Roald Dahl Plass, Mermaid Quay, Cardiff.

This massive area was originally named "The Oval Basin", it was a large oval dock during the coal boom in the 19th century.  After the decline of the coal industry, the dock walls were in danger of collapse and a decision was made to fill it in. Cardiff Council then decided to regenerate the whole area which became Mermaid Quay.  It was named Roald Dahl Plass after the Cardiff born author, Roald Dahl. These days, it is an open amphitheatre capable of holding 10,000 people and is often used for open air concerts and many other cultural events. At the North end of the plass is the 70 foot high stainless steel water tower (see my extra blip for a closer shot). This is known locally as "Torchwood Tower" because it marked the location and entrance of the fictitious Torchwood Hub from the BBC series.  The water tower has a constant stream of water running down both faces and on hot summer days, you can see lots of people leaning against it to just cool down.  All around the edge of amphitheatre are 18 columns which are illuminated at night in reds, greens and blues and looks quite spectacular!