Cardiff - Newport - Barry Coast Guide 

Cardiff is the capital of Wales and it has that ambience about it; with grand public buildings at the centre, a renown University and plenty of shops, cafes and pubs to keep the residents and visitors refreshed. The city has a lively nightlife and you will be amazed at the amount of people in the streets even when the damp west wind sweeps over the city. 

                                                          Cardiff Bay

For details of Cardiff Hotels and Holidays, Guest Houses, Cottages  and to visit Attractions.  Go to Cardiff Hotels  Guest Houses and Cottages

Some commentators say that Cardiff arrived on the world map when they hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1999. The magnificent Millennium Stadium was built especially for this event and it proved a winner. Since then it has become well established as one of the UK's top venues, hosting the FA Cup while the new Wembley was being built and many pop concerts. 

Of course Cardiff is not only the home of Welsh rugby, it was once the busiest port in the UK when thousands of tons of coal were shipped from the docks each year. The port area of the city became very run down with the decline in the coal industry and port activities in general. However more recently the whole of the Cardiff Bay area has undergone a major transformation and is now a major tourist area with new hotels and attractions. Cardiff Bay is also the home of the  Welsh Assembly which is to be located in a new, state of the art building. 

Cardiff also has a sea front area which is not immediately obvious when visiting the city. This area is called Penarth where there is a promenade and beach access. A nearby seaside resort is at Barry - see below. 

Cardiff Town Hall 

Newport

Newport can also trace its history back to the 19th century when its prosperity and development depended on the export of iron and coal. Newport lies about 5 miles east of Cardiff, at the mouth of the River Usk and still has a busy dockside area. Today it is also the home of the UK Patent Office and several multi-national corporations.. 

Barry

Barry has had to reinvent itself as well after the coal industry declined at the beginning of the twentieth century. Fortunately for this small town tourism came to its rescue. Barry, together with the coast that extends west to Porthkerry, has long been noted for its splendid beaches and cliff scenery. Barry became a major tourist attraction some twenty years ago and many local people visited it on a regular basis. There is a permanent funfair on Barry Island with lots of amusements and places for refreshment. 

           Central Cardiff                                     Cardiff Castle                                                  Cardiff Bay

Places to visit in Cardiff 

Cardiff Bay - Waterfront area of the city with cafes, pubs and attractions. 

Lightship - Permanently moored in Cardiff Bay the lightship has a cafe onboard. 

Techniquest - Interactive science museum - Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales Tel: 029-20 475475 - for details visit: Techniquest

Cardiff Castle - Castle right in the middle of the city - Castle St., Cardiff CF10 3RB, Wales Tel: 029-2087-8100

Millennium Stadium - Home to Welsh rugby - 101 St Mary Street | Golate House, Cardiff CF10 1GE, Wales Tel: 44 870 013 8600

Castell Coch - built in the late 19th century by the 3rd Marquess of Bute. Visit: Castell Coch 

Nearby attractions

Tredegar House = in Newport is a 17th century mansion with a 90 acre estate; it is home to the Morgan family.

Penarth - This is the seafront area of Cardiff 

Barry - Barry is a traditional seaside resort a couple of miles from Cardiff.

Map of the Cardiff area

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For other sections of the guide you may also enjoy - see below.

Activities

Includes details of many coastal activities such as; surfing, sailing, bird watching and walking.

Attractions - see listings pages

A huge selection of attractions are available within the coastal area and this section will have details of many of them. From piers and harbours to fun fairs and roller coasters, the listings will have details of what's available in your chosen area. For details of attractions look in the resort pages. 

  Padstow

Pubs, restaurants and shopping guide

The listings section will also have details of pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and shops available in the locality. Restaurants and shops coming soon.....

                                                                                                                               The  Beach Pub - Exmouth

Features

We will bring you feature  articles  about the coastline and  news items about life in the coastal area. contributions to this section are welcome.

Photo Gallery

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