Southerndown Dunraven Bay

Southerndown, is a village in South Wales and a suburb of Bridgend, close to St Brides Major, Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea, mostly known for its beach (officially named Duncockraen bay), which is a popular tourist destination during the summer months and since 1972 designated a Heritage Coast. When the tide is out there is an expanse of sand and pools. The cliffs are an obvious example of sedimentary rock.

As Southerndown, along with nearby Ogmore-by-Sea, is a west-facing beach (and hence on the Atlantic coast), off-shore winds from the East generate much good-quality surf, helped by the warming effects of the Gulf Stream.

There are actually two beaches separated by a headland. On the headland is ruined Dunraven Castle.

The second beach is only accessible by steep steps and is largely unused. The steps also reach the beach fairly far out from the cliffside, so it's easy to become cut off from them and stranded on the beach. The second beach is one of the largest in Glamorgan and stretches all the way down the coast to Nash Point near Llantwit Major.

It has been used in the occasional TV production, including on Doctor Who: "Doomsday" and "Journey's End" as Bad Wolf Bay and Merlin in 'The Labyrinth of Gedref'.

Ogmore by Sea

There were three houses overlooking the Bristol Channel and the Somerset/Devon coast in 1840: Sutton Farm House, Craig-yr-Eos Farm and Sealawn. Three more buildings were added by 1878: Tusker House, Sealawn Farm and St. Margarets (this last dwelling is shown on maps of 1860 and situated near Sealawn). By 1918 Sealawn had been renamed Slon (confusingly, Sealawn Farm was also known locally as Slon) and St. Margarets changed to Brig-y-Don. Slon reverted to its original name of Sealawn in 1958 and later became Sea Lawns Hotel. Situated on Slon Lane it had a pool table, bar, Peppers Restaurant, Gower Suite Function Room and nine bedrooms, and catered for local clientele and visitors for many years until its closure in November, 2005. Craig-yr-Eos Farm was the site of the home of the 15th century Welsh bard, Iorwerth Fynglwyd. He was buried in St. Bridget's Church, St. Brides Major, although it is not known where his tomb is located. In 1973 the owners of the Craig-yr-Eos hotel & restaurant bought a 100 ft log cabin and sun lounge to cater for large and small functions; it was designed by Bridgend architects Jenkins and Gould and built in Norway then taken apart and re-constructed on site; with no nails and hardly any glue, the structure was held together by joints. The Craig-yr-Eos was sold and converted into flats at the end of the 20th century. Brig-y-Don (used by the Red Cross to house evacuees during the Second World War) was also a hotel and restaurant for many years then became a home for the elderly, known as Heritage Coast House, until its closure in 2003; this building was demolished in early 2004 and a block of luxury apartments built on the site which in 2006 won a "Built in Quality" award organised by the Vale Council in the multiple housing/conversion category. Tusker House was also used as a Red Cross Hospital for soldiers during the First and Second World Wars.