The Castle Green was landscaped in the late eighteenth century by
Capability Brown, but the park itself was laid out from 1873 on by
Andrew Pettigrew, head gardener to the 3rd Marquess. In 1947, the
5th Marquess of Bute presented the park to
Cardiff County Borough Council. It is still held in trust for the citizens of Cardiff, by Cardiff Council, who maintain the park with the aid of volunteers & community groups The park is situated along the east bank of the
River Taff and adjoining
Cardiff Castle, and offers a combination of arboretum, flower gardens and recreation grounds. Most of the park is laid to grassland but there is an abundance of woodland and tree-lined avenues.
Sophia Gardens and
Pontcanna Fields are on the opposite side of the river, reached by two footbridges. Sophia Gardens is home to the
Glamorgan County Cricket Ground, where
test matches are played, and to the
Sport Wales National Centre. In 1833, the line of the mill stream was incorporated as a water source for the development of
Cardiff Docks by the
2nd Marquess of Bute and was reformed as the dock feeder when the docks were constructed between 1836 and 1841. The dock feeder is still the main water supply to the docks. Cardiff has been held in Bute Park since 2005. Between 1981 and 2019, the park hosted an annual
Guy Fawkes Night firework display, named
Sparks in the Park in its later years. The event was organised by Cardiff's local branch of
Round Table and profits were distributed to charity. The event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and in 2022 it was cancelled indefinitely due to increasing costs and organisational issues. The Cooper's Field part of the park has hosted concerts by artists including
Florence and the Machine,
You Me at Six and
Emeli Sandé. Bute Park and the grounds of Cardiff Castle are designated Grade I on the
Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. ==Bute Park Restoration Project==