Dunraven Bay beach, also known as Southerndown Beach after the small village nearby, is a sand and pebble beach popular with families and watersports (windsurfing, surfing and kayaks). The beach here is a west facing beach on the Atlantic coast, off-shore winds from the East generate some good surf.
When the tide is out you have a great expanse of sand and there are many rock pools, a good place to look for fossils amongst the rocks.
You have a second beach to the South just over the headland that rarely has anyone on it, partly due to the steep steps down the cliffs. This second beach is one of the largest in Glamorgan but be careful as tide conditions can cut you off from the steps.
The headland is Witches Point, designated under SSSI for geological importance.
The beach due to it’s unspoilt scenery and remoteness has been used in films and TV series that include Doctor Who and Merlin.
Facilities include car parking, toilets and cafe and lifeguards in the summer.
Dunraven Bay Beach is a Blue Flag Beach and has been awarded a regional Seaside Award.
Dunraven Bay beach, No dogs allowed on the beach between 1 May and 30 September.
Why not check other beaches nearby as we have no beaches around Southerndown, 13 beaches in Vale of Glamorgan, or check our list of Vale of Glamorgan Dog Friendly Beaches.
- Excellent: the highest classification meaning the water is cleanest
- Good: generally good water quality
- Sufficient: meets minimum standards
- Poor: You are advised not to swim. The beach will stay open and an action plan should be in place to improve the water quality.
Our weather forecast for Southerndown in Vale of Glamorgan
Today (Monday, Mar 08)
Expect a temperature in the range 3℃ to 6.5℃ with a wind speed 3.9 m/sec (W)
Tuesday, Mar 09
Expect a temperature in the range 3℃ to 4.2℃ with a wind speed 2.3 m/sec (NW)
Wednesday, Mar 10
Expect a temperature in the range 6.7℃ to 7.6℃ with a wind speed 5.6 m/sec (S)
Thursday, Mar 11
Expect a temperature in the range 7.2℃ to 8.9℃ with a wind speed 15.1 m/sec (SW)
Friday, Mar 12
Expect a temperature in the range 5.6℃ to 6.4℃ with a wind speed 10.9 m/sec (WSW)
Saturday, Mar 13
Expect a temperature in the range 5.8℃ to 7℃ with a wind speed 12.4 m/sec (WSW)
Sunday, Mar 14
Expect a temperature in the range 2.3℃ to 3.4℃ with a wind speed 5.9 m/sec (WNW)
Weather forecast from Yr, delivered by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK
Tides
Our tide forecast for Dunraven Bay Beach in Vale of Glamorgan.
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2 Reviews on “Dunraven Bay Beach (Vale of Glamorgan)”
Sadly the beach is only accessible to able bodied people with good balance. It used to have good access for most people but storms have washed away sand and exposed rocks and caused a large deep puddle to appear which blocks the access from the slipway to the beach and makes it very treacherous to navigate.
Difficult for families with pushchairs or anyone with any sort of mobility or visibility problems.
This used to be our favourite beach but we cannot use it any more.
It is possible to get down to the beach via steeply sloping shingle but this is again hazardous for anyone who isn’t very confident and agile.
It is free to park for those with a blue badge and the surrounding grounds are accessible to a certain degree but the lack of access to the beach is a major loss of amenity to people who are not able-bodied enough to cope with the recent change in terrain.
Lovely family beach.
When the tide is out the large sandy beach with clear water is perfect for families. when tide is in you loose the sand but there are large areas of flat rock to lay out on. parking is reasonable and easy. Toilets and cafe are available.