Porthkerry Country Park — Attraction in Barry

Ideal place for family outings in a naturally beautiful area with plenty of open space and if you can find it an Iron Age Fort.

Pitch and putt 9 hole course is maintained by ground staff and the water and streams are great for dogs to take a dunk in when hot.

The park has well established woods bordering it on 3 sides and close by is Mill Wood with the newly restored wood mill area.

At the top of the cliffs and in all you will find that the woods contain many naturally worn paths all are marked with orienteering posts. The paths are bordered with fallen branches, trunks and wild plants. These paths are often muddy so if you don't fancy it, best go by the main old road through the woods.

A note to the disabled: The Mill Wood road/path passes through the centre of the wood but it is very rough, with lots of loose stone. Access to the wood is gained through a kissing gate at one end (Cwm Talwg) and between two posts which has had the gate removed.

Ranger staff are there to help and advise should you need it. Disabled parking is available in the western car-park in the larger part of the park, by toilets and cafe (Marcos).

Stunning Victorian viaduct sees passenger and coal trains pass over a number of times per day. Buzzards frequent the skies and there are rentable...

A short walk through a wooded valley from my home the park is, to me, a pleasant surrounding to pass some time. There is little to be excited about but a lot to enjoy if you like natural surroundings sheltered from the prevailing winds. The park is a great place to take your children, they have space to run around in relative safety, there is plenty of safe wildlife for them to find and the paths through the wooded areas add some excitement and adventure for them. The beach is a bit of a nightmare for anyone with mobility issues. The pebbles are difficult to walk on and the beach has quite a slope to it. There are much better beaches in the local area at which to swim and I have not seen many people swimming at this beach. There are paths either side of the beach but both have steep climbs to leave the park towards Rhoose or back to Barry. Not recommended for the unfit but fine for anyone in reasonable health. The park fills up at the weekend though there is ample car parking in general. On sunny days the car parks can be full. There is a cafe for snacks and beverages and there are public toilets. I have not used either and cannot comment on either facility. I would recommend at least one visit to check out the park, I like it and...

One of the jewels in the crown of barry. Boasting 220 acres of woods and meadowland in a sheltered valley leading to a pebble beach and spectacular cliffs.

The park has a number of nature trails, picnic sites, a café/shop, an adventure play area, barbecue areas and a nature reserve. Picnic tables and benches are situated a short distance from the main car park. A beautiful place all year round.

Once split between the ancient manors of Barry, Porthkerry and Penmark, the area was bought by the Romilly family in 1412, which worked the site on similar lines to an English country estate.

The Romilly's produced a ‘model’ farm and buildings using the most modern farming techniques of the time such as crop rotation. The family built the cottages for estate workers and foresters, established stables and a sawmill together with extensive mill leats and drained woods and fields.

Porthkerry Park was purchased from the Romilly estates in 1929 by Barry Urban District Council, after which it was used as a large public open park and then even played a role in the build up to the invasion of Normandy in...