Barry Island Promenade

Barry (Welsh: Y Barri) is a town in Glamorgan in South Wales.

Barry has 'twinning agreements' with Fecamp in France, Mouscron in Belgium and Rheinfelden in Germany via the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Barry is a seaside resort town with sandy beaches at Whitmore Bay, Jackson Bay and the Old Harbour, and a (very long) pebble beach stretching from Knap Point past Porthkerry Park to Rhoose Point, the most Southern point in mainland Wales.

The main industry and employer in Barry is the Docks and several chemical companies, including DOW, Hexion, Zeon and Cabot Carbon.

Get in

By road

Barry has very good road links, the M4 is approximately 15 minutes away to junction 33 at Cardiff West via the A4232 to Culverhouse Cross, then the A4050 directly to Barry and the airport.

By bus

Barry is not on the National Coach network route, but Cardiff is only a short bus or train journey away for national and international coach travel.

By train

There is a regular train service to Cardiff Central station about 20 minutes journey with direct connections to the rest of the country and international connections. There is also the service which runs West to Bridgend, over the Porthkerry Park viaduct and Rhoose.

By air

1 Cardiff International Airport (CWL ^IATA) is the only major airport in Wales and is situated some 5 miles to the west of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan at Rhoose. The airport is served by a number of airlines which operates to domestic and foreign destinations. There are regular bus services to and from the town centre to the airport. You can also get to the airport using a rail service to Rhoose (Cardiff International Airport) railway station, then use a shuttle bus to the airport.

By sea

Although Barry has a large dock system, there are no passenger services into the port apart from the odd visit in the summer by the coastal day cruise vessels Balmoral and the Paddle steamer Waverley. There is talk of a ferry service to Minehead, in the West of England, which is less than 15 miles by sea and possibly less than 1 hours travel, but 3 hours travel by car.

See

• 1 Barry Castle (A ruin), Park Road. Free.  
• 2 Porthkerry Country Park. Country Park, with walks in woodland areas as well as being right on the beach. Stroll under the huge viaduct, have a round of pitch & putt golf, followed by an ice cream or cup of tea in the small cafe. Free entry.  
• 3 Barry Waterfront, Fford y Milleniwm. 24. A multi-million pound development. It is housing-based but with 'facilities planned' for entertainment and refreshments, but no booths for refreshments only a national chain supermarket plus other chains. Overlooking docks. Free.  
• 4 Cosmeston Country Park, Cosmeston. Country Park & Lakes, with a medieval village, near Penarth. Free.  
• St. Baruch's Church (A ruin), Friars Road, Barry Island. 24. Free. 
• 5 Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan, CF5 6SU (6 miles north of Barry), ☏ +44 2920 593328, dyffryn@nationaltrust.org.uk. Built for the Cardiff shipowner, John Cory in 1893. The gardens were designed by Thomas Manson for Reginald Cory and are one of the largest and best Edwardian gardens in Wales. All sections of the gardens are open to the public. Tearooms, toilets, and parking are provided and the gardens are open all year round.  
• Barry - Barry is the filming location and setting of the BBC Comedy, Gavin and Stacey. James Corden and Ruth James aren't the only celebs to have been filmed there. The late Elizabeth Sladen and the rest of the crew from Russel T. Davis' "Sarah-Jane Adventures" have also appeared in Barry. Many scenes from "Doctor Who" have also been filmed in Barry too. One of the most frequently seen places in Barry is Whitmore Bay, a long beach popular with local surfers in the summer, and all year round, those seeking entertainment in the Pavilion. Behind the pavilion, Barry Island can be found, home to the well-renowned but small Theme Park. Barry Island is a popular resort, with visitors of all kind, from thrill-seekers to hikers to surfers or just someone who wants a nice breakfast from a good-old greasy caf (although fine dining can be found along the promenade). Barry Town centre has little to it but some local, independent shops and restaurants.
• Dinosaur footprints - Barry also has another surprise! Dinosaur footprints can be seen on a rocky beach just round the corner from Whitmore Bay. A line of three-toed footprints can be found running from under the sea up to the fallen, mud-based cliff. The footprints are visible in a line, and are fossilized in the mud and clay-based red coloured rock.
• The Bendricks can be found just East of Barry by following signs to "HMS Cambria", and following a road round to a small industrial estate.
• 6 Tinkinswood (Castell Carreg, Llech-y-Filiast, Maes-y-Filiast). megalithic burial chamber (updated Jun 2017)

Do

• Rhoose Flying School, Rhoose Road, Rhoose. Flights over the Vale by light aircraft or helicopter. 

Buy

Visit High Street (at the West End of town) where you have a variety of outlets from high end clothing to charity shops, as well as gift shops, tea shops, bars & restaurants etc. etc.

Visit Cardiff for things to buy. Nearing completion is the St. Davids Centre 2, a retail shopping arcade (Mall); built at a cost of over £600 million.

Eat

• Streets Brasserie, 4 Broad Street, ☏ +44 1446 721440. Grill Bar. Eat in. ££. 
• Casa Paco, 1 Broad Street, ☏ +44 1446 732009. Mediterranean. Eat in. ££. 
• Shahi Noor Tandoori, 87 High Street, ☏ +44 1446 732338. Indian. Eat in or to go. ££. 
• De Gennaro, 71 High Street, ☏ +44 1446 732557. Italian. Eat in or to go. ££. 
• Giuliano's, 1 The Parade, ☏ +44 1446 733340. Italian. Eat in. ££. 
• Hedley's, 3/4 Bron y Mor, ☏ +44 1446 733398. Mediterranean ££. 

Drink

• Barry Dock Conservative Club, 17 Station Street. 'Workingmens' Social Club. £. 
• Scarlets, Broad Street. 'Wine Bar'. £££. 
• The Old College Inn, Butrills Road, ☏ +44 1446 700580. Pub. ££. 
• Colcot Arms, Colcot Road, ☏ +44 1446 700664. Pub. ££. 

Sleep

• Aberthaw House Hotel, 28 Porthkerry Road, ☏ +44 1446 737314. A small guest house with 'Whispers' restaurant attached. ££. 
• Best Western Mount Sorrel Hotel, Porthkerry Road, ☏ +44 1446 740069. £££. 
• Egerton Gray House Hotel, Porthkerry, ☏ +44 1446 711666. A luxury mansion set in land close to Porthkerry Park and the airport. Splurge. 
• The Olives Court Guest House, 2 Port Road East, ☏ +44 1446 730891. ££. 
• Cwm Ciddy (Toby Inn), Port Road, West. Motel with pub attached serving bar meals and carvery. ££. 

Connect

Tourist Information Centre, The Promenade, Friars Road, Barry Island. 01446 747171 (Summer only).

Go next

Visit Cardiff the Capital City of Wales - 8 miles to the east of Barry with easy connection by public transport using bus or train.

Visit Cowbridge - a small market town, 10 miles west of Barry.

Visit Penarth - a small coastal Victorian town, 5 miles east of Barry.