Ogmore Castle — Attraction in St. Bride's Major

Cymru is littered with the remains of fortresses of all eras each with their own history and stories. Cadw has the unenviable job of running a large proportion of these, including Castell Ogwr which sits on the River Ewenny near the Vale of Glamorgan's border with Penybont (Bridgend).

This is no Caerffili or Caernarfon so don't expect spiral staircases, interpretation centres or little shops. To the uninitiated Ogwr is little more than a pile of stones, but there are plenty of interesting features and the real sense that you are standing in an historic monument. Take time to read the information boards that are dotted around the site and consider downloading the Cadw app to learn more.

There is no entrance fee and if you're lucky you can have the whole castle to yourself, although it sits in an area popular with walkers, horse riders and families so it's rarely as quiet as you might like. A small area of rough stoney ground serves as a carpark for around half a dozen vehicles, but this is prone to flooding when the river is high so be careful; you may wish to park a little further afield, in Merthyr Mawr maybe, where you can cross the swing bridge and stepping stones to reach the castle. Or you might want to park down toward the seaside village of Aberogwr (Ogmore-by-Sea) and approach the castle the way that marauding Welshmen may have when it was at its...

Taking our Grandchildren to the stone remains of Ogmore Castle is like going back in time...you can walk through the remains and still make out areas of the castle and you can picture what it was like in that day. Information boards are there with good information. Just below the castle you have the stepping stones to cross the river and a lovely walk to the little village of Merthyr Mawr and continuing on to the sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr. Picnicking is a must in the area with the family just a lovely day out. Just a word of warning...when the river is in flood be careful on the stepping stone as they become very slippery and if you are NOT sure footed slipping in is easy...we have seen people and children fall in. After all these years it is still as beautiful as ever and a lovely place to visit. For visitors who love walking it is a great place to start from ... crossing the stepping stones over the river and walking to the Sand dunes at Merthyr Mawr. But it is also lovely to sit and enjoying the peace and quiet. The stone Ogmore castle still holds ones attention when you walk around it whether young or old. ....

Ewenny - part of the St Thomas Way medieval heritage trail - was shaped by its Benedictine Priory in the Middle Ages, founded in the early twelfth century. Ogmore Castle was built by the Normans in the twelfth century and was the residence of the de Londres family, who also paid for the building of Ewenny Priory.

Historic routes and boundaries are traced across the landscape here: in the Ewenny River, which today, for most of its length, forms the border between the counties of the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend, and which joins the River Ogmore near the coast, where it is still crossed - right by the castle - with its medieval stepping stones (except at high tide!). The stepping stones are a registered ancient monument and would have been the main river crossing in the Middle Ages.

It is likely that William Cragh - 'The Hanged Man' in the St Thomas Way story - and the de Briouzes themselves stepped across these on their pilgrimage from Swansea to Hereford. And the great Roman road, the Via Julia Maritima from Gloucester to St Davids, runs nearby, with a Roman bridge close to the Coed-y-Bwl...