I have often wondered about this arch with living accommodation above, clearly marked with a sign for Princes Street. I used to gather here with a few friends when bunking off from a games lesson at the Barry Boys Comprehensive School back in 1986. The arch of brick was a little under 100 years old back then, withholding as a frame local quarried Lias Limestone. As you look upwards down the passageway towards the step and the iron railing beyond, excusing the electric light and the tarmac under feet, little has changed since its inception by 1889.
This type of brick framing of limestone, all local materials, are a typical echo of those early years of development across the Barry and District- until most of the Lias limestone was exhausted as building material, and brick started to dominate building styles.
The Barry and District Museumeers on Facebook, offered us further insights into this structure. The most important contribution was from the legendary researcher John Anzevino. The archway forms part of a continuous unbroken routeway (along lanes and roads), running north to south from Claude Road through Jenner Road, dissecting through a number of streets, all the way to the back lane of Princes Street, under the arch and down towards Broad Street – the only thing stopping it is the railway. Now, this is where the story takes another turn.
John discusses the tremendous sound of water running underfoot during heavy rains at the Princes Street arch, and therefore continuous all the way down the road (East Street) to Broad Street. John is correct after examining the Ordnance Survey of 1877. It shows a stream that starts a little northwest of the archway. John suggests that the stream has been culverted under the road which in turn today, when eventually it does rain, takes away all the existing rain water to boot.
This is an amazing story from Alan Parsons, who lived in the area years ago. Accordingly, in times past, those members of the Salvation army walking north through the archway up the stairs to Porthkerry Road would play Christmas tunes by the end lamppost of Porthkerry Road. Alan, tells us: “I would go out and give a donation, making Christmas even more special.”
Before we head to our last story about the archway, Andrew Pellow offers us a more technical term for the archway. Its in-fact a ‘flying or floating freehold’. This would allow access to the rear of the terrace. But I would argue also it offers a continuous right of way, which is a kilometre or more long. Alan tells us, the freehold relates to the room above the passageway. It doesn’t matter that it’s a public footpath below, it’s the fact that the room protrudes or extends over property, land or airspace belonging to somebody else.
A brief, little stab into the old Barry and District landscape is from John Davies. John feels that the archway is more iconic of the ever urbanisation of the area. He believes the archway tells of a time that it lead into open fields with fresh water springs and then, in a blink of an eye, our wild untamed landscape was lost, just as Porthkerry Road is built.
What an adventure and a lot to say about a few bricks and million year old stone.
