We live in a UK seaside resort that Butlin's abandoned before Hollywood moved in – it's a real-life paradise
BARRY Island is the Welsh seaside resort we all know and love thanks to the hit series, Gavin and Stacey.
But it's so much more than just a filming location to the locals whose exclusive homes, built on a headland at the resort made famous by the BBC show, offer panoramic sea views and spectacular sunrises.
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Barry Island is one of the most recognisable spots in Wales
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The seaside resort used to be home to an enormous Butlins resort
Credit: Wales News Service
On a clear day, residents living at Nell's Point on Barry Island in south Wales have uninterrupted views reaching as far as Somerset.
Some have rear gardens joining a grassy clifftop with a private pathway down to the sandy beach below.
There are incredible views of the coastline, and some people have seen dolphins and porpoises from Nell's Point.
Sightings are rare, but seals are regularly spotted in the area.
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The smart, executive-style homes on the Nell's Point estate are a world away from the rows of chalets that were put up at the same spot 60 years ago by William 'Billy' Butlin when he bought the site and turned it into one of his famous Butlin's Holiday Camps.
In those days, it was predominantly coal miners and their families trudging up and down the pathway as they revelled in their annual summer holiday leave from their jobs in the long since-closed South Wales collieries.
Now houses sit on the former Butlin's site, with some that have been turned into holiday homes rented out by individuals.
Some locals still remember the resort's heyday when thousands of excited holidaymakers made the journey to the island to stay in the more than 800 chalets at the attraction.
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At its peak in 1934, 400,000 people visited during the August bank holiday weekend.
Like any other Butlin's resort there was a plethora of activities to choose from, like paddling in the heated swimming pools.
The real life of Barry Island made famous by BBC's TV Series Gavin and Stacey
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Mark described Barry as 'paradise' to holiday-goers
Credit: Nigel Iskander
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Butlin's used to be one of the busiest places on Barry Island
Credit: WalesOnline/Media Wales
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Onsite, there was also funfair, cable car, miniature railway, restaurants, bars, and a fish and chip shop.
Mark Anthony, now 68, was a young boy when Butlin's opened and shared his memories of those booming summer months every year.
Mark, who runs a cafe and gift shop on the nearby seafront with his wife, Lisa, 60, said: 'Barry was bustling with people, many of them families who'd come down from the coal mining valleys for a well-earned summer holiday."
Mark continued: 'They loved coming here because there was so much to do, especially at Butlin's. There were the famous Butlin's Redcoats, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a ballroom, a boating lake, tennis courts and an amusement arcade. It was like paradise.
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'People used to come down here and spend a few hours crammed on the beach like sardines.
"Those that couldn't get a chalet at Butlin's up there used to stay in one of the numerous local boarding houses and B&Bs. Hardly anyone went abroad in those days because there was so much to do here.
'It's sad that nowadays so many people seem to want to spend their holidays overseas because, I guess, it's so cheap to get there and the sunshine is almost guaranteed.
'Even so, Barry has a lot to offer still. There are lots of lovely places to go out for a drink or a nice meal and there's the funfair and beautiful beaches which are just as good as anywhere in the world.
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'And there are several beautiful bays that are safe to swim in. I absolutely love living here. Barry Island should still be at the top of everyone's list of holiday destinations."
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Barry Island has become more popular again thanks to Gavin & Stacey
Credit: Tom Jackson/BBC
Popular beach-side cafes in Barry Island include
On the front is also Bay 5 Coffee House which serves savoury snacks and sweet treats and 'pancake stacks' according to a Tripadvisor review.
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As for the top restaurants, the most highly-rated on Tripadvisor is Paletta Pizzeria which lots of customers say to book early as it gets very busy.
It was also Barry's first wood-fired Pizzeria, serving up tasty pizzas, pasta dishes and gnocchi.
As for ice cream shops, they are around most corners with John's Cafe being the most highly-rated.
The classic sweet treats shop also serves candy floss, a stick of rock and of course, ice cream too.
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Barry Island has five notable beaches with
Whitmore Bay is also the spot where the Shipmans and the Wests go for their beach day in Gavin and Stacey in series three.
Jackson's Bay is a more secluded section of the coastline and is more popular with locals because it's lesser-known.
One visitor wrote on
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Another added: "What a nice walk and lovely scenery. A nice bay, small and hardly anybody there."
Cold Knap Beach, which has pebbles instead of sand, is also a quieter spot than Whitmore Bay.
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Whitmore Bay on Barry Island is the most well-known and popular beach
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Helen, a grandmother strolling along the seafront with one of her grandsons, agreed: 'Barry is still a fantastic place to come for a holiday. Us locals are incredibly friendly and the fairground is great fun, whatever the weather.
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'In fact, I prefer it now to when we had Butlin's here. Sure, the holidaymakers brought in money, but it was mostly spent at the holiday camp, not in the rest of Barry.
'In those days, it was mainly miners coming here, but nowadays people come for the Gavin and Stacey experience and that means they go everywhere on the island.
"It's created plenty of trade for the whole of Barry and as a result, the place has been transformed. It's no longer just a cheapo holiday destination.'
There are plenty of locations to spot during a visit to Barry,
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On Barry Island itself there's the famous Marco's Cafe and the Arcade where Nessa worked the slots. We've listed a few more foilming locations at the bottom of the article.
Over the years, Barry Island has become increasingly popular and according to the
Gavin and Stacey fans coming from as far away as Australia, Hawaii and India. Visitors often take pictures in front of her house and when Glenda opens it up, have a tour too.
As for shopping on Barry Island,
there's been a new development called
Goodsheds
.
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The site is home to
independent shops which are in repurposed shipping containers in an area called the Shipyard - there you'll find craft beers, records, home furnishings and fashion stores.
Nearby there's
The Tracks, where railway carriages have been repurposed, and there's even a cinema
.
The Wales Coast Path runs right around the coastline at Barry. It's about 4 miles along the coastline to Rhoose Point, the most southerly spot in Wales which offer incredible views over the coast.
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The Pleasure Park is still a hit with tourists and locals alike
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The most recognisable attraction is the giant Ferris wheel, but they also have three rollercoasters, a log flume and spooky ghost train.
The family-owned business' biggest ride is Aerospace. It's a giant, 32-seater space machine that swings riders up and down, reaching heights of 214 feet and speeds of up to 75mph.
During the summer months when Barry is bustling with visitors, the amusement park gets 400,000 ride goers.
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There was lots to do at Butlin's like swimming in the pools
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Coach driver Barry is more than happy to visit the Welsh coast
Credit: Nigel Iskander
Coach driver Barry Elms, 60, from Birmingham, was having a rest on the seafront when we caught up with him. 'I've just dropped 50 holidaymakers off and this is just what I need - fresh sea air and magnificent views,' he said.
'The lot I've just brought here from Brum have come for Gavin and Stacey. I think that show is what has made Barry Island famous again."
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Solicitor Jay Thomas, 42, was in Barry enjoying a day at the seaside. He said: 'It is just a beautiful spot to come to. It's very clean and the people are super-friendly. I've driven down from Solihull in the West Midlands and it has been well worth the time spent getting down here.
'You can get here and back home in a day, so it's perfect." I didn't know until today that there used to be a Butlin's here, but to be honest there still seems plenty to do."
Local Tony Rosser, 79, remembers the Butlin's era but says he prefers the resort as it is today.
He said: 'As a boy, we never really came to the sea front here in summer because it was so busy. We only used to come here in the
winter
, when it was a bit quieter and have lovely long walks.
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'The local traders liked having Butlin's here, for sure, because they benefited from there being so many holidaymakers in town, but now they're enjoying the Gavin and Stacey effect instead, so they're happy again.
'However, I still think the council needs to do a lot more to encourage more people to come here because the show has finished now and we'll always need visitors to help the local economy.'
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Tony prefers Barry Island without the Butlin's resort
Credit: Nigel Iskander
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The seafront is far less busy during the winter months
Credit: Nigel Iskander
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Barry Island no longer has any holiday parks on the island, but there are still a few nearby that mean visitors can easily access the island.
Porthkerry Leisure Park is a family-friendly located close to Barry Island and the scenic Vale of Glamorgan.
There's also Fontygary Touring Park
which has a spa, pool, and sea views
. But none of the holiday parks are on the scale that Butlin's was.
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Lawrence's nickname is the 'karaoke king'
Credit: Nigel Iskander
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Lawrence Hill, an 83-year-old retired painter and decorator, proclaims himself to be the 'karaoke king' of Barry Island.
He said: 'They should never have built those luxury homes on the old Butlin's site. It was a wonderful complex and I'm sure it could have been spruced up and used as some kind of holiday attraction again. It's such a good spot up there.
'I have such fond memories of Butlin's. I wish it was still here in Barry, I really do.'
The Top Locations For Fans of Gavin and Stacey
Gavin and Stacey came to an end with the finale episode over Christmas, but you can still keep the show's spirit alive with a trip to
Up the road is The Colcot Arms aka Smithy's local Essex hangout and of course the
There are organised tours of
Gavin and Stacey
locations, some onboard Dave's Coaches, but it's easy enough to go on your own adventure.
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Barry Island used to be home to a bustling Butlin's resort
Credit: Getty
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