Dunraven Bay (Southerndown) lies on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast in South Wales. This 14 mile stretch of coast is lined with cliffs dropping down to little secluded coves and overlooks Somerset and Devon across the Bristol Channel.
There are some spectacular walks along the clifftops. However, the attraction for many visitors is that Dunraven Bay has been used as a location in several Dr Who episodes. If you are a fan, you’ll probably recognise the beach as “Bad Wolf Bay”, Norway. It’s where the Doctor had a tearful farewell to his companion Rose Tyler.
Dunraven Bay (Southerndown)
Getting There
It’s about a 45-minute drive from Cardiff City centre. You can either take the M4 to Bridgend or drive along the A48 through the Vale of Glamorgan. Another route is the B4265 along the coast past Cardiff Airport and Llantwit Major. Although slightly longer, you do get views over the Bristol Channel over to Somerset.
So What’s Been Filmed At Dunraven Bay?
Since BBC Wales became the production base for Dr Who, several episodes have been filmed around the Vale of Glamorgan and Dunraven Bay. I grew up with the doctors of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker when every episode was set in an old quarry.
The Dr Who episodes filmed at Dunraven Bay include:
- The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone where the bay is an alien planet.
- Doomsday and Journey’s End where it plays Bad Wolf Bay, Norway.
Dunraven Bay has also appeared in Merlin in the first-season episode ‘The Labyrinth of Gedref’ and in Sherlock during the fourth-season episode ‘The Final Problem’.
As well as the stunning walks, views and the Dr Who filming locations Dunraven Bay and the cliffs of Southerndown are rich in fossils dating back to the Jurassic geological period. Fragments of fossilised shells, corals and wood can be found. These are the remnants of a shallow sea that covered the land 200 million years ago.
There are also the walled gardens of Dunraven Castles which are well worth a visit and set just back from the beach.
One final note, take care if you walk along the beach at low tide. The Bristol Channel here has the second-highest in the world after the Bay of Fundy in Canada. If you get cut off by the incoming tide, there is no way out up the cliffs.
