Barry: Tourism through Time

Historically, Barry was a sparsely populated and rural hamlet with poor access roads, meaning that it could take up to two hours to reach Cardiff. However, as early as the 1790s, what became the town's waterfront at Whitmore Bay was a popular resort for bathing. While this largely attracted upper class visitors, as the nineteenth century progressed, the town became popular with the middle classes of the rapidly increasing population of Cardiff.

 

While plans subsequently surfaced to develop the island into a high quality resort, these did not come to fruition as the landowner Lord Windsor acquired the island in the 1870s and restricted development as it threatened his investment in Penarth. As such, visitors were effectively banned from the island for around a decade just when it had been growing in popularity.

 

In the 1880s however, Barry Island became better connected to the mainland of the growing industrial town following the development of its docks and a causeway. By 1889, the construction had been completed, and a new railway station was soon operating from the town. With the boost to the local economy of industrial docks and a railway, the 1890s saw Barry develop once again as a tourist destination. From the 1890s, P and A Campbell began operating White Funnel paddlers from the docks, a move that was quickly emulated by the Barry Railway Company. In 1897, the Barry Island Pleasure Park was established, providing a major attraction for those visiting the town.

 

As the twentieth century progressed, Barry experienced a decline in industry which was shared to a lesser extent by the tourism sector. The 1980s saw the closure of the island's Butlins' Holiday Camp which had been an important part of the tourist experience for visitor since the 1960s.

 

Today, the redevelopment of the Barry waterfront has ensured that the town remains a tourist destination. The beach and the adjacent funfair remain popular attractions. Since the turn of the millennium, there has also been a significant interest in the town from the TV and film industry, with shows such as Doctor Who and especially Gavin and Stacey being filmed there. This has inspired new attractions to Barry, with the visibility of the town ensuring that it remains a tourist attraction.