Designated as Britain’s first area of outstanding
natural beauty – Gower has some of the most
beautiful scenery you are ever likely to see. Just
18 miles long and less than 8 miles wide the
area has nearly 400 miles of public rights of way, and 23
nature reserves. Gower offers a great variety of beaches
and coves attracting everyone from surfers to the more
relaxed dog walkers and sun worshippers.
Rhossili Bay is a wide beach with miles of golden sand,
when even on a busy day it never feels crowded. At
one end is Burry Holmes, an outcrop of land, with a
tiny chapel. Beyond the headland is Broughton Bay
which has an abundance of sand dunes. At the other
end of Rhossili Bay is Worms Head which rears out of
the sea with its impressive Blow Hole which you can
explore at low tide, and up on the cliff top is the village
of Rhossili where there are a few shops and cafes with
some amazing views over the bay – watch out for the
paragliders.
The village of Llangennith is half way along the bay and
about a mile inland. There is a campsite and caravan
park set back from the beach with parking, a café and
facilities – a good base if you want to enjoy the beach
and popular with surfers. With only a pub and a surf
shop the village of Llangennith remains untouched, but
the pub fayre is fairly inexpensive with nice views over
the bay complimented by a very tasty Gower Special
pizza (cockles and bacon).
Further along the coast towards Mumbles is Port Eynon a fairly quiet sandy beach which is very accessible and has parking close by.
Oxwich is the next bay along and probably the busiest of the beaches on Gower with good facilities. The Oxwich Bay Hotel offers bar meals as well as a restaurant and the beach itself has a water sports club where you can learn to sail or surf, wakeboard or take a doughnut ride - and if you don’t feel like driving to Oxwich you could travel by water taxi.
At the other end of the Oxwich is Three Cliffs Bay– one of the most photographed beauty spots on Gower. Here a river meets the sea, sheep graze on the grassy verges overlooking the beach, wild ponies room freely and the board walk winds it way up to Pennard Castle. There’s a lot to take in just one snapshot.
A short walk away through the woods and inland towards the South Gower Road, is Parkmill where you will find the Gower Heritage Centre with its many attractions for all the family including an 800 year old working water mill, and just a few yards away are 70 acres of peaceful Parc le Breos where you can take a quiet stroll, hire bikes or enjoy a day out on horseback.
At the centre of the peninsula is the lofty moor land called Cefn Bryn, one of the highest points on Gower, and the burial ground of the legendary King Arthur. From here you can see as far as Devon to the south and the Black Mountains to the North on a clear day.
The village of Reynoldstone is just across the green, home to the King Arthur hotel where some of the best pub fayre in the area can be found.
From Pennard, take the footpath around Pennard Golf Course, drop down onto the board walk and here you will find one of the most spectacular views on Gower; straight ahead are the Norman ruins of Pennard Castle, where sheep graze on the hillside, and ponies room freely in the river valley. In the distance is the well photographed sight of Three Cliffs Bay. The beach is an easy walk away; Pobbles on one side, Three Cliffs on the other, and miles of golden sands stretching all the way along Oxwich Bay.
Pennard Golf Club welcomes visitors, as does the Southgate Club. The village has a Post Office, a hairdresser, a general store and a service garage. Follow the main road around and you come to Southgate where the tea room claims to have the best carrot cake in Gower. Park up if you want to take advantage of the cliff path walk that stretches all the way from Three Cliffs to Pwll Du.
Also from Pennard you can also walk in the opposite direction, through the lanes to the South Gower Road where the Gower Inn serves excellent pub fayre. The Gower Heritage Centre, with it’s ancient working mill, is another five minutes walk, and is brimming with historic local artefacts, craft shops and a café. Or visit the country hunting lodge of Parc Le Breos, set in 70 acres of parkland, where you can book a whole day of pony trekking.
|
