Dominions Arcade

Cardiff is known for its shopping arcades. Or at least that’s what fellow Cardiff residents tell each other Cardiff is famous for. I imagine most people outside of the UK have no idea who or what Cardiff is. These vague ramblings aside, the arcades of Cardiff are part of the city centre’s identity. Dominion’s Arcade doesn’t exactly reflect this identity overly well, but it is part of it nonetheless.
Down this arcade you can get a new set of keys and a baguette, but that’s about it. That’s not to detract from it, there’ hardly the room to jam it full of shops. I’d say maybe use this arcade as a ‘taster’ before heading off to the big guns in the shape of Morgan, High Street, and Castle Arcade at the other end of town.

Sadly, Dominions isn’t really one of the better arcades in town — it’s more like a tunnel where you can avoid a downpour if you’re sans umbrella rather than a major shopping haunt.
I don’t normally associate Dominions with anything other than the cavity where the Echo man stands and sells newspapers. That’s not to say the businesses trading out of there aren’t worth visiting, it’s just that Dominions lacks the majesty and elegance of other city arcades like Castle et al.
With only a few quality shops check out, the aptly-​named Sandwiched in the City, The Card Shop, and PPM Locksmith, Dominions isn’t really a prime choice if you’re looking for a charming and bustling arcade for an afternoon of browsing.
Oh yeah, there’s also a side opening to Lloyd’s TSB if you’re looking for a shortcut to the customer service area of the branch.

In a city that’s home to so many wonderful, historic arcades, sadly Dominions just doesn’t quite make the grade.
Located just off the pedestrianised shopping area along Queen Street, Dominions is a bit too dark, leads nowhere of any great interest, and is just a bit too easily forgotten.
It’s home to a lunchtime café called Sandwiched in the City which draws in a few punters during peak lunch hours, but it offers little in the way of shops. If you want to see Cardiff’s prettiest arcades, head to Castle and High Street Arcades near the castle end of town, or Royal and Morgan Arcades near the Hayes area.

This is a sad example of an arcade in Cardiff city centre. There are only a few shops inside, and it’s dark and gloomy enough to keep it quiet at most times. It’s not really very tempting to poke your nose inside.
I once went to the Friary behind it quite a bit, and so used it as a cut through. And the amount of times I slipped on the wet floor when it was raining outside, cannot be counted. On flat ground it might have been okay, but there is a slight slope in the ground of this arcade which gets me every time. And others too (my friends around the room are nodding solemnly). It’s like walking around on soap suds.
It’s sad, because so many of Cardiff’s other arcades are lovely, I’m just not quite sure how this one managed to remain. It’s from an era of the ABC cinema and C&A clothes stores. Anyone else remember them?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one day close its gates and be used for something else instead.