The village of Uchelolau -(Highlight) was built on the outskirts of the town in the late 12th Century. It was a small village with around six houses, a manor house and a church. The village was completely deserted before the mid 16th Century. This monument is the remains of a church, and is thought to date back to the Medieval Period. The foundations of the church link back to the old village of Highlight. The church is believed to have… Read more.
Two hundred and twenty million years ago, in the later part of the Triassic Period, South Wales and the Bendricks was a desert; however, life existed here! Footprints of animals preserved in the sandstone and siltstones make the Bendricks one of the best sites in Britain for Triassic Dinosaur prints, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Vale of Glamorgan was an area of rocky limestone hills and despite low annual rainfall, torrential rain caused flash floods. These… Read more.
The name of Barry is thought to have possibly come from Saint Baruc. He was a 6th century saint, who was also a disciple of Saint Cadoc. Saint Baruc was tasked with bringing St Cadoc's reading material with him on a journey from the island of Flat Holm. He forgot and St Cadoc sent him back to retrieve it, but unfortunately, he drowned in the Bristol Channel on the return journey. He was buried on Barry Island in a chapel.… Read more.
Humans have lived in Barry for many centuries. Mesolithic flint tools have been found at Friar’s Point on Barry Island, and Neolithic polished stone axe heads found at nearby St Andrew’s Major. Urns containing cremation ashes found within Bronze Age barrows on Barry Island and Cold Knap Point, suggest that the area continued to be inhabited through to the Iron Age, when a large defended enclosure or hillfort was built at the Bulwarks at Porthkerry. Bronze Age burial mounds have… Read more.
An even older historical landmark is still present in Barry. This is the Westward Corner Round Barrow. This barrow, or tumulus, can be dated to the Bronze Age C 2300-800AD. This barrow has only had limited excavations, but similar barrows in the area have revealed they were used for cremation burials. This barrow is well preserved and is at the far end of Marine Drive. Westward Corner Barrow - 2021- Jo Price Read more.
Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands in the Bristol Channel have names derived from a Scandinavian word for an island in an estuary, suggesting it’s from here the Vikings launched raids in the area during the Dark ages. Following the Norman Conquest, the area was divided into manors with the Barry area split into two large lordships, Penmark and Dinas Powys. Penmark was split into the sub-manors of Fonmon, West Penmark and Barry. Dinas Powys was split into the sub-manors… Read more.
The dovecote that can be seen in Cadoxton is the only remnant that has survived of a medieval manorial complex that was present on the site where the present Cadoxton Court has been built. The complex would have once been home to the lords of Cadoxton. During the medieval period the lands around Cadoxton Court would have looked extremely different and would have been mostly rural. During the late 19th Century quarrying activities would have shaped the steep precipice that… Read more.