We visited the Gower in September 2020 - yes that rare window in the year when some element of free travel was possible within the UK. We had originally been due to visit the south of France where one of our daughters had been working in the holiday industry throughout the summer but the re-introduction of quarantine requirements when returning to the UK had cut short the venue's bookings and brought forward her return.Having looked forward to that trip & the change of scenery we booked up for this trip, staying in a converted barn cottage on a farm, which was absolutely fabulous!
Apparently the peninsula was the first part of the UK to be awarded the "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" award and, having visited we could see why! I'd love to be able to show you more but unfortunately, the weather was somewhat unsettled & in places, not conducive to photography.
Our first stop was " The Mumbles" a coastal resort on the western edge of Swansea. There's a very much "olde worlde" charm to the resort, complete with pier & lifeboat station at the western end. Unfortunately, as we walked along the prom towards it, we were met with rain being blown diagonally into us from the headland. Later that day, whilst having a late lunch in a costal pub with views across/along the Bristol Channel, the southern shore and the pier/lifeboat station were constantly drifting in & out of view due to the changing misty conditions in the Channel. We later learnt that some friends were in north Somerset as the same time (i.e. the other side of the Channel) and had had glorious weather that day!
Day 2 was much more successful and is where the photography starts. Our first " port of call" was Rhossili Bay, which has the most stunning beach running for miles, as can be seen in the first two images below. At the headland (shots 3 & 4) you have Wormhead Point which is accessible by foot at low tide - you can see the start of the pathway in the fourth shot. The coastline on this eastern side of the bay is quite rocky & reminded me of Dorset's Jurassic coastline.
The Eighth shot was another stunning bay on this coast ( they're almost too numerous to mention!) - this one Port Eynon - dunes, wide expansive sands & just to the rear, protected by those dunes, traditional fish & chip takeaways and the most amazing ice cream shop!
Our final day of exploration took us to Cefn Bryn, a 5 mile long ridge of common land known locally as the backbone of Gower. The beauty of common land is it's exactly that, and able to be used by all for grazing livestock - as you can see, we encountered sheep, cattle and ponies. After our walk, where else to finish but a pub, particularly on such a warm day. Fortunately, Reynoldston has a great option in the King Arthur Hotel!
All in all, a fantastic short break taking in a stunning part of our island which I'm sure we'll visit again.
Rhossili Bay
Rhossili Bay
Worms head
Causeway to Worms Head
Rocky Shores at Rhossili Bay
Rocky bay, East side of Rhossili Bay
Rhossili Bay
Port Eynon Bay
Cattle & Heather, Cefn Bryn
Sheep & Ponies. Cefn Bryn
Lone cow on Cefn Bryn
