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Getting there

It's easy enough to find. From the M4 follow signs for Porthcawl and North Cornelly and from there you'll find signs that steer you towards the nature reserve and visitor centre.

Walking route

From the car park, the official circular route takes you through the dry dune system, which is accessible all year round.

It's also a very well signed path, with wooden markers popping up every hundred yards or so to keep you on track.

As you follow the markers, keep an eye on the ground that changes beneath your feet.

Forty years ago those changes were partly influenced by man, as sand and gravel was extracted from here for industrial purposes. These days, though, the changes to the dunes are all natural.

Kenfig is really worth making a detour for and is suitable for dog walkers, joggers, horse riders and ramblers. If you're walking your dog, please remember to dispose of any dog mess along the route.

Kenfig Pool

It's a great walk to do in winter, especially on a fine and crisp day. There are plenty of plants and bird life to spot and the nearby Kenfig Pool attracts a large number of waterfowl.

The natural pool, despite local legends is actually very shallow and does not contain any ancient buildings underneath it.

The dune system

Walking on the dunes can be hard going at times, but the path here is quite gentle and the grass cover means that even with strong, gusty winds you won't get covered in sand.

Every twist and turn on the route reveals something different in the landscape and the final destination at Sker beach is a real treat.

On a clear day you can see for miles across the Bristol Channel. You also get a good view of Swansea, the Gower Peninsula and the Port Talbot steel works.

Special Area of Conservation

Kenfig, is now a Special Area of Conservation but was once a thriving town and regularly attacked by vikings! In late medieval times huge storms engulfed the town beneath thousands of tons of sand.

The only trace left today of the ancient borough is the castle keep which rises out of the sand to the North.

For the last 700 years, nature has colonised the sand and the area is now home to thousands of species of plants and animals including the rare Fen Orchid for which the site is internationally famous.

The land is owned by trustees - successors to the burgesses of the medieval borough but is managed by Bridgend County Borough Council.

Without management, the dunes would be overcome by dense grassland and scrub woodland which would mean the loss of much of the wildlife of Kenfig.

This walk first appeared on Radio Wales, Weatherman Walking in Dec 2006.