17 places in Cardiff destroyed by World War Two bombs and how they look today

It's been 77 years since the end of the Second World War and a lot has changed since air raids devastated parts of Cardiff. Places like Canton, Grangetown and Roath were hit, with shops, businesses and homes reduced to rubble. The death toll of the attacks on Cardiff from German air raids stands at 355 people. The attacks occurred from 1940 until the last raid in March 1944.

These air raids became known as The Blitz, from the German word blitzkrieg, meaning lightning war. Each time the planes were spotted, a warden on look out would sound an alarm or siren. During World War Two, the sirens were sounded 585 times in Cardiff. One of the most devastating took place on January 2, 1941, when at least 126 people died and 110 homes were destroyed.

It's still possible to identify where these attacks took place, even if the devastation of the time makes them look very different to how they look now. In some cases, other than rebuilding, the places have not changed too radically. In others, the pace of modern development has changed far more than the rebuilding of a bombed building. We've gone into our archives and matched up photographs showing the devastation from the raids and taken pictures of the areas as they look today.

Prospect Drive, Fairwater

Then

Now

Air raid damage at Prospect Drive, Fairwater (Mark Lewis Photography)

Mark Street, Cardiff

Then

Now

Mark Street, Cardiff (Mark Lewis Photography)

Neville Street, down De Burgh Place towards De Burgh Street

Then

Now

Rear of Riverside Conservative Club, Neville Street, Cardiff (Mark Lewis Photography)

Corner of De Burgh Street and De Burgh Place, Cardiff

Then

Now

Corner of De Burgh Street and De Burg Place, Cardiff (Mark Lewis Photography)

The nave of Llandaff Cathedral

Then

Now

The nave of Llandaff Cathedral (Mark Lewis Photography)

Corner of Trinity Street and Wharton Street

Then

Now

Corner of Trinity Street and Wharton Street (Mark Lewis Photography)

The rear of Riverside Conservative Club, Neville Street

Then

Now

Looking from Neville Street down De Burgh Place towards De Burgh Street (Mark Lewis Photography)

AG Meek on Albany Road

Then

AG Meek on Albany Road, Roath, Cardiff, bomb damage in the 1940s (Mirrorpix)

Now

Now a Sainsbury's Local on Albany Road, Cardiff (Mirrorpix)

Albany Road

Then

Now

Snipe Street and Partridge Road

Then

Now

Croft Street and Rose Street

Then

Now

Croft Street and Lily Street

Then

Now

The Hayes and Hill Street

Then

Now

Constellation Street, Cardiff

Then

Now

Croft Hotel, Partridge Road, Cardiff

Then

Now

Partridge Road

Then

Now

Brook Street and Green Street

Then

Now

Love nostalgia? Have the best articles emailed to you for free with our nostalgia newsletter. Click here to see all the Wales Online newsletters.