Andy Harbin Photography
Capturing the beauty of The Cotswolds and surrounding areas

Having visited this place four times now i feel compelled to tell others about this absolute gem of a location.

This small bay, about 30 minutes drive west of Cardiff offers many photographic oportunities and i have only scratched the surface of what the bay has to offer.

The south-westerly aspect of the bay makes it particularly suitable for evening work (sunsets) and the shallow beach goes on forever at low tide.

As with many coastal areas, when the tide is fully in options are limitted. However the cliffs either side and the rocks at the top of the beach still provide oportunities.

It is when the tide is out that the bay is revealed in all its glory. Being a shallow beach the sand retains a lot of water which gives it something of a sheen. This can create some dramatic reflections of the sky. You also get little pools of water remaining as the tide retreats, these too provide good oportunities.

The 3 main things to be researched for this location are Tides, Sunset Times, and of course the weather. This website provides details of the sunset times throughout the year, click here. The BBC website provides good information on the tides. Go to bbc.co.uk, type "tide tables' into their search box, select "Wales" and finally "Porthcawl". As for the weather, the BBC or Metcheck are my favourites.

Getting There:

The bay is approximately 15 minutes drive from junction 35 of the M4. You can either park at the top of the cliff for free (a 2 minute walk to the bay) or pay to park within 'spitting distance' of the beach. After 5pm this is free, before then it's about £3.00.

A Word of Warning:

Because the beach is so shallow, the tide comes in very quickly. You will need to be on your guard as anything left on the sand will soon get wet (as will you). There are areas by the cliff to the NW which become cut-off as the tide advances so keep you wits about you and have an 'escape route' planned.

Some great images are up for grabs after the sun has gone down. It is quite possible to not finish shooting until it is quite dark. To this end, keep a torch handy to aid your return to the car.

And finally just to let you know this beach is very popular in the summer months so expect people. My personal preference is not to have people in my landscape photographs but even i must admit on occaisions it can enhance an image. Either be patient or leave it until the winter months when less people are about.