Tell me about Barry
Nestling on the coast just 10 miles from Cardiff City centre, Barry has a rich maritime history. A vibrant seaside resort you will find amusements, cafes, parks and family-friendly beaches. If you want a more natural feel to your Sunday morning post-dance stretch, Jackson's Bay is a pleasant sandy cove backed by cliffs and plenty of greenery, a 5-minute walk over the headland from Barry Island Beach. The town is on the Glamorgan heritage coastal path, famous for its spectacular limestone cliffs.
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New to Barry is GoodSheds. It is the first "sustainable urban High Street" and is a mixture of the best independent food, drink and boutique retail.
If you were to fly into Cardiff Airport on a clear day you would see the words YNYS Y BARRI BARRY ISLAND along the Eastern Promenade. It is only 15 minutes from the airport.
Barry is famous as the home of a number of BBC programs and will always be associated with the TV hit Gavin and Stacey . In fact, the neighbouring coastal town of Penarth was also used to provide the Essex locations for the series filming. You can take Dave's tour bus to the locations, it is recommended to book in advance. Being Human was also filmed here so look your best, you never know who is watching. One of the longest-running dramas that often film in the area is Casualty. A Ceroc dance teacher can often be seen walking around the wards...keep your eyes peeled and you may spot him!
There was a time when Barry was the largest coal exporting port in the UK. This was down to the south Wales coal trade. As a result of the scale of money, it led to many grand social club buildings being provided for the workers. I believe this is a reason why there are some lovely dance hall locations in the area such as our beautiful dance locations the Memorial Hall and the Lysaght Institute (FLAVA on Sunday). Another key industry was Geest Bananas until the late 80's. It was possible to take a cruise to the West Indies as a passenger, although lacking in entertainment this was an opulent experience! I imagine Banana Daiquiri's were the order of the day.
It is also a source of fascination to anyone with an interest in archaeology with two islands in the estuary having Viking names (Steep and Flat Holm) and remains of a Norman castle. There was also an iron age fort and flints from the Mesolithic period found here. Click on the pictures to reach related websites on Barry.