Things to do in Ogmore-by-Sea

Exmoor National Park is one of Britain’s smallest national parks. Spanning 268 square miles (694 square kilometers), the park encompasses high moorland and over 34 miles (55 kilometers) of coast. Take a scenic hike, spot rare wildlife, cycle across high moors or visit the park’s charming medieval towns.

Sun worshippers have been flocking here since Victorian times to what is essentially a small island, though joined now to the mainland since 1896 by a small pier. The site of a Butlins holiday camp during the 1960’s, Barry Beach is perfect for families, with its signature calling card being Barry Island Pleasure Park. Come here for crowds, candy floss and sticks of rock, the scream of the rollercoaster and the thump of the dodgems.

Constructed during the late 19th Century, it was designed by W. Sutcliffe Marsh for the Mumbles Railway and Pier Company as the terminus of the line from Swansea. Visitors these days will find a range of traditional seaside attractions like bowling alleys, air hockey tables and arcade machines in the same spot where once a bandstand serenaded the passengers boarding and disembarking the steamers of the P & A Campbell White Funnel Fleet. The Victorian-style beach cafe offers a cream tea to die for, while the Pirate Captain ride offers the chance to see who's the greatest sea-dog of Mumbles Pier.

Singleton Park is Swansea’s largest park and one of the green lungs of the city. It spreads across some 250 acres (101 hectares) and incorporates a boating lake, botanical garden and university campus. The history of Singleton Park dates back to 1847, when industrialist John Henry Vivian purchased parkland to create a family estate. Today, visitors come to escape the city bustle, get in touch with nature and attend summer events.

With its gently sloping sand and picturesque coastline, Caswell Bay Beach is a family hotspot on the Gower Peninsula. The shoreline backs onto the Bishop’s Wood Nature Reserve, an area of limestone woodland and grassland. Enjoy the serene ambiance in this wild area away from the city center.