Cheap seaside town loved by huge Hollywood star has beachfront theme park and new attraction
A WELSH seaside town in Wales is best known for being the home of popular TV series Gavin and Stacey – and it has a new attraction.
Barry is more than just ‘tidy’, it features a wealth of attractions and areas to explore.
A great spot for children is Barry Island Pleasure Park, which features a rollercoaster, log flume, dodgems and a waltzer.
Opening back in 1897, it is home to the UK’s biggest thrill ride – a 32-seater space machine aerospace.
Little kids can also enjoy the amusement park, with trampolines, pedal boats and traditional fairground attractions also in the park.
In front of the amusement park is a long stretching promenade, beach and Whitmore Bay.
On the promenade, there are a range of bustling cafes, fish and chip shops and amusement arcades.
Nearby, the slightly smaller Jackson’s Bay gets fewer visitors and is often where locals go to avoid crowds.
However, this beach does not have any facilities during the winter months.
In the town itself, there are also a number of places to explore including the Barry War Museum.
The museum focuses on what life was like during both world wars and even has a First World War replica trench and an Anderson shelter from the Second World War.
For when the weather is nice, in addition to the beaches there are some pretty parks and gardens.
Knap Lake and Gardens offers a great spot for a leafy stroll or picnic, whilst watching the swans bob on the lake.
The gardens also lead onto a wide promenade, which provides access to the pebbly beach at Cold Knap Bay.
Further around the headland is also Porthkerry Country Park which boasts 220 acres of woodland and meadowland, which is crossed by a Victorian-era viaduct.
There is also a children’s play area, a café and a number of picnic tables.
For something a little different head to Goodsheds – a new urban development on an old dockyard.
The development features a number of independent shops, which are all in in repurposed shipping containers in an area called the Shipyard.
Visitors can peruse the shops which sell craft beers, records, home furnishings and fashion.
There is also The Tracks which are repurposed railway carriages home to artisanal traders and a cinema.
Actor Tom Hardy also recently expressed his love for the seaside town during an interview.
The Hollywood legend recently made an appearance on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, where he was being interviewed by co-host Dominic Byrne.
The 47-year-old was asked about his recent visit to Wales, where some people reportedly saw the Venom actor on Barry Island.
Dominic said: “[A]pparently you were on the ghost train, is that true?”
Tom replied: “I don’t know.”
The actor then said: “Hang on a minute, it’s brought it back to me. It’s brought it back to me. It goes around in a loop and comes back out on the left?
“Yes, I’ve been on that.”
Dominic went on to say that the man who runs the ride is “actually scarier than the ride itself”.
But Tom defended the attraction, commenting: “I wouldn’t say that.
“You can’t say that. Because he might be listening, and that’s just a terrible thing to say about Barry Island, isn’t it, when you think about it?
“I feel I should defend him immediately. I had a great time on Barry Island.”
The Sun also recently interviewed the real owners of the Barry cafe that appears in Gavin and Stacey.
Plus, the UK holiday destination with great family attractions for all types of British weather.