Walks on the Heritage Coast of South Glamorgan Guidebook

by: Alastair Ross
The Vale of Glamorgan is a broad swathe of fertile, undulating farmland between Cardiff and Bridgend. The jewel in the crown is the dramatic coastline around the southern seaboard of Wales. This stretches for about 35 miles from Cardiff Bay to Kenfig Dunes and this book covers all this length. The 14 mile central section, between Aberthaw and Porthcawl, was designated as a Heritage Coast in 1973. The cliffs along this coast are made up of an unusual layering of limestone and shale. This creates some remarkable and photogenic rock formations. For its entire length the seascape offers wide views across the Bristol Channel. On a clear day the hills of Exmoor and the landscape of Somerset and Devon form a backdrop to the sea.

There are 20 walks of between 2 and 7 miles in length. Some are linear with instructions on return to the start. Each walk entry begins with a short overview description giving an indication of difficulty and features plus distance and the starting point including grid reference. Detailed route finding instructions follow in numbered paragraphs relating to numbered points on an associated sketch map. A summary chart of the walks also gives length, grade, time, and grid references.

The walk locations are:
Cardiff Bay - 2 miles linear
Penarth, Lavernock and Cosmeston Lakes - 5 miles
Lavernock Nature Reserve and Sulley Island - 2.5 miles linear
Barry to Rhoose - 5 miles linear
Llantwit Major - 6 miles
Nash Point and St Donat's - 7 miles
Nash Point and Cwm Nash - 4.5 miles
Cwm Nash and Cwm Bach - 5 miles
Ogmore-by-Sea - 6 miles
Merthyr Mawr - 5 miles
Porthcawl and Rest Bay - 6 miles
Porthkerry and Cold Knap - 3.5 miles
Cwm Colhuw - 2.5 miles
Dunraven - 2 miles
Ogmore Down and Coed-y-Bwl - 4.5 miles
Kenfig Dunes and Sker Beach - 2 miles
Kenfig Dunes and Sker Rocks and Heath - 3 miles
Cowbridge and St Hilary - 4 miles
Llandaff and Bute Park - 5 miles
St Fagan's - 2.5 miles

ISBN 9781908748249 Pages 41 (2015) 148mm x 210mm