If you are looking for an afternoon out and enjoy coastal scenery, Southerndown in the Vale of Glamorgan is a great choice. Some of the most dramatic looking cliff faces can be seen here. Dunraven Bay is where most people start off as there is a small car park located down a steep hill and just off the beach. If you don’t mind the walk down and back up, there is another car park at the top of the hill looking down to the bay.
Cliff Face View from Dunraven Bay car park
Only around 15-20 minutes from the M4 turn off at junction 35 Pencoed, just follow the signs for Bridgend and then Ogmore-by-sea. Heading out of Bridgend on the B4265 to Ewenny, turn off onto the B4524 and travel to Southerndown on the Ogmore-by-sea road. You will arrive at the village of Southerndown with The Three Golden Cups pub on your left and the road down to Dunraven Bay on your right.
The Heritage Coast Centre
At the car park in Dunraven Bay there is a small shop selling tea, coffee and snacks. You will also find the Heritage Coast Centre where staff operate a small tourist information shop. They arrange exhibitions, organise activities, walks and tours. There are also a few picnic benches and tables available along with some basic toilet facilities all at the bottom car park area.
Heading towards Dunraven Gardens (castle)
Heading out from the car park and through the gates towards Dunraven Gardens (castle) you will find three courts within the grounds. At the top court there is a tower that can be accessed from outside of the court walls.
Views of Dunraven Gardens
View of Temple Bay
The views from the tower towards Dunraven bay are well worth the effort. If you are feeling even more energetic, head on further along the path that’s situated on the left of the gardens and take in the amazing view of Temple Bay. As with all cliff top walks stay clear of the edge and keep to the designated pathways, as the ground here is particularly soft.
Dunraven Bay View from the Hill Fort towards Ogmore-by-sea
You can complete a loop and head on up to the hill fort and take an even higher view point of Dunraven Bay looking in the direction of Ogmore-by-sea and Porthcawl. From here you can either double back on yourself or head on down the mountain and complete the loop back to the car park. If you do not intend to spend time on the beach, I would budget around two hours of strolling, taking in the views and maybe a coffee at the shop.
If you plan on a beach day out, make sure you check out the tide timings as the tide rises here by over 20 feet. When the tide is out the beach area is quite large, so you should be able to find a quiet spot of your own. There is a lifeguard station that is manned during the summer months and if the flags are flying you may only swim between the red and yellow flags. The bay is popular with local surfers and you will almost always find someone out on the water. In the winter months, some of the sunsets viewed from down in the bay are just superb and well worth the trip down, even if you just sit in the car.