Friends of Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff

04/06/2026

Fifteen years ago today, a new headstone was dedicated in Cathays Cemetery to Edmund (Edward) Savage, a survivor of the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift, immortalised in the film Zulu. His grave had previously been unmarked.

The ceremony was attended by civic and military dignitaries, the regimental goat of the 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh, and featured re-enactors of the period. It was supported Mossfords monumental masons as well as Canadian descendants of Savage.

Edward was a native of Newport, the son of Irish immigrants He joined the army at the age of 18 and sailed the following year to South Africa where he saw action before being sent to Rorke’s Drift.
When the camp was attacked by Zulus, he was in the camp hospital. A newspaper report following his return to Britain said, "Seeing the danger drawing nearer, though suffering from an injured knee, he jumped out of the [hospital] window into the fort. He assisted in the defence, lying on his side and taking aim at the Zulus through the opening in the biscuit boxes. …. Savage says he never spent such a miserable night in his life. There was a momentary danger of being shot dead and the likelihood of perishing of cold and hunger".

After leaving the army Savage married, settled in Riverside, Cardiff, and took a job as a council worker. He died in 1893, aged only 32.

02/06/2026

Once again Cathays Cemetery in Cardiff is pleased to welcome the A48 Theatre Company for their annual ‘Graveyard Voices’ performances, when actors interpret aspects of the lives of some of the people buried in the cemetery.

This year they will take place on July 7th, 8th, and 9th at 7pm, and on July 12th at 2pm. As usual there’ll be individual performances around he cemetery, with the exception of the 8th July event which will be held in the cemetery chapels.

These events are always popular, and tickets go quickly. Tickets available via Ticket Source.

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30/05/2026

The main task for today’s work-party was the planting of the sapling presented to the cemetery three weeks ago by the International Dendrology Society to mark their visit to the cemetery. .

It was placed in the area near the chapels not far from the memorial to those who bequeathed themselves to medical science.

14/05/2026

09/05/2026

Today, Cathays Cemetery welcomed a host of tree experts and budding tree experts (pun intended) from the International Dendrology Society. The cemetery was their last stop on their organised tour of the gardens and parks of south-east Wales and the Welsh Marches. They had visited Roath Park earlier in the day.

It appears that the Cathays is home to many more species of trees than we ever imagined. A route had been planned to see the best of what the cemetery has to offer, but the group was constantly being distracted by other specimens of note.

Latin names were the order of the day, and there was a lot of talk of hybrids and sub-species.

At the end of the walk the Society presented the cemetery with the sapling of a Heptacodium Miconioides (Seven Son Flower Tree) as an expression of thanks for hosting them. (Full grown example in picture)

27/04/2026

Our next talk will take place on Tuesday 12th May, when Ciara O’Brian Butler and Katie Faillace of Cardiff University’s School of History, Archaeology and Religion (SHARE) will be discussing their new project recording the graves in Cathays Cemetery and the techniques they propose to use. These are likely to include the use of high-definition laser scanners to capture precise 3D, digital images.

As usual the talk will take place at 7pm in the Cathays Cemetery Chapels. Admission is free and there is ample on-site parking.

25/04/2026

Fastastic workday working with Cardiff Bereavement Services in the cemetery today. Glorious spring weather in a beautiful environment. Great turnout.

18/04/2026

"Tragic Tales form Cathays Cemetery" is the title of our next talk this coming Tuesday 21st April.

Cathays Cemetery Chapels at 7pm. Plenty of parking. Free admission.

The next talk from Friends of Cathays Cemetery will be held on Tuesday 21st April at 7pm in the cemetery chapels when Gordon Hindess will be looking at some of the tragic events associated with people buried there.

All welcome. Free Admission. Plenty of on-site parking.

15/04/2026

A new memorial to Norwegian and Swedish merchant seamen who died in the second World War has recently been erected in the upper cemetery by the Norwegian war graves organisation. (Section EG)

There are numerous other Scandinavian war graves and memorials in what we affectionally call the ‘Norwegian Corner’.

Many Norwegians settled in Cardiff over the years, with the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay being the most visible evidence of this. Probably the Norwegian community’s most famous son is Roald Dahl who was baptised there. His father Harald ’s first wife, Marie Dahl, is buried in the old cemetery (D 973).

10/04/2026

The bulbs we planted last November have come up a treat.

This is the memorial to those who bequeathed themselves to medical research. Next to the chapels in Cathays Cemetery.