Font-y-Gary

Summary

Font-y-Gary, also Fontygary, Fontegary or Fontygari (Welsh: Ffont-y-gari), is a village adjacent to Rhoose, 3 miles south-west of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, on the coast of south Wales. To the north is Fonmon and Fonmon Castle. The origin of the name is uncertain but in 1587 it was documented as "Fundygary".[1]

Font-y-Gary
The Fontygary Inn
Font-y-Gary is located in Vale of Glamorgan
Font-y-Gary
Font-y-Gary
Location within the Vale of Glamorgan
OS grid referenceST051661
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Postcode districtCF
PoliceSouth Wales
FireSouth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Vale of Glamorgan
51°23′07″N 3°21′55″W / 51.3853°N 3.3654°W / 51.3853; -3.3654

Font-y-Gary is located near Cardiff International Airport. There is little in the village itself apart from the Font-y-Gary Holiday and Leisure Park and caravan site and stoney beach.[2] On Sundays there is a car boot sale on the holiday park site, as well as the club and shop. There is also a disused quarry in the vicinity between Font-y-Gary and Aberthaw.

In 1928 Font-y-Gary was noted for being a favorable picnic spot,[3] and in 1943 Font-y-Gary was described as a "pleasant summer resort with a delightful beach for bathing, edged with rugged cliffs which form a delightful background – and a convenient undressing place for bathers."[4] The shingle beach and cliffs are distinct and there is a large cave called Font-y-Gary Cave.[5] The scene is of the view from the top of the cliffs in the photos below. Actress Susan George frequently holidayed at the caravan park as a child.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ Mills, Anthony David (6 November 2003). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford University Press. p. 530. ISBN 978-0-19-852758-9. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Fontygary Holiday and Leisure Park". Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  3. ^ Gas world. Benn Bros. January 1928. p. 575.
  4. ^ Evans, Cyril James Oswald (1943). Glamorgan: its history and topography. W. Lewis (printers) ltd.
  5. ^ Geological Survey of Great Britain (1904). The geology of the South Wales coal-field ... Printed for H.M. Stationery off., by Wyman and sons, limited. p. 105.
  6. ^ Country life. Country Life, Ltd. 2008. p. 58.

External links edit

  • Photos of Fontygary and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk