Tipi Wales - Tipi holidays & Tipi breaks in Wales.

Some points of interest relating to the area around the Tipis within the ancient Lordship of Ogmore

OGMORE (The Origin of The Name)

In old Welsh, the word for "SALMON" is "EOG" and a river estuary often was referred to by the word "MOR" as in the French "MER" (SEA) or the English "MERE" as in Windermere etc. This applied to other stretches of water. So the ancient name "EOG MOR" denoting "SALMON WATER" when transcribed by the monks in old charters and documents from hearsay became OGGEMORE to OGMORE and this became the accepted name. The incorrect name "OGWR" was a lazy spoken variation appearing about 1600 in print as "OGOR." The River Ogmore was once one of the best salmon rivers in Wales, according to A.G. Hausard, prior to the Industrial Revolution and the resulting pollution

HEOL-Y-MIWR (The Soldiers Road)

Alongside the inn, a road climbs up to the Southerndown Golf Club. This road follows a well-defined ancient track, dating at least from Roman times, from Groes Antony in St. Brides Major across the present golf links on Ogmore down to the ancient ford on the River Ewenny beside Ogmore Castle and the stepping stones. The road continues across the flood-plain to the suspension bridge (the original home of the stepping stones) where it crosses the River Ogmore into Merthyr Mawr and on to meet the old Roman road (The old stage coach route)

THE ALMSHOUSE COTTAGES

Known at one time to have been used as Almshouses and traditionally to have been associated with some notable people. In one of the cottages lived the TWRCH brothers in the 16th Century. They worked the famous Sutton Stone quarries at what is now Ogmore-by-Sea. Richard and Gwilym Twrch quarrelled and Richard left to study architecture in Italy. On his return to Wales he was commissioned in 1559 by Sir Richard Bassett to design the remarkable Italianate porch at Beaupré Castle, St. Hilary, which was completed in 1600. This actually predated the introduction of the Italian style of architecture into Britain by Indigo Jones as the "Palladian style" a few years later, in another of the cottages, Madame Adelina Patti, the opera singer, "Sang for her Supper" while staying at Waterton Court

OGMORE FARM

Now the home of Judith and Eric who now use the farm as a Tea Room and also offer pre-booked breakfast to the tipi guests.

One of the oldest established working farms in Glamorgan although the present farmhouse dates from the 17th Century. A lease of the farm is known to one John Walsh as long ago as 1490.

STAR COTTAGE

Once an inn and home of the ferryman, close to the river and castle, it has several rare or even unique features. These include a "COFFIN DOOR" on the half-landing through which the deceased could be lowered to be taken out of the cottage, made necessary by the tiny staircase. The massive external chimney structure covers a very large hearth, for the size of the building, at the end of the single long ground-floor room