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Barrage

Cardiff Bay is a sheltered freshwater bay covering about 200 hectares on the Bristol Channel at the mouths of the Rivers Taff and Ely.

The Cardiff Bay Barrage itself is 1.1km long and extends from Cardiff docks in the north to Penarth in the south. This major civil engineering construction project subsequently led to the impoundment of the bay that has over 13km of waterfront.

The barrage includes locks and bridges, sluice gates, and a fish pass. The landscaped embankment is a public open space where visitors can walk and picnic with excellent views out over the sea and the bay.

This 220 million pound project was the catalyst for the 2 billion pound regeneration of the old docklands areas of Cardiff and Penarth.

Over 1,000,000 visitors have visited the barrage so far.