All walks › Cardiff and the Vale
Cardiff and the ValeBarry Island and Friars Point
Round the headland from the fairground beach, with the docks on one side and the Bristol Channel on the other.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 80 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
From Whitmore Bay, walk the promenade and climb Friars Point, returning by Jackson’s Bay and the harbour. Short and easy.
Worth knowing
- Friars Point above the beach is open grassland with a big view down the Channel.
- Jackson’s Bay on the far side is much quieter than Whitmore.
- Barry Island has a station, so it works entirely without a car.
What you’ll see
Whitmore Bay and the promenade, Friars Point, the docks, and Flat Holm offshore.
Background
Barry Docks handled more coal than any port in the world by 1913, overtaking Cardiff, and the island became its resort.