Editing Cardiff Arms Park (section)

=== Early history of the site ===
{{multiple image
 | align = left
 | direction = horizontal
 | image1 = Cardiff Arms Hotel, Broad Street, Cardiff.jpg
 | width1 = 175
 | alt1 =
 | caption1 = Cardiff Arms Hotel
 | image2 = Arms Park Grand Stand, Cardiff, 1885.jpg
 | width2 = 191
 | alt2 =
 | caption2 = The inauguration of the Grandstand on 26 December 1885 
}}

The Cardiff Arms Park site was originally called the Great Park,<ref name="Centenary">{{cite document|year=2006 |title=The Cardiff Centenary Walk |publisher= [[Cardiff Council]]}}</ref> a swampy meadow behind the Cardiff Arms Hotel. The hotel was built by [[Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet|Sir Thomas Morgan]], during the [[reign]] of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]].<ref name="Red House">{{cite web|url=http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/large/item/GTJ73155/|publisher=Culturenet Cymru|title=Cardiff Arms Hotel, Broad Street, Cardiff, late 19th century|access-date=11 February 2011}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Cardiff Arms Park was named after this hotel.<ref name="Demolished">{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=48207 |publisher=University of London & History of Parliament Trust |title='The older inns of Cardiff', Cardiff Records: volume 5 (1905), pp. 438–445. |access-date=26 April 2008}}</ref> From 1803, the Cardiff Arms Hotel and the Park had become the property of the [[Marquess of Bute|Bute]] family.<ref name="Cricket ground" /><ref name="Bute">{{cite web |url=http://www.glamro.gov.uk/check/Building%20of%20a%20Capital%202/Teach/a_recreation.html |publisher=Glamorgan Record Office |title=Parks and Gardens |access-date=26 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123035808/http://www.glamro.gov.uk/check/Building%20of%20a%20Capital%202/Teach/a_recreation.html |archive-date=23 November 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Arms Park soon became a popular place for sporting events, and by 1848, [[Cardiff Cricket Club]] was using the site for its cricket matches.<ref name="Cricket ground" /> However, by 1878, Cardiff Arms Hotel had been demolished.<ref name="Demolished"/>

[[John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute|The 3rd Marquess of Bute]] stipulated that the ground could only be used for "recreational purposes".<ref name="Bute" /> At that time Cardiff Arms Park had a [[cricket]] ground to the north and a rugby union ground to the south. 1881–2 saw the first stands for spectators; they held 300 spectators and cost £50.<ref name="Reminiscences">{{cite book |author=Red Dragon |title=''Reminiscences of the Cardiff Rugby Football Club'', "Opening ceremony of the new stands, Cardiff Arms Park", 5 October&nbsp;1912 |year=1912 |publisher=Cardiff Rugby Football Club }}</ref> The architect was [[Archibald Leitch]], who also designed [[Ibrox Stadium]] and [[Old Trafford]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.structurae.de/persons/data/index.cfm?ID=d006772|publisher=Nicolas Janberg ICS|title=Archibald Leitch|access-date=24 November 2008|archive-date=9 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709110537/http://en.structurae.de/persons/data/index.cfm?ID=d006772|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1890, new standing areas were constructed along the entire length of the ground, with additional stands erected in 1896.<ref name="Stands"/>