Porthkerry
| Porthkerry | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Curig | |
| OS grid reference | ST081667 |
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | CF62 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
The hamlet of Porthkerry (Welsh: Porthceri) lies on the Bristol Channel coast of South Wales within the community of Rhoose between that village and the town of Barry to the east. It is very close to the end of the runway of Cardiff International Airport. To the east of the hamlet is Porthkerry Park which occupies the valley leading down to the coast.
History
One of the oldest settlements in PorthKerry is the Iron Age promontory fort known as The Bulwarks, a 4.1 hectares (10 acres) site much of which is now wooded.[1] The Bulwarks, which consisted of three closely spaced overgrown banks fronted by ditches with the final side facing the cliffs to the south, were occupied well into the period of Roman occupation.[2] North of the fort is a church dedicated to Saint Curig. Described by Newman as "a very small church", St Curig has a single lancet window that is thought to be 13th century, but with other features, such as the east and west windows being confirmed as from the 15th century.[2]
On 28 November 1831 the vessel The Nepture, sailing from Newport to Wexford in Ireland, struck a rock off the coast of Porthkerry.[3] On 10 January 1898 the Porthkerry Viaduct on the Vale of Glamorgan Line operated then by the Barry Railway Company was the scene of a non-fatal railway accident involving the collapse of the structure.[4] The viaduct also featured in scenes in the Doctor Who television series in 2000.[5]The Porthkerry Leisure Park hit the national headlines in November 2011 when a portion of the cliff collapsed at the edge of the site leaving some caravans hanging over the edge of the cliff.[6]
Notable people
- Edward Romilly, cricketer, MP and High Sheriff of Glamorganshire[7]
References
- ^ "The Bulwarks at Cofleinp". map.coflein.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ a b Newman, John (1995). Glamorgan. London: Penguin Group. p. 531. ISBN 0140710566.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Ship News", The Times (London, England) 2 December 1831. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "Accident at Porthkerry Viaduct on 10th January 1898". Railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "Porthkerry Viaduct". Doctorwholocations.net. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "Safety probe had been launched prior to Porthkerry cliff collapse". Wales Online. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Sheriffs For The Year 1869." The Times (London, England) 6 February 1869. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
External links
