Day 7: Barry to Porthkerry

Miles: 6 (RT: 68)

Falafel: 0 (RT: 17)

We took the train into Barry to start today's journey.

Leaving Barry Station gave me a better view of the Pump House. Apparently, the restaurant that it houses - Hangfire - is very good. Wonder if they have many vegan options?

After the Pump House, it all went a bit Pete Tong. As part of the Barry Dock regeneration, there are new houses being build along the dock and this meant that the CP strayed away from the dock and back out again. After a few attempts to walk through building sites, we found ourselves at Barry Pleasure Park...

The pleasure park developed after an railway extension ("through a boxed in tunnel on a 250 yard long pier structure" according to Wikipedia, can you get your head around that?). In it's early days, the pleasure park consisted of carousels and swing boats, and then later a scenic railway which has an interesting story in which, it was originally built in Yarmouth as part of an exhibition then shipped to Belgium, and finally to Barry Island. The iconic log flume was built in the 1980's using timber from the historic railway after the railway ride was damaged in a gale. The rides in the park have always looked ropey as hell to me!

I thought i'd seen the last of you Flatholm! Here you can see the lighthouse at Jackson Bay.

A better view of the lighthouse which just allows you to make out the railway tracks leading up to it. It's clear that rail is a big part of Barry's history and was instrumental in opening it up as both a site of industry and leisure. Light touch research suggests to me that the tracks here would have been to move a crane up and down the breakwater in order to move cargo.

Here we are approaching Barry Island via Nell's Point. Nell's point is a National Coastwatch outlook point. I am not exactly sure who Nell is, but she has a great point.

We are passing the site of the old Barry Butlin's. Opened in 1966 and closed in 1996. Some images of BB in it's heyday can be found here: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/gallery/butlins-barry-glorious-heyday-8186203. It is clear though, that good clean family fun was had by all. I wonder if there were any Dirty Dancing moments in the clear waters below?

Why is it called Barry Island when it's not an island you might be asking? Well according to kiddle.co's facts about Barry for kids, it was an Island until the development of Barry dock which linked the island up to the mainland thanks to our friend David Davies. The story of Barry seems to be one of working hard and playing hard, which is highlighted by the fact that the leisure aspect of Barry Island seemed to kick off on August Bank Holiday, 1896. I'm picturing dock workers and their families with their pay in their pockets flocking to the island to get the most out of the bank holiday.

Today is quite overcast and obviously lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19 still loom over people, but the island still has plenty of visitors with some even braving the water. This just goes to show that BI is still a popular day out with the people of South Wales.

We leave Barry Island and approach Friar's Point. This area is actually called Whitmore Bay but it will always be Barry Island to me.

This beach looks inviting and a quiet and tranquil alternative to Barry Island next door. but the tide comes right in so it is only accessible at low tide.

Returning from Frair's Point allows us to take in the whole of Whitmore Bay. Whitmore, I can't get used to it. It sounds far too English to me!

This pleasant looking beach then leads round into Barry Harbour and past the car park which my mum used to favour when bringing us the Barry Island when we were kids. This would the the symbol of a day at the beach for me...

The harbour isn't looking to good today though as the tide is out. Abandoned boats look lonely and haunted in the muddy looking flats without even that many seagulls for company.

We leave the spooky harbour behind and come towards Cold Knap and it's pebbly beach. Cold Knap used to be the site of an outdoor lido (which would have been bloody cold for most of the year, so maybe that's where the area gets its name!). Despite an enthusiastic Facebook group, the lido has not been reestablished and only the swans on Cold Knap marine lake are enjoying an inland swim today.

We are then faced with a bit of a climb up to Cliff Woods which gives a nice backwards view of Cold Knapp.

And takes us under the Rhoose Aiport flight path.

Through Cliff Woods and we are taken down a formidable staircase in the woods (which sadly I didn't get a picture of) but which my nan (who is Barry born and bred) tells us are known as the Golden Steps. Apparently her father knew exactly how many steps there were.

Just out of the woods is the impressive Porthkerry Viaduct, designed to link up Barry Docks to Bridgend and carry coal from the valleys on it's all important journey to the sea.

Construction on the viaduct started in 1894 but it was plagued by issues such as settlement (distortion) and sinkage.

The viaduct provides the backdrop to Porthkerry Park which seems to be a wonderful place for a day out as long as you keep an eye out for the locals...

Yikes! My grandad did warn me about adders in the Vale of Glamorgan, but he didn't have his teeth in so I thought he was worried about careless painters and decorators.