Dunraven Bay

Dunraven Bay is much loved by the locals and attracts thousands of visitors every year, although officially called Dunraven Bay, it is also often referred to Southerndown beach taking its name from the nearby village.

This beach is a great place to fossil hunt and has some of the best rock pools along the coast, has a great sandy beach, large car –park and visitor facilities.

The bay is great place to start a walk, if you fancy a full day out, why not download the Ogmore by Sea Walk which links these two great beaches. Or if you just fancy an amble, or need something to do when the tide is in, you can visit the walled gardens and the Dunraven Castle ruins and take in the breathtaking views across to Temple Bay. (Look out for the waterfalls cascading from the cliff tops!

Heritage and Wildlife

People have been living in, and occupying, Dunraven as far back as the iron age, where the cliff top locations were thought to be used as a trading post. Much later, the Romans built a fort here, which was later replaced by a manor house in the 1700s, and lastly a residence known as Dunraven Castle which was later transformed into a convalescence hospital during the two World Wars.

Sadly the ‘castle’ was demolished in the 1960s, but some of the remains can be seen today. To find out more about what Dunraven may have looked like as an iron age trading post, or to take a tour of Dunraven Castle, download our app and then visit Dunraven and see the sites come to life on your smart phone or tablet.

The various inhabitants of Dunraven have had many a story to tell, the most notorious may be Walter Vaughn. Legend suggests he turned to wrecking passing ships to pay off gambling off gambling debts with tragic consequences.

Dunraven is a great place to spot wildlife, either from the beach, the gardens or talking a walk along the Wales Coast Path. In particular, look out for the rare chough bird (pronounced ‘chuff’), it has a red bill and legs and is a member of the crow family.

Facilities

• Ice-cream kiosk (seasonal) 
• Campsite
• Restaurant/ Café
• Parking
• Public House
• Toilets