Right then, gather round sci-fi nerds, Whovians, and anyone whoโs ever cried at a TV show like it personally betrayed them.
Because a proper bit of fan history in Wales is about to disappear.
After 17 years, the famous shrine dedicated to Ianto Jones from the sci-fi spin-off Torchwood is finally being removed from Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay.
And honestly, buttโฆ it feels like the end of an era.
๐ชฆ The Most Welsh Sci-Fi Shrine Ever Built
If youโve ever wandered around Cardiff looking for Torchwood filming spots (and letโs be honest โ thousands of fans have), you probably stumbled across the Ianto Jones memorial.
It started back in 2009, after one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire Doctor Who universe.
During the brutal storyline Torchwood: Children of Earth, fans watched Ianto meet a tragic endโฆ and the fandom absolutely lost it.
Cue an outpouring of grief.
Fans began leaving tributes down at Cardiff Bay:
๐น Flowers
๐ธ Photos
๐ Letters
๐ชช Torchwood badges
โ Even the odd teabag (because Ianto, obviously)
What started as a few small tributes turned into a full-blown shrine that lasted nearly two decades.
Not bad for a fictional character, mun.
๐ A Global Pilgrimage Spot For Whovians
The wild thing is just how big the shrine became.
Over the years, fans travelled from all over the world to visit Cardiff Bay just to see it.
Tourists from:
๐บ๐ธ America
๐ฉ๐ช Germany
๐ฆ๐บ Australia
๐ฏ๐ต Japan
โฆall stopping in Wales to pay tribute to a character from a cult sci-fi show.
Cardiff quietly became a pilgrimage site for Torchwood fans.
Proper lush, that.
โ ๏ธ So Why Is It Being Removed?
Sadly, the shrine has started showing its age.
After 17 years of Welsh wind, rain, and seaside weather, the memorial area has deteriorated and needs maintenance.
Local authorities have confirmed the shrine will now be removed for:
โข Safety reasons
โข Weather damage
โข Site maintenance
In other wordsโฆ time caught up with it.
Even Torchwood canโt fight Welsh coastal weather forever.
๐ Fans Are Gutted
For many fans, the shrine wasnโt just about a TV character.
It became a place that represented:
โจ One of the most emotional moments in modern sci-fi
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ LGBTQ+ representation in genre TV
๐ค A real sense of community among fans
And the fact it lasted 17 years tells you how powerful that connection was.
Thatโs longer than some bands stay together, mind.
๐ธ The Riff Report Verdict
Letโs be honestโฆ
Itโs mad in the best possible way that a fictional Welsh tea-making Torchwood employee ended up with a shrine that lasted nearly two decades.
But thatโs fandom for you.
Music fans build statues to guitar heroes.
Football fans worship club legends.
Sci-fi fans?
They build shrines in Cardiff Bay.
And honestlyโฆ
Thatโs proper rock โnโ roll behaviour if you ask us.
๐ One Thingโs For Sure
The shrine might disappearโฆ
โฆbut the legend of Ianto Jones isnโt going anywhere.
And somewhere in the Whoniverse, the Doctorโs probably smiling at the idea that fans cared enough to remember.
๐ค What do you think, Riff Report crew?
Did you ever visit the Ianto shrine in Cardiff Bay?
Drop your stories below โ letโs hear them, mun.
