Unsung coastal beauty

Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March each year.   To celebrate Saint David's Day this year, Escapism Magazine enjoyed a visit to the glorious, unsung Glamorgan Heritage Coastal Path, an area of virgin coast that is frequently overlooked by tourists in favour of the Gower and Pembrokeshire. 

The Coastal Path begins at Aberthaw and runs 14 miles to Porthcawl.  In between, there are some decidedly stunning beaches and wild coastal scenery - the section from St Donat's Castle to Southerndown (approximately 2 miles) is simply breathtaking for its wild beauty. 



The far-reaching views from atop the cliffs are of the Welsh mountains to the north and the brooding hills of Exmoor across the Bristol Channel.  Below, a wide yawn of yellow sand stretches against a mirror-calm sea.  Spring is truly here, with shrill bird-song and the sight of the first daffodils and snowdrops in the narrow, stony lanes and wooded valleys.  The weather is magnificent - warm and sunny with blue skies and hardly a cloud or breathe of wind.



This coast is famous for its shipwrecks and smugglers.  At St Donats, we find a castle, now a world famous education centre called Atlantic College.  The castle was once the home of American media magnate William Randolph Hearst who entertained his Hollywood friends there during the 1940s and 50s. Where else but here could you walk the same beach that Charlie Chaplin strolled along or the same road that Bing Crosby and Bob Hope followed?

There are no houses, hotels or developments on this immediate stretch of coast, and on most days in the week, you'll see very few people. 

There is good, traditional lodging options in Llantwit Major, Cowbridge or Porthcawl.  Parking is plentiful at St Donat's, the pull-in close to Nash Point Lighthouse or the road from Monknash past the Plough & Harrow public house (great traditional fish n chips http://www.theploughmonknash.com/) or Southerndown.  All these locations are ideal to start this walk from. 

Slightly further afield, but still on the Glamorgan Heritage Coastal Path, Merthyr Mawr is an idyllic little settlement with an outstanding collection of thatched dwellings straight from the pages of a Thomas Hardy novel.  Nearby Candleston Castle was once a 15th century fortified mansion house on the edge of the Sahara-like dunes of Merthyr Mawr Warren.  Parts of Lawrence of Arabia were filmed here.  You can walk through the dunes to a long, beautiful beach.

Information

The Bristol Channel is tidal, so always check the tide timetables to prevent being cut off by the tide.  In reality, there are not many stretches of this walk where this could happen, but the tides of the Bristol Channel can be treacherous.  Check tide timetables here:

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides/tides.shtml?date=20100301&loc=0512



Situated at Dunraven Park, Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan, CF32 ORP, Tel: (01656) 880157, the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Centre can provide you with maps and information about the various walks you can do.



There is parking on the edge of the village, or at intermediate points in Monknash, Dunraven Bay or Southerndown.  See map below.