A native of Maesteg, Barrie was educated at Maesteg Grammar School which he left to become a Cadet at the Glamorgan Constabulary Headquarters in Bridgend. At 19 Barrie joined the regular force as a constable and was posted to Neath where he met and married his wife Anne. The couple have three children and four grandchildren. As well as Neath Barrie served at Bridgend, Maesteg, Kenfig Hill, and Traffic Administration Department securing promotion to the rank of Sergeant before ill-health caused his premature retirement.

His interest in the history of his home town at Maesteg was piqued at an early age, and in his thirties he secured a Grade A pass in Medieval History at A Level with The London University. Since his enforced retirement it is this interest which has helped provide him with something upon which to focus, and for the past 20 years he has been concentrating upon the history of the former Borough of Kenfig prior to 1850.

A founder member of The Kenfig Society, Barrie was instrumental in creating the Publications Section which produces booklets on the local history of the area several of which he has written himself. He also wrote a popular column in a local free newspaper under the pen-name “The Time Trekker” which ran for over seven years. He and Anne have given talks on local history to numerous organisations in South Wales, and Barrie has often appeared on radio and television as “the local expert” – notably the occasion when he was all but blown off the top of Kenfig Castle in the acclaimed BBC Television series “Coast”!

Source: Courtesy The Time Trekker Barrie Griffiths

It gives us a great scense of pleasure and utmost respect through this website project to dedicate this special section to Barrie Griffiths. Barrie's research was thorough & his works and publications well respected throughout both the local communities and the world. Some of his works provide the main stay to this very website project itself and without Barrie's own self belief & determination to research and document vital elements of Kenfig's historical past our task would be somewhat neigh impossible to conduct even through the usage and implementation of modern digital technologies.

As this is the only comprehensive website project documenting the entire history of Kenfig & the surrounding area we therefore feel it a memerable and fitting tribute to Barrie Griffiths to include some of Barrie's most treasured works on this website - that way his works will survive for posterity through the archiving of this website in digital format through both the National Library of Wales and the British Library.

Rob Bowen - Chair/Author/Webmaster

www.kenfig.org.uk / www.cynffig.org.uk