Home | Penarth hotels, hotels in Penarth Vale of Glamorgan, and hotels in WALES DIRECTORY

Penarth is on the north shore of the Severn estuary between Cardiff Bay to the north east and Barry to the south west. Penarth is a superbly elegant Victorian town, proud of retaining it's heritage, boasting superb parks and gardens and a range of stores, gift shops and galleries. As with many British holiday resorts it owes it's development to the Victorian and Edwardian fashion of visiting the seaside. Penarth was never a brash "kiss me quick" seaside resort such as it's near neighbour Barry Island but rather an exclusive resort and residential area for the better off. With it being fashionable again to visit the seaside Penarth has undergone somewhat of a revival with a refurbished Esplanade and pier, but although it continues to be a regular summer holiday destination for predominantly older visitors they are nowhere near the numbers that were common from Victorian times until the 1960s. The pebble beach has a backdrop of fine Edwardian buildings with a Yacht Club, and "Italian Gardens". The winding pathways of the Alexandra Gardens lead to the town centre with it's Cardiff style Arcades, and an eclectic mix of shops including high quality organic and fair trade. Being close to the City of Cardiff there is no shortage of things to do and attractions to visit.

Within Penarth a walk to Penarth Headland offers views over Cardiff Bay and the new Marina, and a walk along the Esplanade in the opposite direction leads to Lavernock Point and fine views of the Bristol Channel, the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm and the north somerset coast. (Lavernock Point is where in 1897 Marconi received the first ever radio message sent across water.) The Victorian Pier is a staging point for the various pleasure steamers, including the Balmoral, that ply their trade in the Bristol Channel at times during the summer months. Close at hand (2 miles)is the medieval village of Cosmeston where a fascinating reconstruction of a medieval settlement sits among the nature trails and lakes of Cosmeston Country Park. It is a popular attraction with re-enactments staged during bank holiday weekends.