The Barracks at Maindy, some two miles to the north of Cardiff city centre, were opened in 1876 and soon afterwards the military authorities laid out a sports field to the west of the camp so that the military personnel could partake in healthy recreation. The field though was not restricted to just the soldiers and by the 1890s the Field was also being used by several of the cricket teams from the expanding suburbs of Roath and Cathays. In August 1891 it also hosted the final of the South Wales Baseball Challenge Shield as Grangetown met Newport.
The Barracks were the home from 1881 until 1960 of the Welch Regiment, with the Field being used for the Regiment’s matches which included an annual cricket week during August. In August 1945 it was used for a one day game between a Glamorgan Past XI and a Glamorgan Future XI. At the time, both Cardiff Arms Park and the St. Helen`s ground in Swansea were unavailable, so when the military authorities offered the use of the Barracks Field for the game, the Glamorgan committee accepted their offer.
In subsequent years, the Barracks ground hosted the two day friendly against the RAF. in August 1949, as well as various 2nd XI matches, plus Club and Ground games. During the 1950s, Cardiff started to rapidly expand in a northerly direction, and with the end of National Service, the Barracks contracted. The land at Maindy became attractive for development and parts were sold off during the 1960s and 1970s for recreational and building purposes. Indeed, in 1966 the cricket field was sold and is now the site of Companies House.