Rhossili the best beach on the Gower Peninsula

Rhossili bay from the cliff

Rhossili has one of the best beaches in Britain. The sandy beach curves in an arc for 2.8 miles (4.5 km) and is a favourite with surfers and families.  It is also dog friendly. The nearby cliffs are popular for hang gliding.

We visited last weekend on another post lockdown coach trip. This time we were allowed a full coach but still had to wear masks. Almost all the other passengers were elderly like us and I expect they are fully vaccinated so I felt safe enough.  This is the third time we have done this particular trip which a local coach firm offers every year. I hope you will understand why when you see my photos.  The weather was hot and sunny which helped us get into the holiday spirit.

The Gower Peninsula

The 19 mile Gower Peninsula runs westward from Mumbles on the outskirts of Swansea to Rhossili. It was the U.K.’s first area of outstanding natural beauty with its dramatic limestone cliffs, fresh and saltwater marshes, heath and woodland.  We had lunch in Mumbles and tea in Rhossili.

There are a lot of sheep in Wales

Serpents, seascapes and Shipwrecks walk

The National Trust which looks after this stretch of coastline offers a range of walks to suit all abilities. As it was a hot day and we only had a short time there we opted for the enticingly named  “serpents, seascapes and shipwrecks walk”.

The trail is about a mile and suitable for pushchairs, walking sticks and dogs. We took about 40 minutes including stopping to take photos.  It starts at the gate near the National Trust shop in Rhossili.  Shifting sands and powerful tides caused many shipwrecks and the shop is housed in a former coast guard cottage.  It stocks a range of gifts and British essentials such as suncream, sunglasses, fleeces and Pac-a-macs. You are walking a short stretch of the Wales coast path.

yellow gorse on the rocks
Yellow gorse on the rocks

The first part of the track is along a gravel road and passes the remains of an iron age hill fort. The inhabitants would have been able to spot their enemies from miles away by land or sea. The National Trust decided to return part of the land to the medieval strip farming system.  During the last few years, they have restored hedges and dry stone walls to create small fields. They planted some of these with lavender and sunflowers and in the summer the flowers attract both visitors and pollinators such as bees.

Worm’s head looking a bit like a sleeping dragon

When the road turns left you should follow the grassy path towards the coastguard lookout. This gives a spectacular view of the worm’s head. The name worm comes from the Nordic word wurm meaning a serpent or dragon and it still looks a bit like a sleeping dragon. At low tide, you can cross the causeway to reach it.  Unfortunately, we could see from the information board that we were too late. Like us, you can return the same way or continue on one of the longer and more difficult trails.

Practicalities

Car parking is currently £6.00 a day for cars. The main carpark is run by the National Trust and profits go to support their work on the Gower Peninsula. Toilets are situated at the bottom. Access is through the narrow lanes of the village.

There are several cafes and pubs in the village but they were very crowded when we were there so you might want to consider bringing a picnic. There is a long steep path with a lot of steps down to the beach and this is not suitable for pushchairs or people with limited mobility.

This post was added to Natalie the explorer’s weekend coffee share and Terri’s great outdoors photo challenge for #Sunday Stills. I am sure they would like you to visit their sites get to know some other bloggers and maybe share your own posts.


13 responses to “Rhossili the best beach on the Gower Peninsula”

  1. I think I’ve been to that area many years ago Anne, it looks beautiful! Thanks for linking to my #SundayStills post although you may have thought you were linking to Terri’s post!!

  2. Those are gorgeous…one thing I love about these challenges is seeing all the places people live or have visited. Great references if we ever travel to those spots.

  3. That beach reminds me of Torrey Pines in San Diego, California, Anne! What a beautiful area and your map and information was so helpful! Today, I also read another blogger’s post, Cathy from Picture This, who shared some images from near Bristol area. You live near where Hugh Roberts lives too in Swansea. I love maps, can you tell? Enjoy the outdoors as much as possible–really beautiful there!

  4. A great place to add to my UK places-to-visit list. Looks like you’ve got beautiful weather on your visit. Thank you, Anne, for linking with #weekendcoffeeshare.

    A friendly reminder please remember to link back to my post (pingback in WordPress) and mention the link up name in your post to spread the word. Much appreciated.

  5. This beach looks truly fabulous! So beautiful and clean, and that trail in the middle of all the greenery must be lovely to walk. There’s lots to see in the UK! I haven’t been there much, mainly at Islay in Scotland with a Swedish whisky company that organised (obviously whisky focused) trips. Perhaps in the future we’ll see more of the UK, during the pandemic we’ve come to know some people there.

    • I feel the same about Ireland. I did a virtual walk around the ring of Kerry during lockdown but it is not the same as visiting in person.