Barry in 1871 was a village on the north shore of the Bristol Channel a few miles west of Cardiff with a population of about 100, few of whom had been born there.

Most of the people in Barry and the nearby villages of Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan earned a living as farmers, craftsmen or tradesmen.

Barry Island, just offshore, was popular with day trippers.
They could reach it over stepping stones at low tide or by boat at other times.

An estimated 12,000 people visited the island in 1876.

Barry Sound lay between the island and the mainland, sheltered from storms by the island and by Friar's point.

It had been a port in Medieval times.

The island was about 1 mile (2 km) long and ¹⁄₂ mile (800 m) wide, with a height of 120 feet (37 m) above mean sea level.

The mainland slopes up to the north, so the sound was well sheltered from the wind.

No rivers or streams ran into the sound.

The Bristol Channel is known for the range of its tides.
During normal spring tides there is a range in water level of 36 feet (11 m), and during normal neap tides a range of 19.5 feet (5.9 m) but tides can peak at around 43 feet (13 m) in which case sea water flows into the dock over the top surface of the hollow sections of the lock gates and flows back over them as the tide falls.

At low water during spring tides there is a depth of 25 feet (7.6 m) at a distance of 2,100 feet (640 m) from the site of the dock entrance.
Barry in 1871 was a village on the north shore of the Bristol Channel a few miles west of Cardiff with a population of about 100, few of whom had been born there. 
Most of the people in Barry and the nearby villages of Cadoxton and Merthyr Dyfan earned a living as farmers, craftsmen or tradesmen. 
Barry Island, just offshore, was popular with day trippers. They could reach it over stepping stones at low tide or by boat at other times.
An estimated 12,000 people visited the island in 1876.
Barry Sound lay between the island and the mainland, sheltered from storms by the island and by Friar's point.
It had been a port in Medieval times.
The island was about 1 mile (2 km) long and ¹⁄₂ mile (800 m) wide, with a height of 120 feet (37 m) above mean sea level. 
The mainland slopes up to the north, so the sound was well sheltered from the wind.
No rivers or streams ran into the sound.
The Bristol Channel is known for the range of its tides. During normal spring tides there is a range in water level of 36 feet (11 m), and during normal neap tides a range of 19.5 feet (5.9 m) but tides can peak at around 43 feet (13 m) in which case sea water flows into the dock over the top surface of the hollow sections of the lock gates and flows back over them as the tide falls. 
At low water during spring tides there is a depth of 25 feet (7.6 m) at a distance of 2,100 feet (640 m) from the site of the dock entrance.
Barry Docks