Wales Coast Path: Dunraven Bay to Merthyr Mawr

Southerndown and Ogmore-by-Sea are two of my favourite places to go on the south Wales coast.

But despite being less than half an hour’s walk away from each other, for some inexplicable reason, I’ve never walked the Wales Coast Path between the two.

So I decided the Easter bank holiday weekend would be the perfect time to rectify this and for good measure, I planned to continue along the coast to the village of Merthyr Mawr.

I set off from Dunraven Bay, also known as Southerndown Beach (above), so I could continue my journey along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Path, after my previous walks from Llantwit Major to Nash Point and Nash Point to Dunraven Bay.

From Dunraven Bay, I followed the signs for the Wales Coast Path (above) and made my way up a series of steps behind the kiosk to the top of the hill, towards the village of Southerndown.

At the top of the hill, I made my way across the car park and through a stile the other side, and set off over the grassy cliff top (above).

The cliffs along this stretch of the Wales Coast Path are notoriously crumbly and there are signs warning walkers not to get too close to the edge in case they suddenly give way (above).

This part of the path is relatively flat and even under foot, so isn’t difficult to traverse and after 15 minutes or so, the cliffs dipped down into a little valley (above).

I ambled down the valley and then turned to my right, hugging the edge of the coastline.

The Bristol Channel has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, which means you can walk along the coast path in the morning, as I did on my walk, and see only the rocky jurassic coastline (above).

But come back three hours later and you’ll find a huge expanse of golden sand (above).

I continued along the coast path, passing a series of rock pools (above), and soon found myself in the large car park at Ogmore Beach.

Crossing the car park, I stopped above the rocks where the Ogmore River meets the Bristol Channel, to take in the sweeping views of the estuary (above and below).

At this point, the coastal path turns in-land for a little way as it follows the course of the river towards the village of Ogmore.

I meandered along this narrow stretch of path that’s lined with gorse (above), stopping frequently to admire the views and take some photos.

This section of the path is a little uneven under foot and becomes harder to follow further along the river, as the path splits in different directions and the lack of signs makes it difficult to work out which way to go.

I stuck to the path closest to the road because – having got lost trying to follow the coast path here before – I knew I’d soon have to cross the road (above) and continue along the hillside on the other side for a short distance.

I walked along the path until I reached The Pelican Inn and then crossed back over the road for a short detour to Ogmore Castle (above).

Ogmore Castle is a small ruin on the picturesque banks of the Ewenny River that dates back to the 12th century.

There isn’t a huge amount left of the stone fortress, but it’s a fun little castle for clambering among the ruins.

Just below the castle, there are a series of stepping stones across the Ewenny River that can be used as a shortcut to Merthyr Mawr.

But the tide was really high that day meaning most of the stones were submerged and crossing would be foolhardy without the right shoes.

After looking around the castle, I made my way back to the road and continued along it until I came to a turning on my left.

I wandered down this narrow path, which took me up and over a bridge across the Ewenny River (above).

On the other side, I found myself in a large muddy field and set off across it, in the direction of yet another bridge, which took me over the Ogmore River to a small car park.

From here, I walked along the short country lane to the village of Merthyr Mawr, which is home to some very charming cottages (above), and then stopped for a picnic, before retracing my steps back to Dunraven Bay.

I enjoyed my walk along this stretch of the coast. The section between Southerndown and Ogmore-by-Sea isn’t particularly scenic, but once you get to Ogmore-by-Sea, the views along the coast and estuary are stunning.

Info

• Parking: You can park at Dunraven Bay (£5), Ogmore-by-Sea (£6 for the day) or at Merthyr Mawr
• Facilities: There are free public toilets at Dunraven Bay and Ogmore-by-Sea. You’ll also find a kiosk serving drinks and snacks at Dunraven Bay and there are usually various pop-up trucks at Ogmore-by-Sea selling drinks, ice creams and other food.