Visiting Nash Point
A photographers’ secret, a geologist’s wildest dream, sometimes called the ‘Arizona of South Wales’. People have different reasons for visiting Nash Point, but there’s one thing everyone would agree on – this headland on the Vale of Glamorgan Heritage Coast is one of the great hidden gems of Wales.
The sandy beaches of Barry Island and Porthcawl are far more popular, but Nash Point is something different, its beauty hidden under the waves for much of the day, only revealed when the tide recedes far enough.
In this guide to Nash Point, I’ll explain what’s there, the best times to visit, the logistics of getting there, places to see nearby and places to stay in the vicinity. Enjoy!
Where To Stay
The Bear, Cowbridge – one of the best places to stay in the Vale of Glamorgan, a hotel with 12th century origins offering rooms and apartments
Great House Guest House – beautiful small luxury guest house in a restored 550-year-old building in the town
Ysgubor Twt – two-bedroom holiday home in Monknash, close to the superb Plough & Harrow pub and a mile from Nash Point
What To See At Nash Point
Nash Point – Trwyn yr As in Welsh – is a headland on the southwest corner of the Vale of Glamorgan coast. As you arrive at the car park, there’s a small café, and beyond there, a path downhill to the north and the valley leading to the beach.
It’s only a short walk to the beach, and you’ll immediately see the iconic cliff with a platform (ideal for a pose) to your right. To access the beach, you’ll need to clamber over a small section of sizeable rocks, so you’ll need sturdy footwear for this, not flip-flops.
The further you walk towards the shoreline, the more the views develop. It’s a spectacular place for lovers of geology and photographers, and anyone who appreciates the artistry of nature, which has weathered some amazing rock formations.
Nash Point is one of the best places in the UK to see wave-cut platforms of rock, as we learned from a geography field trip there when I was 13 or 14. These have often been weathered further, some into pavement-like slabs sliced into grid-like patterns.
There are also many rockpools exposed at low tide, some of which provide the possibility of reflections for photographers. The action of the tide also regularly deposits small boulders and rocks around the beach – every time I have visited it’s a little different.
The aerial shot that I’ve included in the article illustrates the layout of the location very well. As you move towards the shoreline, the beach and line of cliffs stratified stretching away to the north becomes visible. Likewise as you move away from the cliffs the view of the lighthouse and other tower also develops.
Nash Point lighthouse was the last manned lighthouse in Wales, becoming fully automated in 1998. It was built in 1831-32, in response to the disastrous sinking of the Frolic, a packet steamer carrying passengers from Tenby to Bristol which came to grief around Nash Point, with the loss of around 80 lives. Unfortunately the lighthouse isn’t usually open to the public.
When To Visit Nash Point
This isn’t just for photographers, but anyone visiting Nash Point. It’s a pleasant spot at high tide, when you see very little other than a cliff and a few boulders and rocks.
However, it is absolutely stunning at low tide, especially in low morning or evening light. You see so much more at low tide including rock pools, wave-cut platforms, marine life, fossils, the works. I haven’t taken my son there but have taken him to some similar sites in Australia, and he much prefers them at low tide when a whole new world is revealed.
So time your visit to Nash Point around low tide.
As for the best time of year to visit Nash Point, I’ve always preferred to visit in winter. The late light on the rock formations on the beach, and the stratified cliffs, makes for some superb compositions. Sunsets looking out to sea are wonderful, but the last light on the beach and cliffs makes for much better photographs.
Where Is Nash Point
Nash Point is two miles west of the town of Llantwit Major, in the Vale of Glamorgan.
It is twenty miles (32 km) west of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
And it is 34 miles (55 km) from the second city of Wales, Swansea.
How To Get To Nash Point
Travelling to Nash Point is easier by car if you’re planning to visit a few places in a day, such as Southerndown and Ogmore Castle.
However, Nash Point is pleasantly easy to reach by bus. The 303 service normally runs hourly between Llantwit Major (sometimes starting from Barry) and Bridgend. This service stops at Marcross, a hamlet that’s a half-mile (800 metres) walk along the minor road to Nash Point.
You can also walk the Coast Path from Llantwit Major to Nash Point. A lane leads south from the town’s extraordinary church to the town’s beach, Tresilian Bay, and the path continues past St Donat’s Castle, eventually reaching the lighthouse at Nash Point, and then the car park and path down to the beach.
Places To Visit Near Nash Point
Nash Point is part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, a 14-mile stretch of coastline running from Aberthaw in the east to Ogmore-by-Sea in the northwest. I’d say that Nash Point is the southern point of the prime stretch of this coastline, which runs as far as Dunraven Bay, the northern of the two beaches at Southerndown, five miles away.
My first recommendation is the hike along this stretch of coast. If you begin an hour or two before low tide, you should be able to walk all the way to Witches Point at Southerndown, the headland between the vast Traeth Mawr (‘big beach’ to the south and Dunraven Bay to the north. I’ve done this twice, once in each direction. One of the highlights is the waterfall from the cliffs which only occurs after rain. In my shot (above) you can make out wet rocks but only a little water.
You can also follow the clifftop path, which includes one diversion of about a mile inland, passing through woodland before re-emerging on the clifftop route. Either way, you reach an extraordinary viewpoint at Witches Point (accessible by either route, with steps up from the beach) looking back south along the line of stratified cliffs and the rocky beach below – one of the best views in South Wales.
Dunraven Bay is a superb beach, and more accessible to visitors. As the tide recedes, a wide swathe of sand is revealed, and it’s a magnificent sight. Just beware the fast incoming tide. I once saw two kids being rescued from the cliff base as they were stranded, so be well aware of tides in the Bristol Channel. The tidal range there is the second highest in the world.
There are several fascinating historic sites in the Vale of Glamorgan, including two of the finest churches in Wales. Two miles from Nash Point, Llantwit Major – Llanilltud Fawr in Welsh – was one of the foremost centres of learning in the Celtic Christian world. Founded by St Illtud (pronounced I-hl-tid), it attracted some of the great intellects of the Celtic world, including Gildas (a well-known name to anyone who has studied Anglo-Saxon history!) St Baglan and St Samson who founded the Cathedral of Dol in Brittany.
The church, rarely for Wales, has two naves, and also a restored Galilee Chapel to the west of the main body of the church. It also houses a small and fascinating Celtic crosses and carved stones. If you’re in the area, don’t miss Ewenny Priory, one of the best-preserved Romanesque churches in Wales.
The Vale of Glamorgan is also home to some of the most intriguing castles in South Wales. Ogmore Castle is the most popular, with its iconic stone steps across the river (my advice: don’t; the currents of the Ogmore River (Afon Ogwr) are very fast) and dangerous.
Deep in the Vale countryside, Old Beaupre Castle is a part-castle, part-manor house, the latter part dating from the second half of the 16th century, likely the reign of Elizabeth I.
Fonmon Castle, near Barry, offers something completely different, a castle dating back to the 12th century that has been turned into a stately home. You can visit some of the Castle interiors, and there are garden and woodland walks and a small dinosaur park for the kids. Check out my Vale of Glamorgan guide for more information on the area.
Visiting Nash Point – Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ve enjoyed my guide to Nash Point, and that, if you’re a photographer, you manage to capture it in some stunning light ass I have been privileged to do a few times. It’s a remarkable place, and despite its renown among the photographic fraternity in Wales and our friends across the border in southern England, it has always managed to remain well off the beaten path.
As a South Wales native, I’ve written extensively on my home region, and here are some more articles for you to browse which will, I hope, give you further inspiration:
Cardiff and Around
One Day in Cardiff – how to spend 24 hours in the capital of Wales, my home city for many years
Famous Landmarks in Cardiff – 20 unmissable sights in the Welsh capital
33 Best Day Trips from Cardiff – 33 places to visit from Cardiff, from the Brecon Beacons to Pembrokeshire to England
The Valleys
20 Best Things To Do In The South Wales Valleys
Visiting Caerphilly Castle – the second-largest Castle in the UK and Europe
14 Best Things To Do In Caerphilly – the gateway to the Valleys of South Wales
Brecon Beacons
25 Best Things To Do In The Brecon Beacons – where Wales starts to get wild after Cardiff and the Valleys
14 Brecon Beacons Mountains To Conquer
15 Best Brecon Beacons Waterfalls to Visit
Gower Peninsula
Gower Beaches – Rhossili, Three Cliffs and some hidden Gower treasures
22 Best Things To Do In The Gower Peninsula
Rhossili Bay – complete guide to one of the best beaches in Wales, the UK and Europe
Three Cliffs Bay – stunning remote beach on the south Gower coast
Gower Walks – 9 best hikes on the Gower coast and inland in Britain’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire Road Trip – a 5 day-itinerary in glorious West Wales
Things To Do In Tenby – the loveliest seaside town in Wales
Things To Do In St David’s – the tiny cathedral city with an incredible coastline and beaches
Visiting St Govan’s Chapel – the remarkable church in the cliffs in south Pembrokeshire
Visiting Stack Rocks and Green Bridge of Wales – two stunning coastal landmarks in South Pembrokeshire
The Best Of The Rest Of Wales
25 Best Things To Do In Snowdonia – North West Wales’ breathtaking National Park
35 Best Castles in South Wales
Cambrian Mountains – 28 wonderful places to visit in the ‘Green Desert’ of rural Mid Wales
20 Best Places To Visit in the Welsh Borders
Best Seaside Towns In Wales – Llandudno, Tenby, Barmouth and many more
Landscapes in Wales –22 breathtaking landscapes in Wales you must see
Churches in Wales – 30 astonishing churches and cathedrals from all corners of the country
Rivers in Wales – Some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales
Lakes in Wales – Where you find some of the best views in Wales
Landmarks in Wales – famous places in Wales to Explore
Wales Bucket List – 40 Fantastic Places In Wales You Should Not Miss