Coal Exchange

Cardiff


This imposing but semiderelict building was once the nerve centre of the Welsh coal trade, and for a time the place where international coal prices were set. It was here in March 1908 that a coal merchant wrote the world's first-ever £1 million cheque. The building narrowly missed becoming the home of the Welsh government in 1979, and eventually fell into disrepair. In 2016, an ambitious £40 million restoration was announced, with plans to convert it into a luxury hotel.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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