Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barry
Welsh: Y Barri
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan (United Kingdom)
Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

Barry shown within the United Kingdom
Population 50,661
OS grid reference ST119682
 - Cardiff 9.9m
 - London 164.1m
Principal area Vale of Glamorgan
Ceremonial county South Glamorgan
Constituent country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BARRY
Postcode district CF62–63
Dialling code 01446
Police South Wales
Fire South Wales
Ambulance Welsh
European Parliament Wales
UK Parliament Vale of Glamorgan
Welsh Assembly Vale of Glamorgan
List of places: UK • Wales • Vale of Glamorgan

Coordinates: 51°24′23″N 3°16′00″W / 51.4064, -3.2667

Barry (Welsh: Y Barri) 51°24′23″N, 03°16′00″W is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles (11 kilometers) SSW of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a popular seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park. Once a small village, Barry has absorbed its larger neighbouring villages of Cadoxton and Barry Island, which are now parishes within Barry.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

The area now occupied by Barry has seen human activity in every period of history. Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age microlith flint tools have been found at Friars Point on Barry Island and near Wenvoe[1] and Neolithic or New Stone Age polished stone axe-heads were discovered in St. Andrews Major.[2] A cinerary urn (pottery urn buried with cremation ashes) was found on Barry Island during excavations of Bronze Age barrows[3] [4] and two more were found in a barrow at Cold Knap Point.[5] A large defended enclosure or Iron Age promontory hillfort was located at the Bulwarks at Porthkerry[6] and there was evidence of the existence of an early Iron Age farmstead during construction of Barry College off Colcot Road.[7]

In Roman times farmsteads existed on the site of Barry Castle and Biglis and there were verbal reports of discovery of a cemetery including lead coffins with scallop-shell decoration. Both St. Baruc's Chapel and St. Nicholas Church have re-used Roman bricks and tiles incorpoarated in their building fabric[8] and a Roman villa was discovered in Llandough.[9] In 1980 a Roman building consisting of 22 rooms and cellars in four ranges around a central courtyard was excavated at Glan-y-môr and is believed to be a third century building associated with naval activity, maybe a supply depot.[10]

The Vikings launched raids in the area and Barry Island was known to be a raider base in 1087.[11] Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands in the Bristol Channel have their name Holm name derived from a Scandinavian word for an island in an estuary. The excavation of the Glan-y-môr site revealed the site had been reused in the 6th and 7th century and also between AD 830 and 950 as a dry stone sub-rectangular building with a turf or thatched roof.[8]

Barry Castle
Barry Castle

[edit] Medieval Barry

The main feature of the area at this time was the island in the Bristol Channel, separated from the mainland by a tidal estuary. It is described in Giraldus Cambrensis or Gerald of Wales' Itinerarium Cambriae ("Journey through Wales", 1191). He states that Barry derives its name from St. Baruc whose remains are deposited in a chapel on the island. The local noble family who owned the island and the adjoining estates took the name of de Barri from the island.[12]

Following the Norman conquest of England the area was divided into manors with the Barry area split into two large lordships, Penmark and Dinas Powys. Penmark was split into the sub-manors of Fonmon, West Penmark and Barry. Dinas Powys was split into the sub-manors of Cadoxton and Uchelolau (Highlight).[13] The sub-manor of Barry was granted by the de Umfraville family to the de Barri family and the seat of the manor was Barry Castle, located on high ground overlooking the Bristol Channel, a site occupied in Roman times by a native homestead.[14] The castle was a small fortified manor house, built to replace an earlier earthwork. By the late 13th century the castle had two stone buildings on the east and west sides of a courtyard. Early in the 14th century the castle was strengthened by the addition of a large hall and gatehouse on its south side, the ruins of which are all that survive today. [15] By now Barry had grown into a village and port with its own church and watermill but in the 14th century its population was decimated by the Black Death and the consequences of the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr.[16] It took the population some 300 years to recover and once more hold the title of village, essentially a sparsely populated area with a few scattered farms and much of the land a marsh that a small river flowed through.[17] By 1622 the pattern of fields, where enclosure was almost complete, around Barry village was pretty much as it was to remain until the growth of the modern town. According to the 1673 Hearth-Tax list the parish contained thirteen houses.

Panorama of Porthkerry Park with view of the Porthkerry viaduct
Panorama of Porthkerry Park with view of the Porthkerry viaduct

[edit] Industrial history

Barry Waterfront, Vale of Glamorgan- July 2007
Barry Waterfront, Vale of Glamorgan- July 2007

By 1871 the population of Barry was over the 100 mark there being 21 buildings, the new estate-owning Romilly family being involved in the build up of the village but it remained a largely agricultural community.[18][8] It grew when it was developed as a coal port in the 1880s. The coal trade was growing faster than the facilities at Cardiff in Tiger Bay ever could and so a group of colliery owners formed the Barry Railway Company and chose to build the docks at Barry. Work commenced in 1884 and the first dock basin was opened in 1889 to be followed by two other docks and extensive port installations. The Barry Railway brought coal down from the South Wales Valleys to the new docks whose trade grew from one million tons in the first year, to over nine million tons by 1903. 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 largest coal exporting port in the world.

Behind the docks rose the terraced houses of Barry which, with Cadoxton, soon formed a sizeable town. The railways which had played a major part in the development of the dock did a great deal, too, to make Barry Island a popular resort.

Following the rise of diesel and electric power on the UK's railways, the marshalling yards at Barry Docks became the largest repository of steam engines awaiting scrapping in the UK. Eventaully a significant proportion of the engines were saved by rail preservation organisations, although many were vanmdalised or looted by souvenir hunters.

During its industrial peak a number of ships sunk off the Barry coast.

[edit] Modern times

Barry Council Office and Library, King's Square, Barry
Barry Council Office and Library, King's Square, Barry

Barry is currently home to roughly 50,000 people. It is the administrative centre of the Vale of Glamorgan, and home to Barry Town F.C..

The road from Bonvilston was originally the B4266, as only Pontypridd Road within the town still is, and the road from Highlight Park right through the Vale to Bridgend was the B4265, as beyond the airport it still is. Since the 1970s, parts of these roads are numbered A4226, with the result that the A4226 radiates from Weycock Cross roundabout in three directions.

The town is often associated with Woodhams' Scrapyard, a business that helped over 200 historic steam locomotives survive into preservation.

Although still a port, Barry is more important now as a manufacturing town and as a service centre for the Vale of Glamorgan. Barry Docks and the adjoining industrial area form the largest employment centre in the town. The docks, whose road links were dramatically improved with the opening of the Docks Link Road in 1981, now have direct road access with the M4 motorway. The docks can handle vessels up to 23,000 tons and the first-class tidal position close to the deep-water channel of the Severn Estuary, allows for regular scheduled sailings. With its extensive transit sheds, warehouses and open storage, the docks are well equipped to handle bulk cargoes for which the batteries of high capacity grab cranes are invaluable. Two roll on/roll off berths are available and have been extensively used by routes to Ireland and West Africa. These and the other port facilities have seen an increasing variety of traffic in recent years. The town is famous for its working class roots and background and has a thriving town council which is controlled by the Labour Party.

The viaduct at Porthkerry Park was once crossed many times daily by rail transporting coal down from the Welsh valleys
The viaduct at Porthkerry Park was once crossed many times daily by rail transporting coal down from the Welsh valleys

The great majority of industrial firms are located in the dock area. By far the largest are the chemical producing concerns such as Cabot Carbon and Dow Corning who have just completed the development of the largest silicones plant in Europe. Other main employers in Barry Docks are Jewson Builders' Merchants, Western Welding and Engineering, Bumnelly, Rank Hovis and, of course, Associated British Ports Holdings who, since 1982 have run the docks as successors of the British Transport Docks Board.

To the west of Barry is Porthkerry Park. This is a large area of open space, with woodlands, streams, a few modern attractions and access to a pebbly beach. In the park is the Barry Railway Company viaduct with 13 arched spans standing 110 ft high. The Barry Railway reopened in September 2006 and provides a scenic view and link to towns such as Llantwit Major.

[edit] Barry Island

Main article: Barry Island
The Evolution ride, one of many at Barry Island Pleasure Park.
The Evolution ride, one of many at Barry Island Pleasure Park.

The Barry Island peninsula was an island until the 1880s when it was linked to the mainland as the town of Barry expanded. This was partly due to the opening of Barry Dock by the Barry Railway Company. Established by David Davies, the docks now link up the gap which used to form Barry Island.

On Barry Docks, the original dock offices are now used by the county council. The dock offices themselves are one of just a handful of buildings in the world classed as calendar buildings. The dock offices has four grand fire places and clocks on its roof, to represent the four seasons, 52 rooms for every week of the year and a grand 365 windows.[citation needed]

There is a railway station still to access the island at Barry Docks, there is also a heritage railway station which still homes original refurbished steam passenger trains. The railway is always open to the public and annually holds events involving a large steam engine replica of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Barry Island is now known for its beach and Barry Island Pleasure Park. The island used to house a Butlins Holiday camp, this was closed in 1987 and taken over by Majestic Holidays, who renamed it Barry Island Resort. Between Butlins' closure and Majestic's reopening the camp was used as for filming scenes in the "Shangri-La" holiday camp from the Doctor Who serial Delta and the Bannermen. The camp closed in 1996 after Majestic had a disagreement with the local council, who refused an entertainments licence unless work was carried out to improve the now 30-year-old site. It was redeveloped for housing between 1997–2003 with the remaining two camp buildings and outdoor pool demolished in early 2005.

Watchtower Bay
Watchtower Bay

The island was once again used for location shooting for Doctor Who, in the 2005 series episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances", standing in for a bomb site in 1941 London.

Barry also has its own castle near Romily Park.

The railway station is the home of both the national services of Arriva Trains Wales, as well as the preserved Vale of Glamorgan Railway. From the late 1960s onwards, Woodhams Yard, Barry was home to hundreds of British Rail steam locomotives that were due to be scrapped. Many were sold to preservation societies. By the late 1980s, two thirds had been saved for preservation.

The island itself has a railway station which serves as one of the termini on the Vale of Glamorgan Line.

Barry Island
Barry Island


[edit] Politics and administration

[edit] UK parliamentary constituency

A typical street in Barry, in the Romilly district. All Saints Church pictured at the top of the hill
A typical street in Barry, in the Romilly district. All Saints Church pictured at the top of the hill

From the 1536 Act of Union, Glamorgan was represented in parliament by one member, elected by the freeholders in the county.[19] In 1885, the constituency was split into three with the creation of East Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire and South Glamorganshire. The Representation of the People Act 1918 created the Llandaff and Barry constituency.[20] Sir William Cope (Conservative) won the 1918 general election. Labour regained the seat at the 1929 general election when Charles Ellis Lloyd was returned but two years later lost the seat to the Conservatives' Patrick Munro.

Barry Police Station in the Jenner district
Barry Police Station in the Jenner district

After Munro's death in 1942 Cyril Lakin, a farmer of the local Highlight Farm won the by-election for the Conservatives. Arwyn Lynn Ungoed-Thomas (Labour) won the seat at the 1945 general election. The Llandaff and Barry constituency was abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948.[21] and replaced by the Barry parliamentary constituency. This seat was first contested in the United Kingdom general election, 1950 when Dorothy Rees (Labour) was elected. She lost the seat to Sir Herbert Raymond Gower (Conservative) at the 1951 general election. He held the seat until its abolition in 1983.[22]

It was replaced by the Vale of Glamorgan constituency which Sir Herbert Raymond Gower (Conservative) won at the 1983 general election. He remained as MP until his death in 1989. At the subsequent by-election the seat was won by John Smith (Labour). At the 1992 general election Walter Sweeney (Conservative) won it by only 19 votes. That made it the most marginal seat in Britain.[23] John Smith won it back at the 1997 general election and has remained MP to date.[24] [25]

[edit] Welsh Assembly

Barry Dock Offices
Barry Dock Offices

Barry is part of the Vale of Glamorgan Assembly constituency[26] and part of the South Wales Central Assembly region.[27] Jane Hutt has been the Vale of Glamorgan Assembly member since the inception of the Welsh Assembly.

[edit] Local councils

Barry was incorporated as a municipal borough by Royal Charter in September 1939. The Borough was the successor to Barry and Cadoxton Local Board (1888-1894) and Barry Urban District Council (1894-1939). The area covered by the borough comprised Barry, Cadoxton-juxta-Barry, Merthyr Dyfan and parts of Penmark, Porthkerry and Sully. In 1974, it was abolished and its functions taken over by the Vale of Glamorgan District Council and South Glamorgan County Council.[28]

The current local unitary authority, created in 1995, is the Vale of Glamorgan Council which has its administrative headquarters in Barry. There are 23 wards electing 47 councillors which comprise Baruc (Barry) (2 councillors), Buttrills (Barry) (2), Cadoc (Barry) (3), Castleland (Barry) (2), Court (Barry) (2), Gibbonsdown (Barry) (2), Dyfan (Barry) (2), Illtyd (Barry) (3), Cowbridge (3), Dinas Powys (4), Llandough (Penarth) (1), Llandow Ewenny (1), Llantwit Major (4), Cornerswell (Penarth) (2), Plymouth (Penarth) (2), Stanwell (Penarth) (2), St. Augustines (Penarth) (2), Peterston-super-Ely (1), Rhoose (2), St Athan (1), St Brides Major (1), Sully (2), Wenvoe (1).

[edit] Districts

Romilly Park
Romilly Park

[edit] The arts

The Old Harbour
The Old Harbour


[edit] Schools

Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School
Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School


[edit] Music

  • The Inner City Pirates
  • Through Solace
  • Working Class Heroes
  • The Hoods
  • The Amber Hour
  • The Icons
  • Richards Bitches/Apple Punk Pie
  • Last In Line
  • Planet Loaded
  • Macellarius
  • The Rise Of Decay
  • Sugarline

[edit] Sport

[edit] Transport

A Cardiff Bus en route to Barry
A Cardiff Bus en route to Barry

The main forms of public transport in the town are bus and rail. Barry is served by Cardiff Bus which operates services to Llantwit Major, Penarth, Cardiff International Airport and Cardiff City Centre as well as operating town circular services. Barry's King's Square bus station is located on King's Square in the town centre. The A4050 road connects Barry to Cardiff.

There are 4 railway stations in the town: Barry, Barry Docks, Barry Island and Cadoxton. These are operated and served by Arriva Trains Wales and are on the Cardiff Urban Area rail network. Frequent services operate to Bridgend via Llantwit Major and Rhoose Cardiff International Airport, and to Cardiff Queen Street via Dinas Powys, Cardiff Grangetown and Cardiff Central. The latter service can continue to either Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and/or Aberdare.

Barry is located less than 3 miles (4 kilometres) east of Cardiff International Airport.

[edit] Nearby places

[edit] Famous people from Barry

David Davies statue outside Barry Dock Offices
David Davies statue outside Barry Dock Offices

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ G Dowell (1971). Archaeology in Wales Volume 11 pp. 10-11. Council for British Archaeology. 
  2. ^ H. N. Savory (1948-50). Axes of Pembrokeshire Stone from Glamorganshire Volume XIII pp. 245-6. Board of Celtic Studies. 
  3. ^ J Romilly Allen (1873). A description of some cairns on Barry Island, Glamorganshire Volume 28 (1873) pp. 189-91. Archaeologia Cambrensis. 
  4. ^ Archaeologia Cambrensis Volume 28 (1873) - Table of Contents. ARCHway. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
  5. ^ Aileen Fox (1936). An account of John Storrie's excavations on Barry Island in 1894-5 Volume LXIX (1936) pp.12-28. Cardiff Naturalists Society. 
  6. ^ Jeffrey L Davies. An excavation at the Bulwarks, Porthkerry, Glamorgan 1968 Vol 122 (1973) pp. 85–98. Archaeologia Cambrensis. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
  7. ^ H.J. Thomas and G. Davies (1965). Archaeology in Wales Volume 5 pp.25. Council for British Archaeology. 
  8. ^ a b c Donald Moore (1984). Barry The Centenary Book. The Barry Centenary Book Committee Limited. ISBN 0-950-97380-7 (Hardcover). 
  9. ^ H.S. Owen John (1978-79). Llandough: a late Iron Age farmstead, Romano-British villa and medieval monastic grange G-GAT Annual Report pp. 27-38. Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust. 
  10. ^ G Dowell and E.M. Evans (1980-81). Glan-y-môr, Cold Knap, Barry G-GAT Annual Report pp. 1-3. Glamorgan–Gwent Archaeological Trust. 
  11. ^ Times Past. Barry Town Council. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  12. ^ Itinerary of Baldwin in Wales by Giraldus Cambrensis. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
  13. ^ John Stuart Corbett (1925). Glamorgan, Papers and Notes On The Lordship And Its Members… with a Memoir.. Cardiff Naturalists Society. 
  14. ^ Manorial map of Barry Glamorgan, III (part ii), p.120. RCAM (Wales) Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments (Wales). 
  15. ^ Barry Castle. Castles of Wales. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  16. ^ Glamorgan, III (part ii), pp.215-43. RCAM (Wales) Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments (Wales). 
  17. ^ A General History of Barry Town. Barry Town Crier. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  18. ^ Population Statistics for Barry. Genuki (UK & Ireland Genealogy). Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
  19. ^ Glamorgan Record Office Register of Electors. Glamorgan Record Office. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  20. ^ List of former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies. Glosk.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  21. ^ The House of Commons Constituencies beginning with "L". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  22. ^ The House of Commons Constituencies beginning with "B". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  23. ^ Vale of Glamorgan. BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  24. ^ The House of Commons Constituencies beginning with "V". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  25. ^ Vale of Glamorgan. University of Keele. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  26. ^ Vale of Glamorgan. University of Keele. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  27. ^ South Wales Central. University of Keele. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  28. ^ Glamorgan Record Office Borough of Barry records. Archive Network Wales. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  29. ^ National Eisteddfod of Wales Locations since 1880. Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru. Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
  30. ^ British Pathe National Eisteddfod. British Pathe. Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
  31. ^ The Empty Child — location guide. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  32. ^ Derek Brockway. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  33. ^ David Davies. BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
  34. ^ Dr Gwynfor Evans. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: