Thirteen years ago, however, the Eastern side of the Island looked entirely different before undergoing a multi-million-pound makeover that would change the way the area looked forever.
Before work began in 2013, the buildings that once housed the changing rooms and other buildings and shelters on the eastern side of the Island were, for lack of a better word, terrifying.
Images from the time before work would begin see them dark, dank and miserable, offering little to no invitation inside.
The £3.3 million development of this area would include improvements to the Eastern Promenade and Harbour Road Causeway, as well as to the Nells Point area.
Footpaths around the Island would be improved, bus shelters replaced, railings and fencing refurbished, and a new toilet block installed near the Eastern shelter.
Work would begin on October 28, 2013.
Council leader Neil Moore said at the time that he believed this would be “the beginning of a great future for Barry Island.”
As an area that already attracted tourists, the plans aimed to attract even more visitors to Barry Island, catering to their needs and focusing on developing the Island into somewhere more welcoming and modern.
Speaking in November 2013, the then Welsh Government regeneration Minister Huw Lewis said: “Barry Island has the potential to be the jewel, not just of Barry’s crown, but of the whole of South Wales in terms of attracting visitors from the local area and further afield.
“The tourists of today have different needs, and this is why I am pleased that the Vale Council has ambitious plans to redevelop the area into an all-year destination with indoor activities; and that the Regeneration Board has agreed to make Barry Island a priority for 2013-14.”
This work was not without its setbacks.
An original completion date of April 2014 was pushed back due to inclement weather conditions, with work earmarked to be completed in June.
It took a little longer than anticipated and the site was officially handed over to the Council on December 5, 2014.
Councillor Lis Burnett, current Council Leader and then Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The delays in the project have been frustrating as has the snagging process.
“We were very aware of the delays, and as such were not willing to compromise on quality.
“Hopefully now Barry Island can become the jewel in the crown of the Vale that we always knew it could be.”
Today, the hard work and perseverance of campaigners and contractors stands proud on the Eastern end of Barry Island, allowing locals and visitors to enjoy the area to the fullest.
All photographs in this article were sourced from the Barry Island Historical Group. Their Facebook page has thousands of images to view of Barry’s history.
