Newton Bay Beach
NEED TO KNOW
Type of beach
Dogs
Dogs are allowed on the beach all year round.
Lifeguard
There is no lifeguard cover at this beach.
Beach cleaning
Parking
Nearest town
Postcode
OS grid reference
What3words
ABOUT
Also known as Black Rock beach, Newton Bay is the Porthcawl’s most easterly beach. It is about 3 miles long running between Newton Point and the mouth of the River Ogmore. There is a rocky embankment at the back of the beach and behind that Merthyr Mawr sand dunes where some of the filming of Lawrence of Arabia took place.
It’s a great beach for a family day out. Children will enjoy building sandcastles and at low tide there are plenty of rock pools to explore. The water is safe to swim in and although volunteer lifeguards to patrol the beach at certain times of the year, little ones should be supervised.
STAR SPECIES
The beach is sheltered making it an ideal spot for a variety of water sports. It is popular with windsurfers and kite surfers, particularly beginners, due to the low, shallow water, although the waves can churn up a lot depending on the tide.
The Porthcawl Powerboat and Ski Club is located near the beach with members enjoying water-skiing, jet-skiing, and powerboating, as well as sea-angling. The club has a private slipway which non-members can use by requesting a key. It also has a fleet of tractors which members use to launch and recover their craft from the sea. These are the only vehicles allowed on the beach.
Horse-riding is popular on the beach although you should be aware there are marked areas which should not be ridden on. If you don’t have your own horse, Ogmore Farm Riding Centre offers trekking sessions where you’ll have the chance to gallop along the waves.
The beach is good for fishing, particularly in rough weather. Fish caught in the area include gurnard, bass, rays, pollack, cod, mullet, conger, and mackerel.
For wildlife lovers, The Newton Burrows and Merthyr Mawr sand dunes are well worth exploring. The sand which has settled on the top of limestone cliffs is a haven for plants and fungi. Keep your eye out for sea sandwort, marsh helleborine, glasswort, and the wrinkled peach mushroom. The dunes are also teeming with insects such as tiger beetles, cuckoo bees, and solitary wasps.
Merthyr Mawr Warren National Nature Reserve behind the beach also has grasslands, saltmarsh, and woodland habitats, and there are plenty of marked walking and horse-riding trails although you will need to buy a permit to use the latter. Birds to look out for include kingfishers, water pipits, little egrets, purple sandpipers, turtle doves, and hen harriers.
If you want something to eat, two pubs, the Ancient Briton, and the Jolly Sailor, the oldest in Porthcawl, can be found in Newton village overlooking the green. Both serve traditional pub grub and a wide selection of beers, real ales, and wine.
There is no designated parking at the beach, but you can park at the nature reserve for a fee. The reserve also has toilets as does the nearby Trecco Bay Holiday Park.
AMENITIES
