Barry Island
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2012) |
Barry Island
Ynys y Barri | ||
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Post codes | ||
Area code | 01446 |
Barry Island (
The 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 Docks by the Barry Railway Company. Established by David Davies, the docks now link up the gap which used to isolate Barry Island.
Although Barry Island used to be home to a
History
Prehistoric origins
The area around Barry Island shows extensive evidence of
These
In common with the people living all over
Roman and medieval eras
Although the
, there is little physical evidence of Roman activity on Barry Island itself. However, the island would flourish as a religious community, following the end of Roman rule.In the Post-Roman era, the Glamorgan coast became an important centre of early Celtic Christianity. Indeed, the Book of Llandaff defined the ancient diocese of Llandaff as stretching "as far as the island Terthi" (with Terthi being an earlier name for Barry island).[8]
The island is said to have got its current name in the 6th century when
The
Gerallt Gymro
The
Local legend explains the phenomenon as the ghost of a local hero they call Benedict y Diffoddwr or in English 'Benedict the Fighter'. It is said that when his ship, the Tam Lyn, was overrun by pirating Spaniards he almost single-handedly fought and killed the entire body of pirates even after they had slaughtered his entire crew. He then managed to sail his ship back to port on his own where he was heralded as a hero. They say after many other voyages during which it is rumoured, he fought off many other pirates (source unverifiable), he eventually died when he was caught in a great storm on the coast, during which his ship was irreparably damaged and sank to the bottom of the ocean.[citation needed]
The locals who believe the legend of Benedict claim that their defender still lingers in the rocky areas on the South coast, protecting the inhabitants from foreign invaders. "[12] The 1908
Modern times
Until 1896, when a rail link with the mainland via a 250-yard long causeway was completed, the only access to Barry Island had been either on foot across the sand and mud at low tide, or when the tide was in, by ferry from the shore at the Old Harbour. Barry Island railway station is the terminus of Network Rail's Barry Branch and connects with the main line and various Valley lines at Cardiff, about 9 miles (14 km) north, north-east of Barry. Further tourist attractions were developed on the island, and by 1934 the number of visitors to the fairground during the August Bank Holiday week was over 400,000.
The ashes of Fred West, British serial killer, were scattered on Barry Island after his body had been cremated on 29 March 1995.[14] British champion rollerblader and Barry native Rich Taylor died after a skating accident in a Barry street on 2 August 2004.
On 25 July 2008,
In 2012 the Wales Coast Path opened, containing a minor detour in which the path loops around Barry Island before continuing on westwards towards Llantwit Major.[16]
Governance
Barry Island is part of the
Holiday camp
Butlins Barry Island was a holiday camp that opened 1966 and closed in 1996, by which time it had been known as The Barry Island Resort for about nine years.
On film
The holiday camp was used to film scenes in the "Shangri-La" holiday camp in the Doctor Who serial Delta and the Bannermen. The island was also a location for Doctor Who in the 2005 series episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances", standing in for a bomb site in 1941 London and the 2014 series episode "Flatline".
The 1987 horror film Bloody New Year filmed its fun fair scenes in the area.
The BBC television series Gavin & Stacey is partly set and filmed on Barry Island, this includes Marco's Café, which is where the character Stacey works.
The Island also served as the setting for Pleasure Park on ITV Wales as part of the It's My Shout short film series. Part of the Island including the Pleasure Park was used in the serial The Mad Woman in the Attic, part of the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The third, fourth and fifth series of the BBC supernatural drama
The film Submarine was partly filmed in Barry.
"Warship Class" from the 2008 debut album by Silvery is set in Woodham Brothers scrapyard and mentions Barry Island.
References and notes
- ^ "Making a splash: the Severn Bore". BBC. 2004. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
- ^ "Severn Estuary". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 2001. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
- ^ G Dowell (1971). Archaeology in Wales Volume 11 pp. 10–11. Council for British Archaeology.
- ^ H. N. Savory (1948–50). Axes of Pembrokeshire Stone from Glamorganshire Volume XIII pp. 245–6. Board of Celtic Studies.
- ^ "Genes link Celts to Basques". BBC News website. BBC. 3 April 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
- ^ "St Lythans Chambered Long Cairn, Maesyfelin; Gwal-y-Filiast". The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales website. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
- ^ "FRIAR'S POINT MOUND (CAIRN III)". The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales website. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ^ Jenkins Rees, William (1840). The Liber landavensis, Llyfr Teilo, or, The ancient register of the cathedral church of Llandaff; from mss. in the libraries of Hengwrt, and of Jesus college, Oxford (in Latin). Llandovery, W. Rees. p. 311.
- ^ "Historic Churches". Rectorial Benefice of Barry. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ Rutter, John (1829). Delineations of the north western division of the county of Somerset. G. Olms. pp. 95.
flat holm saint cadoc.
- ^ "Times Past". Barry Town Council. Archived from the original on 21 July 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
- ^ a b c d Giraldus Cambrensis (1908). Ernest Rhys (ed.). The Itinerary through Wales and The Description of Wales. London / New York: JM Dent / EP Dutton.
- ^ "BARRY ISLAND, WELL SITE". The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales website. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "There's more to our Barry Island than a TV comedy". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Summer 2008 – Barry Island". BBC. Archived from the original on 31 August 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
- ^ Barry Island Archived 31 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Dai Davis, BarryIsland.org, Accessed on 5 August 2012.
External links
Media related to Barry Island at Wikimedia Commons