The Ancient Roots of Barry, South Wales: Part 1.

Feb 26

Owen JonesEurope , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

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.

It is a widely-held traditional belief that the father of Caractacus took him to Rome where they both converted to Christianity. They later returned to the Vale of Glamorgan with the missionary Bran The Blessed. It is also well-known that Christianity had gained much popular belief in the Vale by the early fourth century and that several bishops on the Council of Rome were from the area.

One of the oldest shrines in the vicinity is St. Baruch’s Church on Barry Island, but it is also in very poor condition. Barry Island was one of the most important monastic retreats of the period in south Wales. Steep and Flat Holm islands in the Bristol Channel were also highly significant in this regard. Another very important part of the puzzle was St. Illtyd’s Seminary in Llantwit Major which had 2,200 students.

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.

‘The Island’, as it is known locally, was first named Baruch’s Island after St. Baruch, who was found washed up on one its beaches dead in 700 AD. He had been drowned on his return from Flat Holm, where it was common practice for religious students to spend Lent.

He and Gwelches were both students of St. Cadoc and when they had got back from Flat Holm, they realized that they had left their enchiridion (religious manual) behind. St. Cadoc made them go back for it. Neither monk returned from the trip alive.St. Illtyd, St. Baruch’s most famous disciple was educated there too.

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.

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