St Brides 

Our walk begins at St. Bridget’s Church, in the centre of the village of St Brides Major. The church was built in the 12th century, but on the site of an earlier foundation.

Local tradition has it that St Bridget of Kildare (c.451-525) travelled from Ireland across St Brides Bay to Wales and then followed the Roman roads to Llantwit Major, visiting St Illtud’s monastic school before crossing the Bristol Channel to Glastonbury. While at what is now St Brides Major, she founded a llan or Christian community. The lane and path over Ogmore Common is an old Roman Road, Heol-y-Milwr (Military Road), and known locally as Pilgrim’s Way.
The walk crosses over Ogmore Common and then drops down to the village of Southerndown, passing All Saints’ Church. This church was built in 1968-9, replacing a former mission church, and apart from worship, is used by the local community for coffee mornings, meetings etc.
The Glamorgan Heritage Coast is reached at Dunraven, where formerly stood Dunraven Castle, originally built by William de Londres in the early 12th century. 

Then a pleasant walk through Slade Woods and across fields takes us back to St Brides Major, passing the village pond and well, and the Green, with the war memorial and Glamorgan Heritage Coast inscribed stone.

Start St Bridget’s Church, St Brides Major CF32 0TB (SS 8942 7504)
Getting there B4265 from Bridgend or Llantwit Major. Park in the car park below the church. 303 bus from Bridgend or Llantwit Major to Southerndown Road and walk through the village to the church.

Walk 
From the lower gate of St Bridget’s Church (1) turn left up The Shilly and continue uphill across a cattle grid. 
At the junction of The Shilly with the track leading to St Brides Court is the base of Croes Antoni, a medieval Pilgrim’s Cross (2).

This marked a pilgrimage route; there is a similar cross base at Ewenny Priory.
Continue up the road until you reach two houses and the open Common. Keep left over the Common following the boundary fence of a small reservoir. The Common has fine views over Bridgend and the surrounding countryside.
At the highest point turn left to pass some houses, following the track to a road. Turn right and follow the road around, through the hamlet of Heol-y-Mynydd to a T-junction by Groes Farm. Turn left and follow the road down to Southerndown.

You meet the main B4524; carry on down the road, with the sight of the cliffs of Dunraven Bay before you. Passing the Southerndown Cricket Club grounds on the left, you reach a high stone wall, behind which is All Saints’ Church.(3) If the church is open, there are toilets and kitchen facilities. 

Beyond All Saints’ Church, the main road turns left at the Three Golden Cups; follow instead Beach Road, which after the car park has a footpath on the left hand side. This takes you down steps to the toilets, refreshments kiosk and picnic area at Dunraven Bay. (4)  If time permits, you may wish to climb up to the Grade II listed walled gardens, with their terraces, summerhouse and ice house, built in the form of a medieval turret, and views along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.


Temple Bay is a good example of the geology of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, with the limestone rock layers separated by softer layers of shale. The cliffs were formed 180 million years ago in the early Jurassic times. This is a place to wonder at the glories of God’s creation and to give thanks for the beauty of the earth.

From the car park at Dunraven Bay turn up the surfaced road past the picnic tables to the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Centre. The Centre has information boards, interpretive material, books, and leaflets, though it is not always open.
Continue beyond the Centre, keeping to the wall on the right hand side, and pass through the gate to follow the main track. This runs alongside Slade Wood, with a mass of bluebells in the spring. 

The path proceeds gently uphill to a kissing gate, leading into a field. Carry on, with a hedge on the left, to a gap at the end of the field. Turn left into the next field, but then immediately to the right is a stone stile. Climb over into the next field and follow the path, with the hedge to your right.
After climbing over the next stile continue through the field, aiming for the top left hand corner by keeping the hedge to your left. The next stile leads to a path along the hedge to a stile and gate near farm buildings. With the farm buildings to your left, aim for a stone stile set in a wall. The path then leads to the main B4265 by the Farmers Arms pub and restaurant.
If using a bus, there is a bus stop here for Bridgend or Llantwit Major. If you have come by car, continue left along the main road past the village pond and well and then through the village back to St Bridget’s Church and the car park.

Map
OS Explorer 151 Cardiff and Bridgend
Public Transport
The 303 NAT bus runs hourly in both directions between Bridgend and Llantwit Major, connecting with the 304 to Barry, and trains to Cardiff. For up-to-date travel information visit www.traveline-cymru

Refreshments
The Fox and the Farmers Arms pubs in St Brides Major;
The Three Golden Cups in 
Southerndown;
Winnie’s Kitchen café in St Brides 
Major