Where is Ogmore-By-Sea?
Ogmore-by-sea – Aberogwr is a small seaside village along the coastline at the western limit of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is best known for its sandy beach along the shoreline. It is positioned at the end of the River Ewenny. There is parking next to the beach (charges apply) and there are toilets located in the same car park. The beach is a dog friendly beach throughout the year. It can get very busy on sunny summer days so parking a little further away and walking along the coastal path is one option to avoid any traffic. As always it is best to watch tide times and look for any lifeguard flags as warnings on the beach before swimming in the sea.
Ogmore-By-Sea History
Some of the earliest finds showing human settlement from the area include an early Neolithic stone axe (around 6,000 years old), found near Ogmore-by-Sea. Two Bronze Age burial mounds are situated on the limestone hills of Beacons Down and there is another, well preserved mound nearby on common land near the road at Heol y Mynydd. Easily the most visible historic landmark remaining today is Ogmore Castle, which can be seen along the road to the beach.
When was Ogmore Castle built?
Ogmore Castle was built by the De Londres family around 1116 on the south bank of the Ewenny River and it remained in the possession of the family until 1298. It was taken over by the crown in 1399 from the Duchy of Lancaster. The castle was abandoned sometime between 1530 and 1631. The Court House (situated to the north of the outer bailey) was still in use until 1803.
Remains of the stone structure still survive and include a sub-oval enclosure with a stone keep. The keep is one of the earliest examples of its type in Wales and was built in the early 12th century, possibly by William de Londres’ son Maurice. It was originally a two-storey building but a third storey, with the addition of a stair turret and garderobe abutting the left side was added later.
The gatehouse survives as a small rectangular structure. It is located to the south east of the keep and is part of the curtain wall. The entrance has a segmental arched head and the stone abutments of the draw bridge still survive. To the north east is a late 12th century cellar with two small flanking bays to the entrance. The curtain wall, hall and remaining internal structures, gateway and bridge were built in the early 13th century. A single-storey, rectangular Court House is located to the north of the outer bailey, with a circular circa 1300 limekiln situated to the south west.
Points of interest include an early medieval cross shaft fragment on a plinth within the castle ruins and the remains of an early limekiln (as mentioned above). The stepping-stones in the river can be crossed when the river is low.
Walks
For a comprehensive walk of the area that also covers Southerndown and St Bride’s Major, there is the Vale Trail 1 , an 8 mile walk that can be broken down into shorter sections.
For articles relating to areas near Ogmore-by-sea please see Merthyr Mawr and Southerndown.
Is Ogmore’s climb a steeper path than the others?
Hi, Thank you for commenting. Not too sure if your question relates to climbing? If it does I know you can rock climb there but definitely not my area of expertise… If it relates to walking the coast path, it is fairly steady in this area – nearby Merthyr Mawr or Southerndown do have more ascent and descent than at other points along this relatively flat section. If I have totally misread/misunderstood the question please let me know and I can reply again.