Visit Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Places

Welcome to Visit Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

  

Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

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Barry, Vale of Glamorgan history

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Early history

Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age microlith flint tools have been found at Friars Point on Barry Island and near Wenvoe. Neolithic or New Stone Age polished stone axe-heads were discovered in St. Andrews Major. In Roman times farmsteads existed on the site of Barry Castle and Biglis. Vikings launched raids in the area and Barry Island was known to be a raider base in 1087.

Medieval Barry

Barry derives its name from St. Baruc whose remains are deposited in a chapel on the island. The main feature of the area at this time was the island in the Bristol Channel, separated from the mainland by a tidal estuary. Barry Castle was a small fortified manor house, built to replace an earlier earthwork. By now Barry had grown into a village and port with its own church and watermill.

Industrial history

By 1871 the population of Barry was over 100, with 21 buildings. It grew when it was developed as a coal port in the 1880s. The port was crowded with ships and had flourishing ship repair yards, cold stores, flour mills and an ice factory. By 1913, Barry was the world’s largest coal exporting port.

Barry Scrapyard

Dai Woodham owned the Woodham Brothers Scrap yard in Barry Docks. He allowed rail preservation organisations to buy back the locomotives at the scrap value. Many were vandalised or looted by souvenir hunters during storage.

Barry, Vale of Glamorgan etymology

The origin of the town’s name is disputed. It may derive from the sixth-century Saint Baruc who was buried on Barry Island. Alternatively, the name may have been Welsh bar, meaning “hill, summit”

You can visit Barry, Vale of Glamorgan places with Walkfo Barry, Vale of Glamorgan to hear history at Barry, Vale of Glamorgan’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Barry, Vale of Glamorgan has 47 places to visit in our interactive Barry, Vale of Glamorgan map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Barry, Vale of Glamorgan places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Barry, Vale of Glamorgan & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 47 audio facts unique to Barry, Vale of Glamorgan places in an interactive Barry, Vale of Glamorgan map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Barry, Vale of Glamorgan Places Map
47 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Barry, Vale of Glamorgan historic spots	Barry, Vale of Glamorgan tourist destinations	Barry, Vale of Glamorgan plaques	Barry, Vale of Glamorgan geographic features
Walkfo Barry, Vale of Glamorgan tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

  

Best Barry, Vale of Glamorgan places to visit

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Barry, Vale of Glamorgan has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Barry, Vale of Glamorgan’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Barry, Vale of Glamorgan’s information audio spots:

Barry Island Barry Island (Welsh: Ynys y Barri) is a district, peninsula and seaside resort. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. The peninsula was an island until the 1880s when it was linked to the mainland. It was used as a setting of the BBC TV shows Gavin & Stacey and Being Human.

Barry Island Pleasure Park Barry Island Pleasure Park is situated on the coast at Barry Island in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 10 mi (16 km) south west of the capital city Cardiff, Wales. The park was once famous for its Scenic Railway which dominated half of the site in the mid-20th century, but was partially destroyed in a gale in 1973 before being dismantled.

Colcot Dyfan ward is situated in the north west of Barry and its most northern edge is on the green belt of the town. It also contains the Colcot Arms pub, the St David’s Methodist Church, Coastlands Family Church, a fish and chip shop/Chinese takeaway, Barry Arts Centre and Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery.

Gibbonsdown Gibbonsdown, colloquially known as ‘Gibby’, is a residential area and electoral ward situated in the north east of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It borders Merthyr Dyfan to the northwest and Cadoxton to the southeast.

Cadoxton Court Dovecote Cadoxton Court Dovecote is a medieval structure dating from the 13th century. It is the largest of the remaining medieval dovecotes in the Vale and a Grade I listed building.

Cadoxton, Vale of Glamorgan Cadoxton is a district of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It was once originally its own village, separate from Barry. It grew up around Saint Cadoc’s parish church, which survives.

St. Andrews Major St. Andrew’s Major (Welsh: Saint Andras) is a village and parish in the community of Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan, south-eastern Wales.

Sully Hospital Sully Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It has since been converted into luxury apartments and remains a Grade II* listed building.

Wenvoe Castle Wenvoe Castle was a castle and country estate in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Goldsland lies on its western boundary.

Visit Barry, Vale of Glamorgan plaques