An opportunity to introduce our visiting visual artist, Heather, to an old friend from Barry, resulted in my May Walk becoming a pleasant stroll from Barry Island to Porthkerry along the Vale of Glamorgan coastline. Although this was a rather familiar, relatively local stretch of coast for me, sharing the experience with Heather and researching the walk afterwards revealed many fascinating aspects of this coast – it’s certainly much more than just the home of Gavin and Stacey! I hope you’ll agree!

Barry Island beach nostalgia

As the two-carriage train clanked its way slowly into the station at Barry Island on a grey, overcast Thursday in late spring, it was hard to imagine the bustling excitement of families armed with bucket and spades and other beach paraphernalia on sunny summer weekend trains. Walking through the deserted and somewhat tired-looking Fun Fair to the seafront, even the brightly coloured dinosaur didn’t instil too much of the Barrybados vibe which has attracted generations of South Walians to this iconic location.

Whitmore Bay looking towards the N Devon coast

Barry Island amusement park

Meeting with Heather in one of the many seafront cafes for brunch, there was a little more buzz; however, it still was quite a challenge to explain the significance of Barry Island to my guest. Heather looked slightly bemused as I outlined the history of the famous Majestic/Butlins Holiday Camp which had over many decades provided a unforgettable, unique holiday experience for hundreds of thousands of those ‘of modest means’ and which, along with other similar camps elsewhere along the British coast, had created a public nostalgia which had inspired the popular TV sitcom Hi-de-Hi. Now the site of a Bovis Homes housing development on Nell’s Point, I was struggling to recall my memories of thirty years ago, when the derelict holiday camp with its rows and rows of white, flat-roofed chalets which dominated the Whitmore Bay seascape. 

With a slight break in the clouds and a falling tide, we ventured onto the wide expanse of sandy beach which understandably remains such an attraction at weekends. The view across the Inner Bristol Channel to the Somerset and North Devon coasts always inspires and the gentle, relaxing sound of the sea lapping at the water’s edge is such a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the promenade. However, frequent tannoy announcements periodically break the peace to remind you that this is an urban beach which must kept clean and tidy. The frequent instructions to dispose of your litter responsibly, alongside daily cleaning by local groups, does seem to be working, although the recent erroneous closure of the beach here due a malfunctioning water quality monitoring system has probably not instilled much public confidence (BBC news article). Unfortunately, the slightly brownish, turbid waters of the Estuary, are also frequently incorrectly interpreted by visitors as being dirty – clearly there’s lots of work for SEP and partners to do to try to educate the public on such matters!

Whitmore Bay looking towards the promenade

Shore treats –  Old Harbour to Watch House Bay

If you want to avoid the longer route hugging the main road to Cold Knap, crossing the wide expanse of sand at low water between Friar’s Point and The Knap is preferable, although you do have to negotiate a small stream which meanders haphazardly across the beach and creates quite a challenge for those ill-prepared for such an obstacle. Not only is the route much quicker, but it also incorporates many features of interest – even more than we’d anticipated, as you’re about to find out.

Given Heather’s interest in tides of the Severn, we made a slight detour on the beach to study the muddier backshore behind the Old Harbour. Notwithstanding the decayed remains of a stranded and abandoned boat and an obligatory beach traffic cone, the backshore is remarkably natural, given its location. A saltmarsh sequence has developed here which sports a variety of hardy, adaptable plants which can tolerate the harsh conditions of the intertidal zone. At the edge of the mud, we carefully stooped down to study some salicornia (samphire) but resisted gathering it to garnish future fish suppers! 

Salicornia and the marshy backshore with the current causeway

The Knap –  the lake, lido and limestone pebbles

Ascending the slipway onto the Knap one is immediately aware that the coast here has a much more genteel and relaxed feel about it.  Immediately behind the seafront immaculate public gardens surround a large artificial lake, the inspiration for Gillian Clarke’s poem ‘Cold Knap Lake’.  This poem, which captures Clarke’s haunting childhood memories of the lake, alludes to a very different, more chilling experience than ours.  Even the sizeable population of ducks and swans seemed to be enjoying the peace and calm of the Knap that day, silently huddling in groups around on the water’s edge.  Previously one of the largest cold-water lidos in the UK, there have been campaigns to rebuild the attraction, but, despite considerable celebrity and community support, these have not been successful in contrast to similar efforts at Clevedon on the other side of the Estuary.  However, I was to find out later that there are indeed new plans afoot for this area: an exciting local community scheme has been proposed to breathe new life into the iconic but somewhat dilapidated Old Lifeguards Building to create The Reef Coastal Exploration Centre (see inset below).

Knap Lake at Cold Knap

Y RÎFF/THE REEF: COASTAL EXPLORATION CENTRE, COLD KNAP – This community scheme hopes to transform this old building which was originally the cloakroom for the Knap Pool Lido in the 1920s before it became the home of the Rhondda (Cold Knap) Lifeguard Club. Plans include: A new up-to-date space for the Rhondda Lifeguards Club, offices for the Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre and an educational and community space. Find out more at: https://yriff.org/

Whilst the lake is a key attraction at Cold Knap for visitors and the many of the locals residing in the smart residential areas behind the seafront, it was the long pebble beach of gleaming white round limestone pebbles that appealed most to us.  This stunning, long, steeply-shelving beach stretches in a great arc from the Knap around the bay towards and beyond Porthkerry to the west.  This impressive natural feature is a reminder of the power of the sea and winter storms on beaches which are exposed to incoming southwesterlies.  We contemplated the incredible strength of the winter storms which had created the beach and each of the ridges on the beaches seaward side. We feared what future climate change might mean for this beach system, given the road and cliff will not allow the beach system to roll back.   Indeed, all the beaches we’d visited on our walk suffer from this same issue, making the problem of coastal squeeze a real likelihood.  No wonder that the community is being encouraged to get involved in the monitoring of the nearby beach at Whitmore Bay through the CoastSnap Project.

Storm beach at the Knap

The CoastSnap Project – ‘CoastSNAP, developed by the University of New South Wales, has become a beacon of community engagement and environmental stewardship. Over the past year, 3000 public-contributed photos have flooded in, capturing the ebb and flow of our dynamic coastlines. These snapshots serve as vital puzzle pieces, validating coastal surveys and informing our understanding of change in the face of rising sea levels. From storm events to the condition of coastal defence assets, CoastSNAP empowers us to protect our shores collectively.’  (Gwyn Nelson, WCMC). Find out more: General CoastSnap website: https://www.coastsnap.com/, CoastSnap in Wales: https://www.wcmc.wales/coastsnap

CoastSnap site at Barry Island

Walking across the pebbles of the more-or-less flat upper beach, our attention soon was diverted to watching the wind surfers who had presumably also conquered the demands of the descent of such a very steep beach on the seaward side!  Knowing that there is a National Coastwatch Institution station at nearby Nell’s Point (see below), we could relax watching thrilling acrobatics of fearless wind surfers who seemed to be enjoying the challenges associated with the increasingly choppy seas.   We also admired the pretty flowers of the many plants along the backshore which provided welcome bright dashes of colour against the grey-white pebbly beach. These include the occasional mauve native marsh-mallow alongside much more dominant plum and white valerians, presumably escapees from nearby gardens.

Wind surfer’s acrobatics on the beach at Cold Knap

National Coastwatch Institution (Nells Point) – ‘NCI Nell’s Point opened in 2017. Volunteers keep a daylight watch over the coast for anyone/vessel in difficulty and raise the alarm to Milford Haven Coastguard. Watchkeepers also respond to requests for information from the Coastguard on possible casualties etc. Sully Island causeway is a good example of how folks get into difficulty as it covers over at about half tide and folks unaware will be cut off. So, the watchkeepers at Nell’s Point will inform the coastguards who will arrange a rescue. Over the last 5 years or so there has been a significant increase in both water users and the type of personal watercraft used. Open water swimming, in particular, has increased greatly around Barry with new clubs and societies being formed.’ (Nick Rodgers, Barry). Find out more: National Coastwatch Institution

Flowers on the backshore at Cold Knap

No introductory visit to Cold Knap would be complete without viewing the site of the old roman villa, a late third century ‘mansio,’ thought to have been a guest house for travellers.  Set neatly and strangely in line with the modern neighbouring apartment properties, the floor plan of villa was very clear to us –  with over twenty rooms arranged around a courtyard, this was no ordinary B&B!   Given its proximity to the coast at the time (the gardens on the Knap are thought to have been an inlet of the sea), it’s likely that many of its visitors would have come by sea rather than by land although the A48 lies along the route of an acknowledged roman road.  Archaeologists suggest that the Romans would have needed many stopping points along the Bristol Channel given the capability of their boats at the time.

Roman villa at Cold Knap

Over the hills and not so far away, to Porthkerry

After our gentle stroll around Cold Knap we were in for some more strenuous exercise. The antics of a group of energetic sea gulls which were riding the thermals were, however, a most welcome distraction as we ascended the steps and steep grassy slope above the Knap.  As we continued along the coastal path towards Porthkerry, I was reminded of my first outing here after the initial travel constraints of COVID.   The view from the top of the hill of the wide expanse of the Bristol Channel offshore at the time had been quite stunning, almost shocking. Today, it was just a little dull given the greyness of the cloud cover and sea.  However, we were shortly into the beautiful deciduous woodland which hugs the coast and were soon admiring some of the majestic and mature trees which are so prized here. 

All too soon, we were descending an even steeper slope and longer set of steps down to Porthkerry Country Park.  With no time to look for the pirate treasure which legend suggests lies hidden beneath the Golden Stairs, and tired from our earlier exertions, we only made a brief visit to the pebbly shoreline.   Looking back along the storm beach to the Knap, we admired the impressive cliffs which surround the bay, reminiscent of those further west along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.  However, even I did not have the energy to explain the geology at this point, so we made our way to the café for a very late lunch.  Crossing quickly over neatly laid out boardwalks and glancing at the many interesting information panels along our route, we soon realised that we’d really need to have another visit to really appreciate the attractions here.  So, we just sat outside and ate our well-earned lunch and enjoyed the view of the impressive Victorian viaduct which dominates the valley here, trying not to contemplate our return up those not so Golden Stairs.

View towards Cold Knap and Barry from Wales Coastal Path

Seagulls enjoying the thermals!

Porthkerry beach with information panel

The Victorian Viaduct at Porthkerry

Final thoughts­

Another fascinating coast where there is such diversity of shoreline within a relatively short distance.  Even on a relatively dull day, the seaviews of the islands and Somerset coast on the other side of the Channel are most impressive and so, why not sample these Barry delights along the Wales Coastal Path?   If my writing hasn’t tempted you so far, then I’m sure the perspectives of three very proud Barry locals, provided below, will inspire!

Whitmore Bay on a previous sunny day!