MEMBERS of Penarth Probus Club held a recent talk.

So, who exactly were the Pettigrews? According to this weeks speaker, Rosie James principal landscape officer of Cardiff Parks and Sports Services, they were a Scottish family who transformed the parks and gardens of Cardiff.

Andrew Pettigrew, 1833-1903, was born in Ayrshire, South West Scotland, the son of a shoemaker into a very humble background. At the age of 12 he started as a garden boy at Craigie House, Scotland, and worked in the gardens of grand houses in Scotland learning his trade, rarely staying in a post for more than two years.

He then moved South and worked in the Gloucestershire and London areas, before taking up post as head gardener at Richings Park, Bucks, at the age of 29. He remained there for four years before moving back north of the border in 1866 to work at Dumfries House, home of the third Marquis of Bute.

At the request of the Marquis of Bute he moved to Cardiff in 1873 and and was given a blank canvas to transform the deer park of Cardiff Castle. His main achievement was the creation of the very muted, very peaceful back garden of the Castle with avenues of trees and extensive walks, which we now know as Bute Park.

He also created Sophia Gardens which was to be a privately owned park with public access. His projects also included Victoria Park, Canton which include an ornamental lake where Billy the Seal lived from 1912-39, and Grange Gardens.

The gardens of Cardiff Castle were productive in fruit and vegetables which were transported by train to the home of the Bute family in Scotland. During the time of this magical creation Andrew’s three sons worked on the project and the family lived in the Gardeners residence at No 2 North Road.

In 1891 Andrew’s eldest son William Wallace Pettigrew was appointed superintendent of the Public Park and Open spaces of Cardiff, charged with the duty of creating what we now know as Roath Park. Visitors are often puzzled as to why Roath Park is so far from Roath. This was because the committee set up to decide on the location of open parkland for the residents of Roath, which was known as Roath Park Committee, and the venue would be known as Roath Park wherever in the City it was built.

The creation of Roath Park was certainly a feather in his cap, and when in 1915 he left to take up the post of chief parks officer at Manchester Corporation it was with the well wishes of the City of Cardiff for all the work he had done. Hugh Allan Pettigrew, 1871-1947, the second son worked at Hewell Grange, Worcestershire, the seat of the Plymouth family, having travelled extensively abroad, and took up post at St Fagans Castle, and was responsible for the creation of the terraced gardens there.

He retired in 1935 to France and met his demise there when he was run over. Andrew Alexander Pettigrew, the youngest son, took up post in 1915 as the chief parks officer, Cardiff, on the departure of his brother to Manchester and in a way made the most valuable contribution to the Pettigrew family because during his 21 years in post he wrote a meticulous record of “The Public Parks and Recreation Grounds of Cardiff” which to this day remains prime authority of Cardiff parks and open spaces.

Both Andrews, father and son are buried at Cathays cemetery. We have much to thank this humble Scottish family for their giant contribution to the beautiful city of Cardiff.