The BBC Roath Lock production studios

Roath Lock^[1] is a television production facility in the Porth Teigr area of Cardiff Bay.

The studios house BBC drama productions including Doctor Who, Casualty and Pobol y Cwm. The centre topped out on 20 February 2011 and filming for such productions commenced in autumn of the same year.^[2]

The facility is located on a development site known as Porth Teigr, which includes a proposed 40,000sq ft digital media centre and an interactive exhibition titled Doctor Who Experience.^[3] The facility has 500 to 600 people working on site.^[4]

Design [edit]

The successful planning application sought permission for a 300m long, 20,000 square metre building housing studios and offices with a distinctive façade and repeating motifs. It will also have a gothic-style entrance inspired by some of William Burges’ designs at Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch. The planning application showed the building would face the National Assembly’s Tŷ Hywel building and the Atradius building across the water of Roath Basin.^[5]

Roath Lock

Construction [edit]

Roath Lock during construction

The 175,000 square foot of HD-ready studios were constructed and fitted out within 13 months, marking the quickest BBC build of its size ever.^[4]

A £2.5m bridge linking the drama village to Cardiff Bay has been lifted into place. The bridge was manufactured in nearby Newport from where it was broken down into 12 pieces to allow transportation to Cardiff Bay.

Production [edit]

The development has brought under one roof the production of shows formerly filmed in Cardiff's Broadcasting House, at Upper Boat Studios near Pontypridd, and in Bristol.^[5]

Programmes confirmed to be produced at the studios include:

• Doctor Who^[6]
• Casualty^[6]
• Pobol y Cwm^[6] (for S4C)
• Upstairs Downstairs^[7]
• Wizards vs Aliens^{[citation needed]}

After the studios, offices and external filming lots were fully fitted out, filming for Pobol y Cwm and Casualty began in autumn 2011. Doctor Who is to move to the 170,000 sq ft (15,800 sq m) site in 2012. The Sarah Jane Adventures was also scheduled to move to the facility in 2012, but future production of the series was halted in April 2011 due to the death of lead actress Elisabeth Sladen and will no longer continue.^[8] The village is part of the BBC's commitment to double television network production from Cardiff by 2016.^[6]

Surrounding development [edit]

Roath Basin (nearest), Roath Dock (above) with the channel to Queen Alexandra Dock (centre right).

Roath Basin is the largest single remaining undeveloped site in Cardiff Bay. It consists of approximately 27 acres and has an outline planning permission for 1,000 new homes and 100,000 sq m of commercial floor space. Igloo Regeneration, which is an investment fund managed by Aviva Investments, was selected by the Assembly Government as the Development Partner for the project.

Investment of £8.5 million is needed to provide a road connection through the site providing both private and public transport from Pierhead Street through to the Norwegian Church, where a new bridge will need to be constructed over the existing lock-entrance to the dock.

The project comprises two distinct, but inter-dependent, components; the regeneration of the currently derelict, former dock side land at Roath Basin would be commenced by Assembly Government investment into the site infrastructure, and the BBC Drama Village, which would total some 170,000 sq ft (16,000 m²) of television studios and ancillary accommodation, as well as a new office building, which could be operated as a "Digital Media Centre" where a range of BBC supply-chain companies and existing Welsh-based Creative Industry Sector businesses would be able to be accommodated.^[9]

Transport links [edit]

The Roath Lock Drama Village is served by the baycar (Cardiff Bus number 6) service operated by Cardiff Bus, running every 10 minutes to Cardiff Bay and the City Centre.

See also [edit]

	BBC portal
	Wales portal

• Broadcasting House (Cardiff)
• BBC Wales
• Media in Cardiff

References [edit]

1. ^ | BBC Wales drama village name unveiled as Roath Lock
2. ^ BBC News | BBC Wales Drama village's first phase completed
3. ^ Wales Online | Tiger Bay inspires name for BBC site
4. ^ ^{a b} Roath Lock official website
5. ^ ^{a b} Wales Online | BBC’s drama village would bring TV shows to Cardiff Bay
6. ^ ^{a b c d} BBC News | Work starts on BBC Wales drama village in Cardiff Bay
7. ^ WalesOnline | Cardiff Bay Drama Village ‘new home for Upstairs Downstairs’
8. ^ "The Sarah Jane Adventures, 04th May 2011". BBC website. 2011-05-04. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-04. 
9. ^ Welsh Assembly Government | Proposed BBC Drama Village at Media Capital, Roath Basin

External links [edit]

• Media related to Roath Lock at Wikimedia Commons
• Roath Lock Studios
• BBC Wales at BBC Online
• BBC Cymru at BBC Online

Links to related articles v t e BBC Television BBC UK channels BBC One (in Northern Ireland  Scotland  Wales) BBC Two (in Northern Ireland  Scotland  Wales) BBC Three BBC Four BBC News BBC Parliament CBBC CBeebies Joint ventures and international channels BBC Alba BBC America BBC Arabic Television BBC Canada BBC Entertainment BBC HD (international) BBC Kids BBC Knowledge (international) BBC Lifestyle BBC Persian Television BBC UKTV (Australia and New Zealand) BBC World News Community Channel UKTV (UK and Ireland) Services and programming blocks BBC Learning Zone BBC News BBC Schools BBC Sport BBC Weather CBBC CBeebies UK regions Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East and Cumbria North West Yorkshire Yorkshire and Lincolnshire West West Midlands East Midlands East London South West South South East Defunct channels BBC Choice (in Northern Ireland) BBC Food BBC HD (UK) BBC Japan BBC Knowledge (UK) BBC Prime BBC Select BBC TV Europe BBC World Service Television BBC 2W Category v t e Media in Cardiff Television and film production Aspect Television BBC Wales ITV Wales S4C Broadcasting House Cardiff BBC Roath Lock BAFTA Cymru Dragon International Film Studios Cube Interactive Hartswood Films Calon Cardiff Film Festival Television series Drama Doctor Who Torchwood The Sarah Jane Adventures Caerdydd Being Human Crash Merlin Sherlock Upstairs Downstairs Casualty Pobol y Cwm Comedy Gavin & Stacey Factual Hospital 24/7 Newyddion ITV News Wales CF99 Reality The Valleys Children's Superted Film Panic Button Flick Killer Elite Human Traffic Patagonia Skellig The Contractor Tiger Bay Press Western Mail South Wales Echo Echo Extra Y Dinesydd gair rhydd Buzz Metro Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Media Wales Radio BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Cymru Capital FM South Wales Nation Radio Gold Real Radio Xpress Radio Radio Cardiff Online WalesOnline CardiffOnline Pizzaman Category v t e Television in Wales Channels and services BBC Current BBC One Wales BBC Two Wales Defunct BBC 2W ITV Current ITV Wales Defunct WWN TWW ITSWW Harlech/HTV Other Current S4C Channel 5 Channel 4 Defunct S4C2 Places Broadcasting House Cardiff Roath Lock Wenvoe Transmitter Category v t e Media in the United Kingdom   Newspapers, magazines and other periodicals Newspapers (List) National Berliner The Guardian The Observer Broadsheet Financial Times The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph The Sunday Times Compact i The Independent, The Independent on Sunday The Times Middle-market Daily Express, Sunday Express Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday Tabloid Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror Morning Star The People Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday The Sun Sunday Sport Regional and local Local newspapers in England Regional newspapers in England Newspapers in Northern Ireland Newspapers in Scotland Newspapers in Wales Other resources Defunct newspapers Editors Fleet Street History Journalists Specialist newspapers List by circulation Magazines and other periodicals Arts magazines Business magazines Comics Defunct magazines Fashion magazines Literary magazines Political magazines Satirical magazines Science and technology magazines Women's magazines List of magazines by circulation   Radio National stations BBC Analogue/digital Radio 1 Radio 2 Radio 3 Radio 4 Radio 5 Live Digital Radio 1Xtra Radio 4 Extra Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Radio 6 Music Asian Network BBC National DAB (multiplex) Commercial Analogue/digital Absolute Radio Classic FM Talksport Digital Absolute 80s Absolute Radio 90s Absolute Radio Extra Amazing Radio BFBS Radio Digital One (multiplex) Jazz FM Planet Rock Premier Christian Radio Smooth Radio UK UCB UK Regional and local stations BBC List of BBC Local Radio stations List of BBC Regional Radio stations Commercial List of community radio stations List of local commercial radio stations List of semi-national analogue and digital stations Other stations List of hospital radio stations Pirate radio Restricted Service Licence List of RSL stations List of satellite radio stations List of student and schools radio Other Broadcasting companies Broadcasting House FM broadcasting MediaCityUK People Programmes Radio Academy Radio Independents Group RAJAR Sony Radio Academy Awards Most-listened-to programs   Television Principal channels (List) BBC BBC One BBC Two BBC Three BBC Four BBC News BBC Parliament CBBC CBeebies BSkyB Challenge Pick TV Sky1 Sky2 Sky 3D Sky Arts Sky Atlantic Sky Betting and Gaming Sky Living Sky Livingit Sky Movies Sky Movies Box Office Sky News Sky Sports Sky Sports F1 Sky Sports News Channel Four Channel 4 E4 Film4 More4 4seven Channel 5 Channel 5 5* 5USA ITV ITV, STV, UTV ITV2 ITV3 ITV4 CITV HD ITV HD, STV HD, UTV HD UKTV Alibi Blighty Dave Drama Eden Gold Good Food Home Really Watch Yesterday Services and platforms 4oD Film4oD Analogue Analogue terrestrial (defunct) BBC iPlayer blinkbox BT Vision Cable Demand 5 Digital Digital terrestrial List of channels Freesat Freesat+ Freeview Freeview+ Freewire High-definition List of channels ITV ITV Player, STV Player, UTV Player Local television Real Digital Restricted Service Licence Satellite List of channels Sky Freesat from Sky On Demand Sky+ Sky+ HD Smallworld Cable TalkTalk TV Top Up TV TVCatchup Virgin Media FilmFlex TiVo V+ YouView Zattoo Studios BBC Elstree Studios BBC Pacific Quay BBC Television Centre Broadcasting House Broadcasting House (Cardiff) The Fountain Studios The Leeds Studios The London Studios MediaCityUK Gas Street Studios Granada Studios Osterley Television Centre Roath Lock Teddington Studios Other Awards Defunct channels Edinburgh International Television Festival History List of years List of channels Production companies Programmes Student television Viewing statistics Most-watched broadcasts   Companies and organisations Companies Major companies Aegis Group Archant BBC Bloomsbury Publishing British Sky Broadcasting BT Group Channel Four Chrysalis Group Daily Mail and General Trust Economist Group EMAP EMI Music Publishing Endemol UK Global Radio Guardian Media Group Haymarket Informa IPC Media ITN ITV Johnston Press Mecom Group NI Group Newsquest Northern & Shell Pearson Press Holdings Reed Elsevier Reuters STV Group Syco TalkTalk Group Trinity Mirror UBM UTV Media Virgin Media Other resources Broadcasting companies Defunct media companies Publishing companies List of largest UK book publishers Record labels Government and regulatory bodies Advertising Standards Authority BBC Trust British Board of Film Classification British Film Institute Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ofcom Press Complaints Commission S4C Authority UK Film Council Industry and trades bodies British Academy of Film and Television Arts British Phonographic Industry Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union Clearcast Digital TV Group Digital UK Equity Federation Against Copyright Theft National Union of Journalists The Publishers Association Royal Television Society United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting Other BBC Academy National Film and Television School National Media Museum   Regional and student media Regional media Media in England Media in Birmingham Media in London Media in Manchester Media in Northern Ireland Media in Scotland Media in Aberdeen Media in Dundee Media in Glasgow Media in Wales Media in Cardiff Student media Student television Category Commons

Coordinates: 51°27′46″N 3°09′23″W / 51.4627°N 3.1565°W / 51.4627; -3.1565