A Cardiff man has been uploading the city’s secrets onto social media, attracting thousands of viewers and Torchwood actor John Barrowman. Jake Britten explains how this new lockdown hobby started and reveals some of capital’s not-to-be-missed locations.
It had taken weeks, but Jake Britten had finally found it: the rumoured gravestone bearing the tragic and unusual story of a young girl who fell to her death in a ballooning accident in 1896.
Intrigued, Jake took out his phone and googled. How had he not noticed this before? In true 21st century style, he filmed a quick video, recounting what he had just found and uploaded it onto the social media app TikTok.
Despite having lived in Cardiff for the majority of his life, it was not until Jake was stuck in a routine of daily lockdown walks that he began to notice the abundance of hidden gems that Cardiff has to offer.
Encouraged by his find, the 32-year-old senior marketing manager began exploring the city further and uploading his discoveries onto the app. Since January, Jake has uncovered some of the city’s most unusual hidden places, attracting a growing online following of nearly 22,000 people.
“I’m not special, I’m not a historian, I don’t know more about Cardiff than anyone else. Just like you, I’m learning from these videos,” he says.
Due to his job in marketing, Jake had originally downloaded TikTok to understand how to use this new video-sharing platform for work.
“The app’s algorithms are just completely fascinating,” he says. “I was trying to figure out how to go viral. With TikTok you’ve either got to do a dance, but I’m 32 and don’t dance, be funny or a tell a story.”
He encourages his viewers to make the most of their lockdown walks and to take the time out to have a closer look around places in which they live.
“I’ve got a 19-month-old baby and because of lockdown we just walk around. It’s all we do all day long. It was getting a bit boring, so I would just google where I was and upload what I found through videos to Instagram and Tiktok.”
The videos have sparked interest particularly with residents in Cardiff. Locals were quick to get involved, enthusiastically suggesting other potential hidden spots and interesting histories behind many of the city’s urban relics and landmarks.
Some of his most popular videos include the hidden artworks found in ordinary-looking bollards in Cardiff city centre and the history behind Grangetown’s obscure sculpture “A Private View” which can be glimpsed fleetingly via car.
A video at Ianto’s Shrine, a tourist attraction at Cardiff Bay where the television series Torchwood had been filmed, also caught the attention of the series star John Barrowman. A fan of the city himself, Barrowman agreed to collaborate with Jake in a playful video at Torchwood Tower, one of Cardiff’s iconic landmarks also featured in the hit series.
Fancy discovering some new things in Cardiff? Take a look at Jake’s top three hidden gems…
Cenentary Walk a.k.a Dead Man’s Alley
A busy and bustling pathway located outside of Cardiff Market, Centenary Walk is an unusual street lined by two cemeteries. But have you ever noticed the metal numbers engraved into the pathway’s paving slabs?
These are in fact reference numbers for burial chambers buried below. Following the opening of the famous Cardiff Market in 1891, the pathway was built intended as a shortcut for customers. The cemetery which had been there since 1100s, was divided into two and graves in the middle were paved over. Ever since, the walkway has become known as Dead Man’s Alley by the locals.
Bute Park’s Animal Wall
Bute Park’s animal wall is a historical feature of Cardiff many walk past every day. But what are these exotic animals doing on this park wall?
Leading up to the entrance of Bute Park on Castle Street you will find a wall decorated with an array of animal carvings dating back to the late 1890s. These were created by the Architect Wiliam Frame, taking the drawings of architect William Burges who worked for the 3rd Marquess of Bute. The wall’s original animals such as a bear, lioness and a hyena which all have their original glass eyes. Six extra animals were added in 1923 after the main street was widened.
Splott Beach
Whilst this hidden spot isn’t exactly somewhere you could enjoy a day of sunbathing, it is a true treasure trove of Welsh history!
The “beach” is located in the residential area of Splott, what once was Cardiff’s prime industrial center. At a glance, the area looks like a piece of wasteland, covered in rubble and junk. However, if you take a closer look, you will discover the fascinating remnants of Cardiff’s industrial past in the forms of bricks and tires upon the river shore. Most fascinating, are the thousands of bricks inscribed with Graigddu Brick Co, a manufacturer of fire bricks dating back to the 1800s.