D159: Wales Coastal Path

D159: CARDIFF to RHOOSE

Monday 2nd June 2025

Today miles: 16.0 Total miles: 2600.8

Gemma and Ruth are huge fans of the TV series Gavin and Stacey. They’ll both be joining me today for part of the walk around Barry Island. For the rare few people in the UK who haven’t watched G.A.S. the show is centred around Barry and Barry Island and Gemma in particular is keen to visit some of the filming locations. I set off alone through Penarth and soon after setting off I dropped into a nearby cafe for a takeaway coffee. It’s a nice walk and after a mile or so the route left the road and instead took to a flat, dry track close to the beach. I’d covered my troublesome little toe with plasters but it was already starting to hurt, a mild yellow on the Analog Pain Scale. I pushed on towards Lavernock Point and was then forced to detour away from the coast path to walk around a couple of large caravan/holiday parks. I took my first refreshment break near a pretty town called Sully. My toe was aching so I removed the plasters and it seemed to help ease the pain. For some reason after Sully the Wales coastal path takes a strange, unnecessary dog leg which I avoided and instead I headed inland through the industrial estate.

I grabbed my second coffee of today at a McDonalds restaurant and then carried on along the A4055 towards Barry Dock. I contacted Gemma and organised to meet up with her at Barry Island. In order to get there I travelled through Barry Docks which appears to have had some recent and extensive development. There’s a short climb through a housing estate and there’s more than the occasional smell of cannabis wafting from open windows. I met Gemma, Ruth and Alfie at the Eastern end of the promenade and we walked together towards the main coastal facilities. Not surprisingly there’s a lot of Gavin/Stacey souvenirs and memorabilia in the shops and Gemma thoroughly enjoyed herself in Barry. We stopped for another coffee, my third and a slice of carrot cake before continuing along the promenade. At the end of the promenade the route has another short climb back up onto the cliff top. Gemma decided to leave me here and I continued around Cold Knap Point as she returned to the car. I had considered calling it a day here but getting back to Barry Island tomorrow morning would have been problematic, so I decided to continue for four more miles towards Rhoose.

It’s a pleasant route with a couple of easy climbs. The coast path passed by an old stone quarry just before Rhoose and there were some impressive natural stone structures scattered around the area. There’s a well established footpath away from the coast path towards Rhoose train station and minutes after leaving the path I was sat on the train back to Porthcawl.