People’s lives in Gwaelod-y-Garth have changed forever but the spirit of the community offers hope
06:00, 01 Aug 2026Updated 07:23, 01 Aug 2026
Residents in Gwaelod-y-Garth are only just starting to pick up the pieces after their lives were turned upside down this week(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
Devastation is a word I have seen and used many times but trudging through the homes affected by flooding in Gwaelod-y-Garth was the first time I had experienced it first hand.
I visited the street within the Cardiff village where homeowners spoke of the moment their houses shook, rocks cascaded down the hill and water forced its way into properties, destroying family homes in the process. A total of 15 houses, mostly along Heol Berry, were affected by the flooding caused by an explosion at the nearby Breedon Group quarry.
Road closures have been put in place making it almost impossible to get through to the village, with many residents having to park in a nearby industrial estate as they can’t access the road to their homes. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
Passing the blockade on foot I immediately knew I was in the right place with huge piles of rocks and thick mud layered across the roads next to an abundance of Cardiff council workers, police and others starting a monumental clean-up operation.
This quiet village is now unrecognisable (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
Before heading to the homes destroyed by the incident I walked to the sports field adjacent to Heol Berry where flood water and rocks rushed through before crashing into the rear of people’s homes.
Walking along the field which was caked in mud, the rocks scattered around the grass left me shocked and I felt an immediate relief that there weren’t any children playing on the surface at the time of the explosion at around 2pm on Thursday afternoon.
A sunny afternoon in the school holidays means it is pure luck that nobody was hurt.
What should have been a dream start to the school summer holidays has turned into a disaster for residents (Image: John Myers)
As I walked from the field, confusion hit me as gardens and houses were in pristine condition, the only evidence of flooding being the mud driven through the road by cars. That was until I turned the corner onto the street destroyed by the aftermath of the quarry explosion.
Front doors were wide open and neighbours were out talking in their front gardens. Normally, neighbours bringing each other tea and biscuits would portray a happy occasion, but no one was celebrating here.
Ruined belongings tossed aside in a garden (Image: John Myers)
Doors were open as children’s toys, furniture, carpets and precious possessions covered in mud were thrown from homes onto gardens full of damaged items.
A teddy bear, squashed and drenched in mud looked up at me from the garden of a family who were supposed to be enjoying their holiday while grandparents shovelled debris from their home.
Attempting to clean her son’s home, one woman showed me the devastation her family’s house was left in as she said: “I feel helpless, I don’t know what to do. It’s devastating, I’m heartbroken for them.
“I was absolutely amazed by the rubble that the water brought down. If children were on the field it would have caused fatalities.”
The clean-up will continue for some time (Image: John Myers)
Speaking to many of the neighbours along Heol Berry the upset and anguish was tangible, with people in tears and lumps in their throats as they spoke of not knowing what to do.
Thirteen households were evacuated by the fire service on Thursday afternoon, with Cardiff Council arranging accommodation for one family overnight with another being supported on Friday.
Margaret and Keith Beynon of Heol Berry were out shopping at the time of the explosion when they received a text from friends telling them to get back home.
They said: “We were out shopping and neighbours said get back home quick. We couldn’t get back into our home as police had blocked off the road so we were only allowed back home on Friday morning and we had to spend the night at our son’s.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and money on our garden and it’s gone now. We feel helpless.”
One resident had multiple exotic pet birds but sadly many died as the debris hit her back garden on Thursday. In the disaster one lovebird escaped, frightened.
As I walked along the street I could hear a unique tweet coming from the roof of one of the homes and I looked up to see a small yellow and orange bird singing, with neighbours crowded around to coax it home.
Neighbours tried to coax an escaped pet bird down from a rooftop during the aftermath of the flooding(Image: John Myers)
I stood with neighbours and PCSO officers as they attempted to bring a small piece of joy to a woman whose home was destroyed by rescuing one of her pet birds. There was genuine emotion and tears in people’s eyes as they managed to get the small bird back home and into its cage.
Amongst the solemn atmosphere in Gwaelod-y-Garth there was a strong sense of community spirit as people who had lived next door to each other for decades or just a matter of months rallied together in a heartfelt show of support. Neighbours dropped off flasks of tea and offered a helping hand to anyone that needed it.
When disaster strikes it is those around you that you look to for comfort in uncertain times. Of all the devastation these families have faced over the past two days, I am glad that they at least have each other and a supportive community around them.
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