Cardiff Bay Barrage
www.cardiffharbour.com One of the most ambitious engineering projects in Europe was undertaken to build a barrage over 1km long across the mouth of the Bay to provide a 500 acre freshwater lake fed by the Taff and Ely rivers. A landscaped embankment is positioned next to the barrage, which is public open space where visitors can walk and picnic with excellent views out over the sea and the bay.
Visiting the barrage with its locks, sluice gates and fish pass ( allowing fish access from the sea to the rivers to spawn ) is fascinating. It's an incredible sight watching the giant chambers fill with 10,000 tonnes of water allowing vessels to pass from one side of the barrage to the other. You can get onto the barrage, where there are refreshments and toilets available, by land train or boat. Penarth marina is on the other side, an easy stroll from the locks. Access onto the Barrage by foot is only possible from the Penarth end, and after crossing it you'd have to turn around and retrace your steps. The Barrage closes to visitors between 4pm and 7pm depending on the season. Ring the Harbour Authority 029 2087 7900 to check and also for details of the Harbour Festival in the summer.
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