If ever a landscape evoked the legends of old, the Glamorgan coast must surely be it. And Ogmore Castle stands out as one of its most captivating characters. Many feet have crossed the string of stepping stones that lead to its ruins, glad of the touch of solid stone as the clear water of the Ewenny river rushes by.

Horses from the nearby farm, unperturbed by the gentle current, cross the river to graze after a morning’s trek. There are plenty of opportunities to explore this fascinating area on horseback; but we approach the castle from the vast maze of sand dunes that make up Merthyr Mawr Warren on foot.

Breaking out of the warren’s undulating landscape we head down to the coastal path and walk along the beach towards Ogmore-by-Sea until we reach the river mouth. Following the river in land takes us in the direction of Ogmore’s ruins, but there are two other landmarks to discover on the way. So we take a detour to the left and head back into the dunes in search of Candleston Castle and the steeply sloping banks of The Big Dipper, one of the highest sand dunes in all of Europe.

Beyond the dunes lies the picturesque village of Merthyr Mawr with its pretty thatched cottages and an array of Celtic Christian stones grouped in a shelter outside St Teilo’s Church.

Leaving the village a smart white footbridge marks the start of the final lap of our journey: Ogmore Castle, our destination, clearly visible across the fields. Traversing the dunes in the July heat has left us hot and thirsty, making the sight of Ogmore Farm tea room, just across from the castle, all the more welcome. Outside in the garden we choose a painted picnic bench where we rest our weary legs and enjoy a hearty homemade lunch in the company of the farm’s chickens. As we pass the kitchen on our way out we are grateful for a re-fill of our water bottles to keep us going on our walk back across the fields to Laleston.