Barry Island Pleasure Park

A great place to go on a sunny day. ‘The Harbour’ is a favourite place to go for snooker, penny slots and friendly staff.
There are plenty of cafés and small fish and chip shops as well as places selling Gavin and Stacey merchandise. There are also good walks to go on and beach to enjoy.
The fireworks display is an annual event worth catching. Beware the traffic jams out of the car parks if you’re planning ahead though!

This fun fair has been a little run down of recent times, it now apparently is undergoing a much needed revamp. I’ll still love the pleasure park no matter what happens and have had some good times there.
Me and my friend went on one of the river boat kid’s rides last year, it took some persuading to get him on it, he felt really embarrassed as obviously this ride was for kids, to make matters worse, the ride broke down. We were stuck on this ride for about 15 minutes with a boat full of kids wanting to climb out, where were their parents? So there we were trying to convince a bunch of 8 year olds that getting out of the boat and clambering amongst the plastic animals overlooking the river was not the best idea. Eventually we made it out, to be greeted by a mass of panic stricken parents, I think this was the final straw for my friend, as has never forgiven me. I still find it hilarious.
So give the pleasure park a try, it is being revamped, so it could be a whole lot better now. Just beware, it’s opening hours can be seasonal which is a bit of a shame.

Lately, this is disappointing as it is really looking tired and dishevelled at the moment but this place can be fantastic! I’ve hundreds of fantastic childhood memories of the Pleasure Park and I am sure that with some much needed investment and attention, this can be restored to its former glory. (Hence the two stars)
It is in a fantastic location with coffee shops, café’s, bars and the beach and promenade — and right next to a train station (also in need of a facelift).
Quite often I’ve got off the train and seen disappointed prospective fairground customers — they’ve usually travelled far to come for a day out at the fairground — only to see it shut.
I couldn’t tell you when it’s open — so if you are coming to Barry Island to visit the Pleasure park then don’t expect it to be open — if it is, it’s a bonus!

Barry Island Pleasure Park is synonymous with the whole Barry Island experience. It’s an intrinsic part of its history, back in the hay-​day of Barry Island as the huge tourist attraction it was. As a consequence, it could be suggested that Barry Island Pleasure Park is a little out-​dated. But I say that’s part of its charm. If I enter a fairground, why shouldn’t I be greeted by two obscure, plastic Roman centurions? Why not, eh? And why shouldn’t I feel like the log flume I’m on could break at the seams at any moment? Ok, maybe that part is a little more scary. Unless you’re really frightened of Romans.
It offers all your usual fairground activities like rides and sideshows and all the trimmings. It really comes to more life during the Summer months when Barry Island in general is at its peak, it might be better to check ahead if its actually open during the Winter if you’re heading down to Barry solely to buy some questionable candy floss. If not then I’d say go to Barry anyway. It’s a charming little place caught in a beautiful time warp.

Barry Island pleasure park should be renamed the park without the pleasure.
When we took a trip to the home of Gavin and Stacey recently I thought this pleasure park was closed. It practically had cobwebs covering the entrance.
Then I looked up and saw the log flume whoop on past so realised I was mistaken… it wasn’t closed… instead it was just old and tatty!
Personally I wouldn’t let my worst enemy on the rides let alone somebody I actually like!
I wondered round the park for a bit to see if I was wrong but the more I saw the more I turned up my little pig like nose. Nothing looked overally fantastic but the worst thing I saw was the log flume water. It was tinged with brown in colour and had bits floating in it. YUK
I would recommend you visit the park if you are a fan of the series just to see where it all happened, but take a tip from me and stay clear of the rides!

Barry Island pleasure park is like Blackpool pleasure beach on Caerphilly mountain mushrooms. The ‘log flume’ looks like someone poured a tanker-​full of concrete from the sky and the amusement park itself always looks as though it’s on the verge of closing.
…It’s not though so go! The pleasure park has 50 rides and attractions aimed at all ages — enjoy the ‘Big chippy’, ‘Viper ride’, ‘Hook-​a-​duck’, ‘Waltzer’ and ‘Cup ‘n’ saucers’
The park’s claims to fame includes featuring on recent episodes of Gavin and Stacy and a former owner is the colourful local celeb Mr. Hypervalue — a gold rolls royce driving, budget-​store entrepreneur.
It may be the butt of a few jokes, but you’ll love it. Coupled with a bag of chips on the beach (before not after the rides) and I guarantee you a good day out.
Well worth a visit –a 10 mile drive or short train ride from Cardiff

This sometimes seems like ‘the forgotten station’. It could do with a decent shelter — not like the one that currently lets the wind and rain in. It could also do with a ticket machine.
In the summer it gets very busy and the station is just a complete mess. It needs a total refurb!
The approach behind the park and the bridge over to the station also needs overhauling.
Shame — as it could look so good.
The steps from Station Approach have been vandalised and are beyond use. The lighting is terrible, the digital display is broken and the emergency help point takes an age for anyone to answer.
How unslightly for visitors (as well as locals) to see.

The station serves the suburb and popular tourist destination of Barry Island, 10 miles from Cardiff, but is currently in a very sorry state — a clear case of fallen grandeur.
Barry Island grew up in the late 19^th and early 20^th Century as a seaside destination for workers from the South Wales Valleys north of Cardiff, complete with funfair and (later in the 20^th century) a holiday camp.
The railway was opened at the start of the August Bank Holiday in 1896 (the buildings have the date of construction as 1895 on them) as an extension of the Barry Railway, and Barry Island quickly became a very busy excursion station, handling 150,000 passengers in one weekend at its peak.
It was provided with a large station building, three platforms and traditional large canopies. The line continued through the station to a terminus at Barry Pier, but since closure of that line in 1976, Barry Island has been the terminus.
The trains now terminate at one end of the platform, with the buildings and the far platform having become part of the Barry Island Railway heritage line, but the site currently looks very sorry, with weeds everywhere, and a general air of dereliction. It is well located, however, close to the beach, cafes and the funfair. A new canopy has been provided for the terminating trains, but it provides meagre shelter from the winter Atlantic winds.
The station still gets three trains an hour off peak from Cardiff and the valleys north of Pontypridd, and is busy with commuters and summer visitors (over half a million passengers a year, in total).
It could just do with a lot of tidying up.