Victorian Butetown, immediately north of Mermaid Quay, was the heart of Cardiff's coal trade – a multiethnic community that propelled the city to world fame. The semi-derelict Coal Exchange building was 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. It now houses a function and performance venue, but large parts of the building are boarded up.
