Rhossili Bay

The Gower Peninsula comprises a 15-mile (24km) finger of land that points westwards from the urban sprawl of Swansea. Its southern coast is the more spectacular, boasting dune-backed beaches of surf-swept, clean, yellow sand and magnificent limestone cliffs, chiselled in places into deep gullies and knife-edge ridges. The northern coast forms the southern fringes of the marshy Loughor Estuary. It’s nothing like as dramatic as the southern coast, but it’s an important habitat for wading birds and other marine life. Between the two coastlines, the land rises into a series of whaleback ridges, or downs, covered with gorse, heather and bracken and littered with prehistoric stones and remains. Scattered around the windswept landscape are a number of impressive castles. In 1957, the peninsula was designated Britain’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or their new name National Landscapes.

Of all the Gower beaches, none are blessed with quite the untamed splendour of Rhossili Bay. It’s sweeping expanse of golden sand runs for over 4 miles (6.4km) from the headland of the Worms Head to the stranded outcrop of Burry Holms, upon which sits a ruined monastic chapel. It owes much of its wild nature to the steep-sided down that presides over its relentless waves and provides a natural and impenetrable barrier to development. The down is a 633ft (193m) high, whaleback ridge that runs almost the full length of the beach. The path that traces the ridge is one the fairest places to walk in the whole of South Wales, especially in late summer when the heather tinges the hillsides pink. From The Beacon, at the southern end of the ridge, the views stretch a long way and it’s often possible to see St Govan’s Head in Pembrokeshire and even the North Devon coastline on a very clear day.

The string of tiny islets at the bay’s southernmost tip are known as the Worms Head, the name deriving from the Old English, Orm, which means dragon or serpent. It is now a nature reserve, but can be reached at low tide by scrambling across the rocky causeway at the western tip of the promontory. It’s essential that you check the tide timetables before making such a trip as it’s easy to be cut off by the surprising tenacity of the rising tides.

From the car park, head out on to the road and continue uphill as if you were walking back out of the village. You’ll pass St Mary’s Church on your left then, immediately after this, bear left down on a broad track to a gate at its end. Go through this and keep left to follow a grassy track that snakes along the steep hillside.

Follow this through the bracken, passing the Old Rectory on your left and eventually you’ll reach a sunken section with a wall on your left, and a caravan park behind. Don’t be tempted to break off right just yet; instead, keep going until you come to a gate by a road on the left.

Don’t go through but turn sharp right and follow the grassy track steeply up on to the ridge. At the top of the steep section, where the path isn’t always clear, it’s easy to be drawn off to the right towards some obvious outcrops, but keep to the top track that literally follows the crest.

You’ll pass some ancient cairns and drop slightly to pass a pair of megalithic cromlechs, or burial chambers. These are known as Sweyne’s Howes and are over 4,000 years old. More obviously, you’ll spot the remains of a World War II radar station to the right. Continue on a broad track up to the high point of The Beacon.

Keep straight ahead on a clear track that starts to drop easily then steepens to meet a dry-stone wall. Continue walking down the side of the wall and you’ll eventually come to the gate you passed through on the way out.

Follow the lane out to the road, turn right and pass St Mary’s Church on your right to return to the car park.