Cathays Park judges Cathays Park to be "the finest civic centre in the British Isles". The area falls within the Cathays electoral ward. Cathays Park was formerly part of Cardiff Castle grounds. The present day character of the area owes much to successive holders of the title the Marquess of Bute, and especially the 3rd Marquess of Bute, an extremely successful and wealthy businessman. They acquired much of the lands in Cathays through investment and by inheritance through a marriage to Charlotte Windsor in 1766. In 1898, the local council bought of land from the 3rd Marquess of Bute to erect a
Fairwater, Double Bay living of the upper middle classes which has now largely vanished. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. "Fairwater" has research value as a rare example of a large Victorian/Edwardian domestic residence and grounds, which retain a high degree of integrity in both its individual components and planning. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The association between "Fairwater" and the Fairfax family in view of the longevity of ownership and occupation by