141. Barry Island

We’ve packed up our belongings from our holiday home, said goodbye to Victoria and family and driven back down to Barry Island for one last walk before returning home.

Starting at Barry Island station we set off on the marked footpath round the island.  Walking alongside at first new homes then Victorian terraces there are fab views inland off the rows of houses, across and up the street.  One of those is Trinity Street which we visited a couple of days ago – had to have pictures taken outside Gwen, Doris and Uncle Brynn’s house!

As we turn the corner the blue of the docks is reflected off the cloudless sky.  There are plentiful new apartment buildings on this side as well as the far side of the deep waters.  We can see the tall ship moored, but have seen no other activity on the water.

Opposite the houses a high fence separates the footpath from an incredible array of market gardening.  These allotments are obviously very well-tended on fertile soil as the crops look very healthy.

Further round we can see solar panels nestled in a woodland area, one crane but very little other activity in these docks.

The houses get smarter and substantially bigger as we near Jackson’s Bay. We skirt round the edge of the green just above the beach, spotting the lighthouse on a rocky spit.  Then continue on Clements Colley Walk towards Nell’s Point.

Here we find the National Coastguard, with its array of aerials – it looks very much a manned coastguard centre. From here it’s a short walk round the grassy headland to the sands Whitmore Bay, as usual impeccably clean and swept for the morning, the RNLI setting up their station for the day.

We’ve come to really like Barry Island.  We had expected to enjoy finding the filming locations of Gavin and Stacey but we’ve also find a family seaside resort with a real heart to it and pride.

We take our last stroll along the seafront, stopping at one of our favourite café’s for a drink – Fablas serves amazing ice creams and great tea cakes.  However we are continuing along the prom for todays ice cream at Zio’s Glateria, I’m going for Twix flavour today.

Enjoy my ice cream and the view back over Whitmore Bay from the tip of Friar’s Point.  The coast path doesn’t in fact come out to the point but hey-ho! Then return to the island via the much quieter Watch House Bay to a large car path, then under the railway back to Barry Island Station.

Sadly it’s time to return home, but we’ll be taking back memories from a lovely family holiday in Barry Island