History

The Cardiff and County Club was founded in 1866 and was opened in premises immediately adjacent to the Royal Hotel extending from a frontage on St Mary Street to a rear facade on Westgate Street. At that time the Club shared a kitchen with the Royal Hotel and indeed was commonly called the Hotel Club. It is said that two women cannot happily share a kitchen and it certainly proved to be the case that the kitchen shared between the Hotel and the Club was a matter of constant dispute. In 1873 the Club decided to move to other premises which were in fact immediately next door to the previous premises. The new building was designed for the Club and the Club moved into it in March 1876.

 The reasons for the next move are not entirely clear as the Club's records for the period have been destroyed. Contemporary press reports are inaccurate in that they refer to the Club as severing its connection with the Royal Hotel in 1890, an event which had of course taken place 14 years before. It is clear that the Club's third building in which it still remains is substantially larger than the second building and it is quite likely that there was a need for more space.The first Club building was taken over by the Royal Hotel of which it remains a part. The second building was sold to the Wilts and Dorset Banking Co which converted it into a bank which subsequently became a branch of Lloyds until that closed and the building is now again a club of a rather different type from that of the Cardiff and County!

The present building was opened in 1892 and is now listed as a historic building representative as it is of late Victorian opulence. The Club has always been patronised by both businesspeople and members of the professions. The first President was a Cardiff solicitor whose great grandson is currently a Trustee of the Club. Upon the demise of the Exchange Club which was located in Cardiff Docks many of the former members of that club joined the Cardiff and County Club which even previously had many shipping magnates as members.

The Club has necessarily had a close relationship with its immediate neighbour the Cardiff Arms Park and more recently Millennium Stadium and it continues to be true that the Club is never more fully used than on a Rugby International day. The Club has to some extent moved with the times. It remains a gentleman's Club but ladies are now welcome guests to the Club premises on all days of the week.