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In the 1700's, dishes, saws, knives, flints, a scraper, a prehistoric horn celt with strange markings, a spokeshave and some arrowheads from the Neolithic Period were found. These are now safely housed in the museum in Cardiff, but at the time no one thought to organize an excavation and later a housing estate was built on the site.

An ancient Roman kitchen, complete with remains and utensils underwent a similar fate. In 1533, Leland was made the Kings Antiquary and was directed to make a tour of all places where records were held. This took him nine years and his description of the island was:

"It is about a mile in circumference and has good corn, grass and some wood, and there is no dwelling on the Island, but in the midst of it is a fair little Chapel of St. Baruch which is visited by many pilgrims. It took the name Barri from this holy man who was buried there and whose remains are yet on the Island". (The Welsh name for Barry is Y Barri).

Vikings raided the coastline of south Wales in the Tenth Century often taking hostages from the monasteries, but they did not seek to settle the area. The island was known as the 'Saints' Retreat' or the 'Island of Saints' for a long time. Later, in the Sixteenth Century, the island was used by smugglers and pirates and was known locally as the 'Smugglers' Fortress'. This occurred at the same time as Bristol, Britain's second largest port, was growing rapidly.

Barry Island soon became the centre of piracy and smuggling in the Bristol Channel. In 1784, the island became known as the "Fortress of Knight". Knight was the most prolific pirate and smuggler in the channel and people were to terrified to speak out in court against him., although he was also considered a bit of a local hero. His armed ship was called 'John O' Combe'. He was eventually forced out to Lundy, which he also fortified. He and his successor, Arthur, returned to Barry so frequently that H.M. Customs asked the government to station a cutter in Penarth and 60 troops to Barry.

Rhoose was infamous for its wreckers and George II sent troops to break up the smugglers and wreckers. They landed at Aberthaw "the Rhoose men's favourite landing zone, from where they could easily transport the contraband along Port Road to Cardiff, the main market for such things". Several large caves were filled in while constructing the present day docks and it is likely that they were used by the pirates until they were moved on in about 1850.

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Barry Castle was owned by William de Barri in the twelfth century, but it was raized to the ground by Llewellyn Bren in 1316. Many believe that the Cavaliers rebuilt and that the Roundheads destroyed it again. Whatever is true, it was never rebuilt again after that.

The Normans were hated by the locals and they had to build large mansions to protect themselves from the frequent attacks carried out on them from the people of the valleys and mountains. During the time of Henry III, there were 12 castles within six miles of Barry. In Glamorgan, there were 30 castles and in south Wales as a whole, 150.

Porthkerry and its church which lies on the wooded hill to the west of it are said to have taken their name from Ceri, who, in turn, is said to have founded a port there, ie 'Port Ceri'. People say that Ceri ap Caid, the King of Essyllwg, lived in Porthkerry before the Christian era and that his bard, Corvinor, was the first to build a ship with sails and a rudder for the 'race of Cymru'. Some believe that Ceri was a nephew or grandson of Caractacus (Caradog) and that he took over the leadership of the government in South Wales when Caractacus had to journey to Rome.

John Wesley preached in the Porthkerry Church pulpit, and sometimes outside too, between 1741 and 1743. There are two very old churches still in use today in Barry, St. Cadocs Church in Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan Church in Merthyr Dyfan. One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, Cadoxton was the largest village in the Barry area: for example, in 1844 the Parliamentary register contained 25 names: 20 from Cadoxton and five from Barry. The one church was dedicated to St. Cadoc, who used to spend Lent on Flat Holm and Barry Island. The village took its name from the church, which was founded in 800 AD.

Merthyr Dyfan Church, situated in the north of Barry, was founded in 600 AD and the name means Dyfan The Martyr. There were two saints of this name: one journeyed to Barry to convert the inhabitants to Christianity; the second lived in the Sixth Century and was the son of a Welsh chieftain. His sister was also martyred and the town of Merthyr Tydfil is named after her.

The Christian faith grew exponentially in the Vale of Glamorgan and in the middle of the 2nd. Century, Llewrwg, Prince of Siluria, became the first king, anywhere in the world of all time, to be baptized into the Christian faith. He sent to Rome for more Chritian teachers and was sent Dyfan and Fagan. The former was martyred near the site of the church and the latter was canonized. St. Fagan's just outside Cardiff was named after him.

If you are interested in Welsh corgi puppies, or Wales in general, go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Are you the type of dog owner who likes to take your companion with you wherever you go? If you are then you know that that there are times when you can do this, but there are also times when you can not, for whatever reason.

On the occasions when that happens, you will usually have to to find a boarding kennels that will take care of your dog while you are away.

A vacation is a time for relaxing, so you do not want to be worrying about your dog, if you can help it. Within your own country, it is not usually a big problem, but if you go abroad, then taking your dog can be more trouble than it is worth. Not only for you, but for your doggy friend as well.

If you can not place your dog with someone it knows, like a member of your family or a neighbour, then the only option is a boarding kennels.

I have placed my dog in a bad kennel once and I learned a few lessons from that. I placed my Becky in a kennel in a highly regarded village just outside our town. I was happy with what I saw and the patter of the owner, so I went to Spain, thinking that all was okay for both of us. I had a lovely holiday and went straight to the kennels from the airport on my return, although I had told them a fortnight before that I would pick Becky up the day after my arrival. I just could not wait to see her.

I went to the kennels and they were surprised to see me. Of course, I was a day early. They said that Becky was 'resting' and that it would be better to 'come back tomorrow'. No way! So they took me to see her. I nearly cried. She was sitting in a good sized cage, but on newspaper sodden with pee.

She saw me and just looked down at her paws. I called her name again, but she did not want to know. I paid the bill and put her in the car on the front passenger seat where she always sat. She just looked out the window and showed no interest in me whatsoever.

It took three days before she would speak to me again! The moral of this story is not to be persuaded by big adverts or impressive locations as I was. Ask your dog-owning friends, write into the local paper inviting recommendations, phone the local animal protection society or the kennel club or look on the Internet.

If you are interested in Welsh corgi puppies, or Wales in general, visit our website at Welsh Products Online

In the 1700's, dishes, saws, knives, flints, a scraper, a prehistoric horn celt with strange markings, a spokeshave and some arrowheads from the Neolithic Period were found. These are now safely housed in the museum in Cardiff, but at the time no one thought to organize an excavation and later a housing estate was built on the site.

They also found an ancient Roman kitchen complete with utensils and food remains which appeared to have been abandoned in a hurry like the Marie Celeste. That wasn't investigated either. In 1533, the King's Antiquary, Leland, was told to tour all places where records were held. It took him nine years and his description of the island was as follows:

"It is about a mile in circumference and has good corn, grass and some wood, and there is no dwelling on the Island, but in the midst of it is a fair little Chapel of St. Baruch which is visited by many pilgrims. It took the name Barri from this holy man who was buried there and whose remains are yet on the Island". (The Welsh name for Barry is Y Barri).

Vikings ravaged the coast of South Wales in the tenth century. They often took hostages from the monasteries, but they did not seem to want to live in the area. For a long tim, the island was known as the "Saints' Retreat" or the "Island of Saints". Afterwards, in the sixteenth century, it was inhabited by smugglers and pirates and was called the "Smugglers' Fortress". This became serious as it grew simultaneously with the rise of Bristol, Britain's second largest port.

Barry Island soon became the centre of piracy and smuggling in the Bristol Channel. In 1784, the island became known as the "Fortress of Knight". Knight was the most prolific pirate and smuggler in the channel and people were to terrified to speak out in court against him., although he was also considered a bit of a local hero. His armed ship was called 'John O' Combe'. He was eventually forced out to Lundy, which he also fortified. He and his successor, Arthur, returned to Barry so frequently that H.M. Customs asked the government to station a cutter in Penarth and 60 troops to Barry.

The seaside village of Rhoose was so renowned for its wreckers that George II sent troops to break up the gangs. They landed at Aberthaw, just up the coast a bit, "the Rhoose men's favourite landing zone, from where they could easily transport the contraband along Port Road to Cardiff, the main market for such things". While building the docks at Barry in the late Nineteenth Century, several large caves were filled in. They were probably used by the pirates who were moved on again in or about 1850.

Much of what we know or have supposed about Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan, in which it is situated has been gleaned from the buildings found there, many of which have been badly neglected for too long. There are also legendary stories, such as that of Joseph of Arimathea, who traded tin in Glastonbury, just across the channel and who was one of the first missionaries to this part of the country.

Tradition has it that the father of Caractacus took his son on a journey to Rome, where they were converted to Christianity. Later, they returned to the Vale of Glamorgan with Bran The Blessed, the missionary. It is a fact that Christianity was a popular belief there early in the Fourth Century and that south Wales sent several bishops to the Council of Rome.

Saint Baruch's Church on Barry Island is one of the oldest places of historic religious interest in the region, but unfortunately, it too has been allowed to become dilapidated. Barry Island was one of the most important places of monastic interest in south Wales and around. The ancient Viking strongholds of Steep and Flat Holms also housed monks and Saint Illtyd's Seminary in nearby Llantwit Major, which taught 2,200 disciples, was closely linked to it too.

There was an ancient Roman fort and accompanying naval dockyard on Porthkerry Point, which had obviously jutted out further into the sea than it does now and later a castle was built on their ruins. There have been found many wolf and deer bones between Sully and Barry - enough to show that they had existed there in great numbers. There have also been a large number of findings of arrowheads, flints, needles and coins, proving that people were there to prey on them too.

Barry Island was first called 'Baruch's Island', as far as we know, after Saint Baruch. St. Baruch had been found on one of the beeches, washed up dead in 700 AD. He is known to have drowned when returning from Flat Holm, which was commonly used as a retreat by religious people over Lent.

He and Gwelches were disciples of Saint Cadoc at that time and on their return to the island, they realized that they had forgotten their enchiridion or religious manual. St. Cadoc made them do back to fetch it. Neither men returned alive. St. Baruch's most acclaimed student, St. Illtyd was educated there.

Barry Island has had its name changed several times over the centuries. It was once called 'Island of the Saints' and 'Insular of Peiros', after St. Peiro, who was St. Illtyd's successor at the seminary at Llantwit Major. He was also St. Samson's luminary. There was also a St. Doeninas, who was abbot of a nearby abbey on Friars' Point.

Barry Castle was owned by William de Barri in the twelfth century, but it was raized to the ground by Llewellyn Bren in 1316. Many believe that the Cavaliers rebuilt and that the Roundheads destroyed it again. Whatever is true, it was never rebuilt again after that.

The Norman interlopers were thoroughly hated by the local people and they had to build large mansions to defend themselves from the not infrequent raids on them by the people of the valleys and the mountains. During the time of the reign of Henry III, there were 12 castles within six miles of Barry; in Glamorgan, there were 30 castles and in South Wales as a whole there were 150 of those symbols of oppression.

Porthkerry and the church to its west is said to have taken its name from Ceri, who, it is said, founded a port 'Port Ceri'. It is believed that Ceri ap Caid, the King of Essyllwg, lived in Porthkerry before the Christian era. His bard, Corvinor, is stated to have been the first to have built a ship with sails and a rudder for the race of Cymru. Some believe that Ceri was a nephew or grandson of Caractacus (Caradog) and that he assumed the head of government in south Wales when Caractacus was sent to Rome.

John Wesley later preached from the Porthkerry Church pulpit, and sometimes outside, in 1741, 1742 and 1743. There are two very old churches still in use today St. Cadocs Church in Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan Church in Merthyr Dyfan. 150 years ago, Cadoxton was the largest village in the area: eg in 1844 the Parliamentary register contained 25 names: 20 from Cadoxton and five from Barry. The church was dedicated to St. Cadoc, who used to spend Lent on Flat Holm and Barry Island. The village took its name from the church, which was founded in 800 AD.

Merthyr Dyfan Church, situated in the north of Barry, was founded in 600 AD and the name means Dyfan The Martyr. There were two saints of this name: one journeyed to Barry to convert the inhabitants to Christianity; the second lived in the Sixth Century and was the son of a Welsh chieftain. His sister was also martyred and the town of Merthyr Tydfil is named after her.

The Christian faith grew exponentially in the Vale of Glamorgan and in the middle of the 2nd. Century, Llewrwg, Prince of Siluria, became the first king, anywhere in the world of all time, to be baptized into the Christian faith. He sent to Rome for more Chritian teachers and was sent Dyfan and Fagan. The former was martyred near the site of the church and the latter was canonized. St. Fagan's just outside Cardiff was named after him.