rest is a charming little white former Lutheran church, dating from the19th century. This is the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, housed in a church founded in the 19th century by the Norwegian Seamen’s Mission at a time when Norwegian merchant ships were bringing timber from Norway for use in the Welsh mines. Later, during the Second World War, the church was frequented by Norwegian seafarers who were unable to return to their homeland, which had been occupied.
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| The Norwegian Church - geograph.org.uk - 984537. Photo by pennie winkler, via Wikimedia Commons. |
In the late 19th century, the Dahl family moved to Llandaff, Cardiff, from Norway when Harald Dahl founded a ship-broking company. Harald’s son, Roald, went on to become a well-known author, specialising in children’s books. The family used to worship at the Norwegian Church, which in those days occupied a site in the Docks area of the city. However, the church fell into disrepair during the 1970s, and Roald set about campaigning for it to be saved. This would involve dismantling and repairing the church before moving it to its current location. The project was completed in 1992, but sadly Roald did not live to see his campaign come to fruition, having died several years before.
Nowadays, the church houses a gallery, gift shop and cafe, where visitors can enjoy lovely views over the Bay. The venue can also be hired for events. (Please note that at the time of writing this piece the church has been temporarily closed due to coronavirus restrictions.) Dahl’s memory lives on in the Bay in the form of Roald Dahl Plass (‘plass’ being Norwegian for ‘square’), a centrepiece for events taking place in the Bay, such as the annual Christmas Market. There is also an annual Roald Dahl Day on 13th September, Dahl’s birthdate.
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| Roald Dahl Plass-3. Photo by V4nco, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Map of the area.
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