Pristine Penarth: from Dirty Dock to Millionaire’s Row

With more millionaires per square mile than anywhere else in the world during the industrial revolution, Penarth has had plenty of quirky residents. Hear their stories while enjoying the charms of this genteel Victorian seaside town on a walking tour.

Starting at Cardiff Bay Barrage, you’ll see many of the iconic grand buildings and homes built for those early residents, and find out about the life of Baroness Windsor who built a coal exporting dock to rival Cardiff’s. In doing so, she set in motion a chain of events that saw Penarth grow from a tiny hamlet to a busy town. But she wasn’t the only woman to influence the town, as you’ll soon see.

Along the way, I’ll guide you around Penarth’s most interesting sites, including:

• Daggertown, once full of alehouses, brothels and gambling dens, and now a desirable place to live
• St Augustine’s Church where some of the town’s most famous residents are buried
• Penarth head with its breathtaking vistas
• The town’s old public baths
• Italian and Windsor Gardens
• Turner House Gallery

Along Penarth’s beautiful seafront there are plenty of opportunities to stop for coffee, ice-cream or even lunch, before our tour ends in the town centre.

Cover image provided by Visit the Vale