Prehistoric settlement
A stone axe from the early Neolithic period was found near Ogmore-by-Sea, suggesting human activity some 6,000 years ago.
However the earliest direct evidence of habitation within the community is of two burial mounds from the Bronze Age, on the limestone hills of Beacons Down (51.4641°N 3.6078°W, SS884751).
The best preserved, a scheduled monument, is a low bracken-covered mound on common land near the road at Heol y Mynydd.
A group of 5 ploughed-out barrows is also tentatively identified in a field south of St Brides Major village.

There are two scheduled monuments from the Iron Age, both hillforts:
Dunraven Castle Hillfort
(51.4425°N 3.6025°W,  OS grid Ref.
SS887727) This is a promontory fort, 60 metres (200 ft) above the sea on the Trwyn y Witch headland.
The northern half of the enclosed area has eroded away, and later castles and then a mansion were built over part of the ramparts.
Within the surviving enclosed land there is evidence of 21 roundhouses.

Promontory Fort on Fleming's Down
(51.4794°N 3.6009°W, OS grid ref.
SS889768) This inland promontory fort, is on a natural promontory overlooking the Ewenny valley, at its confluence with the River Ogmore.
It has a substantial defensive earthwork enclosing 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres), and it may be that some of the scarp slopes have been steepened for better defence.

Inhumations
In 1818 workmen cam across three burials with a substantial collection of items from the very end of the Iron Age: knives, spear heads, ornate enamelled helmets, and thick copper skull-caps.
The items were recorded at the time, but lost afterwards.
There is no scheduled site as the location within the parish was not recorded, although in 2001, Old Castle Down was tentatively identified.
Writing in 1925, Mortimer Wheeler described the finds as "the richest and most remarkable of their kind known to have been discovered in Britain".

Enclosures
Three Iron Age enclosures are known from cropmarks, in fields inland from the Trwyn y Witch headland.

Roman period
There is very little indication as to Roman period habitation in St Brides Major community.
A field system on Beacons Down (51.4675°N 3.6037°W, OS grid ref.
SS887755) may indicate a farmstead from this period, cropmarks at Pitcot Farm (51.4506°N 3.5887°W, OS grid ref.
SS887755) have been suggested as being a Roman villa, and Roman pottery has been found at Castle-upon-Alun (51.4582°N 3.5670°W, OS grid ref.
SS912744).

Medieval period
From the pre-Norman period, two parts of two stone crosses are known.
At Ogmore Castle, an 11th-century stone cross fragment was found in 1929.
Now in the National Museum of Wales, this is a wide 'stem' which would once have included a circular cross-head. (
See the Cross of Grutne for a comparable example).
It has a tenon at the bottom, for slotting into a base, and has inscriptions on both wide sides.
Both are highly abbreviated and abraded, so the transcriptions are speculative in places, but one side may read, [--] EST[--] QUOD DED[IT] ARTHMAIL AGRUM DO ET GLIGUIS ET NERTAT ET FILIE SU[A], which would translate as "Be it [known to all men] that Arthmail gave (this) field to God and Glywys and Nertat and his daughter".
The other, even more damaged, may have, [IN NOMINE]/ DI SUM(M)I CRO/S(?)
IH(ES)U(?)
GENTI/ BRANCUT/ BRANCIE(?)/ [FILI ], "In the Name of the Most High God, the Cross of Jesus for the family of Brancu, (son of) Brancia".

Croes Antoni
(51.4648°N 3.5946°W, OS grid ref.
SS893751) This scheduled monument is a heavily weathered socket-stone for a stone cross.
It is probably pre-Norman, and is set in the ground beside the road north of St Brides Major village, with an accompanying name plaque.

The paucity of early medieval settlement evidence is most probably due to continuity of use.
The Iron Age sites may have continued in use well beyond the Roman period, and the later medieval sites are probably built on earlier settlements.
Norman features are found in St Bridget's Church and Ogmore Castle.
The following are medieval Scheduled Monuments:-
Ogmore Castle
(51.4805°N 3.6115°W, SS8817
Prehistoric settlement
A stone axe from the early Neolithic period was found near Ogmore-by-Sea, suggesting human activity some 6,000 years ago. However the earliest direct evidence of habitation within the community is of two burial mounds from the Bronze Age, on the limestone hills of Beacons Down (51.4641°N 3.6078°W, SS884751). The best preserved, a scheduled monument, is a low bracken-covered mound on common land near the road at Heol y Mynydd. A group of 5 ploughed-out barrows is also tentatively identified in a field south of St Brides Major village.
There are two scheduled monuments from the Iron Age, both hillforts:
Dunraven Castle Hillfort
(51.4425°N 3.6025°W,  OS grid Ref. SS887727) This is a promontory fort, 60 metres (200 ft) above the sea on the Trwyn y Witch headland. The northern half of the enclosed area has eroded away, and later castles and then a mansion were built over part of the ramparts. Within the surviving enclosed land there is evidence of 21 roundhouses.
Promontory Fort on Fleming's Down
(51.4794°N 3.6009°W, OS grid ref. SS889768) This inland promontory fort, is on a natural promontory overlooking the Ewenny valley, at its confluence with the River Ogmore. It has a substantial defensive earthwork enclosing 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres), and it may be that some of the scarp slopes have been steepened for better defence.
Inhumations
In 1818 workmen cam across three burials with a substantial collection of items from the very end of the Iron Age: knives, spear heads, ornate enamelled helmets, and thick copper skull-caps. The items were recorded at the time, but lost afterwards. There is no scheduled site as the location within the parish was not recorded, although in 2001, Old Castle Down was tentatively identified. Writing in 1925, Mortimer Wheeler described the finds as "the richest and most remarkable of their kind known to have been discovered in Britain".
Enclosures
Three Iron Age enclosures are known from cropmarks, in fields inland from the Trwyn y Witch headland.
Roman period
There is very little indication as to Roman period habitation in St Brides Major community. A field system on Beacons Down (51.4675°N 3.6037°W, OS grid ref. SS887755) may indicate a farmstead from this period, cropmarks at Pitcot Farm (51.4506°N 3.5887°W, OS grid ref. SS887755) have been suggested as being a Roman villa, and Roman pottery has been found at Castle-upon-Alun (51.4582°N 3.5670°W, OS grid ref. SS912744).
Medieval period
From the pre-Norman period, two parts of two stone crosses are known. At Ogmore Castle, an 11th-century stone cross fragment was found in 1929. Now in the National Museum of Wales, this is a wide 'stem' which would once have included a circular cross-head. (See the Cross of Grutne for a comparable example). It has a tenon at the bottom, for slotting into a base, and has inscriptions on both wide sides. Both are highly abbreviated and abraded, so the transcriptions are speculative in places, but one side may read, [--] EST[--] QUOD DED[IT] ARTHMAIL AGRUM DO ET GLIGUIS ET NERTAT ET FILIE SU[A], which would translate as "Be it [known to all men] that Arthmail gave (this) field to God and Glywys and Nertat and his daughter". The other, even more damaged, may have, [IN NOMINE]/ DI SUM(M)I CRO/S(?) IH(ES)U(?) GENTI/ BRANCUT/ BRANCIE(?)/ [FILI ], "In the Name of the Most High God, the Cross of Jesus for the family of Brancu, (son of) Brancia".
Croes Antoni
(51.4648°N 3.5946°W, OS grid ref. SS893751) This scheduled monument is a heavily weathered socket-stone for a stone cross. It is probably pre-Norman, and is set in the ground beside the road north of St Brides Major village, with an accompanying name plaque.
The paucity of early medieval settlement evidence is most probably due to continuity of use. The Iron Age sites may have continued in use well beyond the Roman period, and the later medieval sites are probably built on earlier settlements. Norman features are found in St Bridget's Church and Ogmore Castle. The following are medieval Scheduled Monuments:-
Ogmore Castle
(51.4805°N 3.6115°W, SS8817
St Brides Major (community)