The Bendricks facts for kids
The Bendricks is a special part of the coastline in south Wales, found along the northern edge of the Bristol Channel. It's located between the towns of Barry and Sully. This area is super important for finding old fossils, especially dinosaur footprints! It's so unique that it's protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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What is The Bendricks?
The Bendricks is a rocky beach area. It stretches from the big wall of the Barry docks on one side to Hayes Point on the other. A rocky point called Bendrick Rock sticks out into the sea here. Most of the time, you can only see the highest part of this rock when the tide is high. But during the very highest tides, it can be completely covered by the sea.
How Was The Bendricks Formed?
The rocks at The Bendricks are mostly made of mudstones, siltstones, and conglomerates. These rocks were formed a very long time ago, during the Triassic period. This was when dinosaurs first started to appear! The rocks were created from mud and silt that settled at the edge of a shallow, muddy sea.
The Cadoxton River used to flow differently here. But when the Barry Docks were built starting in 1884, the river was moved into a concrete channel. Near The Bendricks, you can also find a naval base called HMS Cambria and the old Sully Hospital.
Amazing Dinosaur Footprints
The Bendricks is famous because many dinosaur footprints have been found there! Some of these amazing footprints have been carefully moved to the National Museum and Galleries of Wales in Cardiff so people can see them. The BBC even showed these footprints and the rocks of The Bendricks in a TV show about the natural history of Wales. These footprints tell us about the dinosaurs that walked here millions of years ago.
How to Visit The Bendricks
You can get to The Bendricks by following a path. This path goes around the security fence of HMS Cambria at Hayes Point, Sully. You can also walk along the coastal path from the public boat ramp at the Vale of Glamorgan recycling center.
It can be tricky to see the dinosaur footprints. Many of them are covered when the tide is high. It's best to look for them after the tide has gone out, as the footprints might still hold small puddles of water. It's also easier to spot them when the sun is low in the sky. This creates longer shadows that help the footprints stand out more.
There's also a small street nearby called Bendrick Road, with about 50 houses.
