Where is Penarth?
Penarth is a small seaside town nestled between Cardiff and Barry along the south Wales coastline. It was a popular holiday destination during the Victorian period, gaining itself the name ‘Garden by the Sea’. It has a lovely esplanade, pier and pier pavilion along its beachfront. The town bloomed into life with the prosperity from coal exportation.
Penarth had its own docks, where now Marina Village exists, the original Victorian buildings of the Marine Hotel and Custom House still stand but the whole area was regenerated in 1987 following the docks demise. It was from Penarth dock I K Brunel’s SS Great Britain left in February 1886 for the Falkland Islands on her last commercial voyage. It is from here that you can cross the Cardiff Bay Barrage and walk over to Cardiff Bay to make a good explore from it why not walk the Cardiff Bay Trail, it makes for a lovely day out.

Penarth Prehistory
Penarth is set in a historic landscape with Neolithic axe findspots (1, 2 & 3), a small Bronze Age Hoard and it lies close in proximity to the nearby Iron Age hillfort at Dinas Powys. Dinas Powys Hillfort was established in the Iron Age period, possibly as a homestead for a local ruler. It does not appear to feature much evidence for Roman occupation but by the Medieval the site was in use again, probably for metal working.
The hillfort earthworks that still remain are set in the Cwm George and Casehill Woods managed by the Woodland Trust (although overgrowth can make it a little difficult to see them). The woodland has lots of trails running through it that take you past or near the site and it’s a good area to spend a day exploring.
Medieval Penarth
Penarth has records for buildings in the Medieval period, predominantly in the Cogan area but also closer to the town at Cwrt Y Vil Grange and Chapel. There is also the reconstructed Medieval Village at nearby Cosmeston (See Sully Blog), built on the site of a former medieval village. You can walk from Penarth to Cosmeston along the route of the old railway line, starting close to where the Railway Pub stands (just off from the town centre).
Victorian Penarth
The main town centre is filled with shops, cafes and restaurants and caters for all budgets and taste. It can be walked from the beachfront or vice versa (although via a steep hill down from the town). Windsor Arcade is a special little additional, it is a quaint Victorian arcade in the town centre and a great place to take cover during any rainy visit to the town. If you choose to take a walk around the town you will see the library, built in 1904/6. Set out a little wider from the town core are various parks and gardens, as well as buildings such as the Grade I listed St Augustine’s Church and the Grade II listed Paget Rooms. The Paget Rooms were built in 1906 and today plays hosts to events, music concerts, local amateur dramatics, and an annual pantomime.
Penarth still retains the characteristics and charm of a Victorian/Edwardian seaside town and has been voted one of the best places to live in the U.K. It is easy to see why as it has a broad layout, plenty of green spaces, beautiful sea views from the cliff top, an elegant beachfront and bustling town centre. Penarth Civic Society and Penarth Town Council have produced a number of great town trails (click here). These take you from town to seafront or focus on smaller areas branching off from the main town center. It really is a lovely place to spend the day and/or an evening.
History of St Augustine’s Church
Standing high up in the skyline above is St Augustine’s Church. The church that you see today was built in 1865/6 in an impressive Gothic revival style, which was popular at the time. Three relics of the older original church are on display inside: a long, flat, elaborate carved cross from the 13th century, a 14th-century churchyard cross and a prayer desk made from a former chancel gate. It is home to Penarth’s Roll of Honour, commemorating those who died during the Great War (WWI) and WWII. The churchyard is the final resting place of Joseph Parry (See Merthyr Blog). The church can be visited during open days – for more information click here .

Situated close to St Augustine’s Church is Belle Vue Park. A small Victorian park with benches and a play area.
All Saint’s Church and Church Hall
This Victorian Church is located alongside the Edwardian Church Hall in Victoria Square also a short walk from the town center. It is a lovely patch of green space and quiet enough to stop away from the busier town. The church hall is best known for hosting Gwen’s birthday party scene in the BBC hit television series Gavin and Stacey.
Visiting Penarth Esplanade
Penarth beachfront esplanade has been the main highlight for day trippers since the late 1800s. It has a number of cafés and restaurants along the main esplanade and plenty of places to stop and buy an ice cream. Two of its most eye catching buildings are the Pier Pavilion at the entrance to the pier and the old public baths across the road. The public baths closed in the 1980s when Penarth Leisure Centre based in Cogan opened and was a bar called ‘Inn at the Deep’ for a while, it is now a residential property. In 1927 Kathleen Thomas a 21-year-old woman from Penarth was the first person to swim across the Bristol Channel. In 2007 the achievement was marked by a plaque placed along the seafront.

About midway along the main esplanade are the grade II listed Italian Gardens. Above the Italian Gardens along the cliff line are Windsor Gardens. Windsor Gardens were first built in the 19th century as part of a private communal space for nearby houses. Both offer a nice space to stop and look out over the Bristol Channel.

Penarth Pier
The iron and timber framed pier opened in the mid 1890s. It is a short structure of its type, designed to keep clear of the deep water channel to Cardiff. It has been the starting point for pleasure boat trips ever since, although a lot less frequently in more recent years. You will often see sea fishermen at the pierhead during certain months.

The Pier Pavilion that stands as its entrance opened in 1930. It’s heyday was as a ballroom during the 1930s until WWII broke out in 1939 and the pier had to close for the duration of the war. It slowly declined over the years but has recently been fully restored and is now a café, gallery and cinema space.
For those of you who are looking for a hike, I can recommend the Coast and Pier Walk (Sully to Penarth Pier) which can be walked either way or there and back.
Visiting Alexandra Park
A little set back from the beachfront esplanade lies Alexandra Park, a little hidden gem tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the busy esplanade. This Edwardian Park twists and winds its way up the hill towards the town and is a lovely place to explore or stop for a picnic. It is also home to the cenotaph placed there in 1924 to commemorate all those who lost their lives in the Great War (WWI). It is a great way to link a walk between the seafront up to the town (or vice versa).
For articles realting to areas near Penarth see Barry, Sully and Dinas Powys
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