Cardiff Bay Barrage
Cardiff Bay Barrage is a tidal barrage across the entrance of Cardiff Bay, completed in 1999 to create a freshwater lake of 200 hectares from what had previously been a tidal mudflat estuary. The barrage transformed the character of Cardiff Bay, enabling the extensive regeneration of the former docklands into a mixed residential, commercial and leisure waterfront that has become one of the most successful urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The barrage itself is approximately 1100 metres long, providing a pedestrian and cycling promenade with views over the bay and the historic Penarth Head. The transformation of Cardiff Bay attracted major cultural buildings including the Wales Millennium Centre and the Senedd as well as extensive residential development and visitor facilities, fundamentally changing the relationship between Cardiff and its waterfront.