![]() ![]() The Switchback's trade declined, in competition with the more exciting Figure Eight and it only operated for another two years, finally closing in 1914 just as World War I in Europe started and the number of holiday visitors dropped off dramatically. With no competition the Switchback was a very popular and crowded attraction with Victorian holidaymakers and day trippers from the South Wales Valleys for fifteen years until a much larger Figure 8 roller coaster, also built by LaMarcus Thompson, opened on the edge of the beach level with the present pleasure park site in the spring of 1912. Barry Athletic Club's car park now stands where the Switchback ride ended. It was bought by the White family and installed at the western end of the beach edge on the present day site of The Olde Pavilion Café (named after the Pavilion Theatre, which had been situated amongst the sand-dunes). A Switchback Railway had been designed and built by the famous American coaster engineer LaMarcus Thompson specially for the Cardiff Empire Exhibition at Sophia Gardens in 1896, dismantled following the year-long exhibition and put up for sale. In that year the first major ride attraction was built. Until 1897, there was no established fairground on the island apart from a few carousels run by Bavarian showman Jacob Studt, a set of swing-boats hand-made by Sydney White of Cardiff and a playground slide set up on the main beach for each summer season. ![]() The station opened in time for the August Bank Holiday week in 1896 giving the impetus for the development of further attractions on the island. Trains were arriving every ten minutes and by 5 p.m. Once the rail link was completed the visitor numbers to the island exploded and one Bank Holiday weekend, over 150,000 visitors were recorded arriving on the island, and most of those came by train. This enabled visitors to board the paddle steamers that plied in the Channel to Bristol, Clevedon and Weston-super-Mare. As a further incentive for visitors to come to Barry, an extension to the railway line, through a boxed in tunnel on a 250 yard long pier structure, was built from the mainland to a new station next to the main Barry Pierhead. ![]() The only access to Barry Island before 1896 had been either by foot across the sands and mud at low tide or by Yellow Funnel Line paddle steamer when the tide was in. As well as investing in brand new rides & attractions he has also announced plans to expand with a nearby holiday camp to compliment his pleasure park. There are also several amusement arcades located around the park.īarry Island Pleasure Park is now owned by showman Henry Danter. The surrounding area, known locally as "Barry Island", contains a further variety of shops, bars and restaurants. The pleasure park is located opposite the sandy beachfront at Barry and contains a variety of amusements including fairground rides, attractions & food outlets. The park opens annually at weekends from Easter onwards and daily during the school summer holidays, until the first weekend in September. Barry Island Pleasure Park Previously known as The New Evesham Pleasure Park (1929–1950)īarry Island Pleasure Park, Barry Island, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 5TH, Walesĥ1☂3′29″N 3☁6′31″W / 51.3914°N 3.2753°W / 51.3914 -3.2753 Coordinates: 51☂3′29″N 3☁6′31″W / 51.3914°N 3.2753°W / 51.3914 -3.2753īarry Island Pleasure Park is an amusement park situated on the coast at Barry Island in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 10 mi (16 km) south west of the capital city Cardiff, Wales. ![]()
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