Southerndown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Southerndown is a village close to St Brides Major, Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea, mostly known for its beach, which is a popular tourist destination during the summer months. When the tide is out there is an expanse of sand and pools. The cliffs are an impressive, and very obvious, example of sedimentary rock.
As Southerndown is a west-facing, Atlantic facing beach, on-shore winds from the Atlantic generate superb surf, along with nearby Ogmore-by-Sea Southerndown has the best surf in South/South-East Wales.
Southerndown, along with Ogmore-by-Sea is the best beach near to Cardiff, benefiting from 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.