Awoken early by large claps of thunder, I wondered if our walk from Rest Bay would go ahead. Fortunately, the thunder passed and despite poor visibility and grey skies, the decision was taken to proceed to Porthcawl. Two cars from Wick and two cars from Ogmore by Sea met up in Rest Bay car park.
Eleven walkers, including my niece and her fiancé over from Canada, set off against a very strong westerly wind to join the South Wales Coastal path which runs along the shoreline and the Royal Porthcawl links golf course. The first part is known as the boardwalk and is accessible to wheelchairs, electric scooters, bicycles and walkers and we noted the signs for flying golf balls as there were quite a few people out on the course.
At the end of the boardwalk we turned right and followed the sandy footpath alongside the golf course observing play at various stages from the interested golf players in our group. Admiring the surrounding view of mountains and coast, Sker House stood out prominently. It is a historic building originally built as a monastic grange of the Cistercian order over 900 years ago. Little remains of the original structure, and it was rebuilt in the late sixteenth century. The house was made famous as the basis of RD Blackmore’s book The Maid of Sker. Today it is privately owned Grade 1 listed house and was sold in 2003 to Niall Ferguson, a historian.
Continuing along and through a grass field the path terminates on West Road, and we turned right towards Porthcawl. Passing Sker Court and Picton Court (Nursing Home) and a little distance on, we turned right along an unadopted road and then footpath back to the main car park. From this footpath you get a view of the large development of apartments at The Rest which was originally built for recuperating miners.
We all enjoyed refreshments and a chat upstairs in the Rest Bay Cafe and the wonderful views of Swansea Bay as the grey skies had cleared.
Thank you all for joining me. Moyra D
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