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Rhiwbina (Welsh: Rhiwbeina or Rhiwbeuno - Rhiw slope + Beuno Saint Beuno) is a
prosperous northern suburb of Cardiff. It used to be a separate village, and its core is still locally called "the village" and given a Welsh village appearance by Beulah United Reformed Church on the village crossroads.
It is bordered by the suburbs of Whitchurch to the West, Llanishen to the East, and Birchgrove to the South. To the north is the Wenallt Hill, part of Cardiff's green belt. The area is served by Rhiwbina railway station on the Coryton Line
There is a Norman motte called the Twmpath situated near Rhiwbina's northernmost edge. To the north of Rhiwbina lies the steep, wooded Wenallt (229 metres) where Coed-y-Wenallt provides public open space. Rhiwbina Twmpath.
Towards the end of the 11th century, the last native Welsh Prince of Morgannwg (Glamorgan), Iestyn ap Gwrgant, was killed in a battle north of Rhiwbina, reportedly near the present day Butchers Arms Pub. Much blood was shed at the battle, and to this day the nearby stream is called Rhyd Waedlyd (Bloody Ford). Rhydwaedlyd was the title given to housing developments to Rhiwbina's east in the latter half of the 20th century. This area has since come to be considered part of Rhiwbina itself and the name 'Rhydwaedlyd' has fallen out of use entirely.
In the 1910s some streets were developed according to the ideals of the Garden city movement, including Pen-y-Dre, a half-mile-long railwayside avenue, which has the rare distinction of having two successive railway stations opening onto it. This area is still known as the Garden Village.
One of the central focal points in Rhiwbina began in the first half of the twentieth century as Rhiwbina Tea Gardens. Owned by the Smart family, this became Rhiwbina Motor Garages once it became clear that motor cars were going to be big business. The garage was a landmark of the local area for decades, including the area's first video rental outlet from the early 1980s. The retirement of Cliff Smart in 1989 led to the closure of the family business and the buildings were demolished. On its site now stands the road called Clos Yr Ardd - which translates as Gardens Close in tribute to the Tea Gardens. There are no gardens, or even much greenery left.
Rhiwbina village is small compared to nearby Whitchurch, Cardiff and Birchgrove, Cardiff, and consequently suffers from a lack of trade. In recent years Barclays Bank, Midos Computers, Gills Travel, LTP Tool Hire, Pollen Florist and Gift Shop, ServoWarm Heating, The Design House, 2 newsagents, The Principality Building Society, Blockbuster Video, The Post Office, Janets Pantry Bakery, Dreamcatcher Quilts, Roxys and The Curtain Agency have all ceased trading, some after many years in the village, others having just started up. However in recent years some businesses, mainly in the service sector, have managed to buck the trend and establish themselves in the area.
To the north of Rhiwbina is a parade of shops on Heol Llanishen Fach. These were built in the 1950s to serve the vast amounts of new middle class housing built in the north of the village. Though there are fewer shops here than in the village, they have traded far longer than most shops in the village, and shop closures are very rare. In the north of Rhiwbina there is also the Deri Stores, a family run shop on the corner of Wenallt Road and Rhiwbina Hill. This used to be a Cafe in the 1940s.
