219. Llantwit Major to Ogmore-by-Sea

Thursday 27^th October 2022

Today we had to use the cars rather than the railway, leaving my car at Ogmore-by-Sea and driving back in Tony’s to the beach café at Llantwit Major (GR952675). The breakfast was better than those we had the previous two days at The Coast café in Llantwit Major.

Today’s walk was to be a proper coastal walk on cliffs with half a dozen ‘down and ups’ (cwms or valleys) reminiscent of Cornwall though perhaps not quite so taxing. So, immediately after breakfast we were faced with the climb up the steps behind the café to climb out of Cwm Col-huw.

Col-huw Point (GR956675)

Path above Col-huw Point (GR956675)

A short distance along the coast the path went down the steps at Cwm Tresilian and up the steps on the other side. This was one of the smaller cwms.

Tresilian Bay (GR949677)

Cliffs at St Donat’s Point (GR946678)

St Donat’s College (GR938680)

St Donat’s Castle came into view and the path starts to drop down to reach sea level at St Donat’s Bay and the slipway for St Donat’s College (GR935678). The college, besides being a medieval castle, is also Atlantic College, the first United World College for international students. One of Tony’s school contemporaries went there for sixth form studies, the selected student from Derbyshire (perhaps Derbyshire qualifies as International being in England).

The area by the water’s edge at St Donat’s School is labelled as Cavalry Barracks on the Ordnance Survey map and the old stables form the buildings for an open-air swimming pool that looked rather bracing and character-forming.

After climbing through woodland out of Cwm Hancorne, the location of St Donat’s, the path continued along the on top of medium height limestone cliffs and is also known as Valeways Milleniun Heritage Trail at this point.

Nash Point Lighthouse (GR923679)

The Nash Point lighthouses can be seen about a mile ahead and Hinkley Point power station makes its regular appearance back across the Bristol Channel. The main lighthouse is in remarkably good decorative order as are the associated buildings with their huge fog horn (GR921680).

Massive foghorn at Nash Point (GR921680)

A short walk past the lighthouses and Nash Point itself and the down and up of Marcroes Cwm are reached (GR916684).

Nash Point Lighthouse from Cwm Marcroes (GR915686)

This whole coastline is most impressive with perfectly formed limestone cliffs and beaches that are often covered in interestingly patterned rock formations.

Another mile and another Cwm, this time Cwm Nash (GR906700) which turns out to be the most serious undertaking of the day.

Rocks on beach at Cwm Nash (GR905701)

Trwyn y Witch from above Whitmore Stairs (GR899714)

Yet another mile and another Cwm (Cwm Bach) (GR896718). On the map this looks rather daunting but in fact the path takes a route around it rather than directly down and up.

Cwm Bach and Whitmore Stairs (GR897719)

A quarter of a mile further on Cwm Mawr (GR897723) is probably the largest of the day (mawr means big) but the path goes inland during the descent and then back to the coast on the ascent of the other side and so the steepness is reduced.

Dunraven Park overlooking Dunraven Bay is the site of another ancient fort and more recent castle and is now a popular park and wind surfing location (GR888729).

Gatehouse to Dunraven Park at Pant y Slade (GR886731)

The cwm here is called Pant y Slade which appears to strangely translate as ‘valley the valley’. Whatever the meaning the result is a very steep (for the end of a four day walking trip) climb up the road to the Three Golden Cups pub at Southerndown (GR883738). Even though it was 3.30 on a late October afternoon it was still pleasant to sit outside with a pint while rather noisy preparations for a Hallowe’en party went on inside.

The Three Golden Cups, Southerndown (GR883738)

Our walking at this time of year always seem to coincide with Hallowe’en mainly because it is the last opportunity before the clocks go back and shorten the day. Originally it also coincided with a ‘reading week’ at the university meaning that I had fewer teaching responsibilities while the little darlings (our term of endearment for students) had a rest from their strenuous efforts of the first four weeks of term.

Hallowe’en at the Three Golden Cups, Southerndown (GR883738)

All that was left of the trip was the mile walk to the car on the outskirts of Ogmore-by-Sea (GR870745)

End of the trip at Ogmore-by-Sea (GR870745)

Days from Chepstow 219

Miles today 9.0

Miles from Chepstow 2518.0