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Oxwich
Oxwich can be found on the
south of the Gower Peninsula approximately 15 miles from Swansea.
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The
3 mile stretch of sandy
beach curves around the bay with the rocky headland of Oxwich Point to the right and Three
Cliffs Bay to the left. Sand dunes, marshland and woodland make a beautiful backdrop to
the bay. |
It is no
surprise that Gower marked the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Britain in
1956.
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The beach is a short walk from the
bungalow
with flat sandy shores, rock pools at low tide and an adjoining nature reserve. |
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Beach fun and games, paddle in the sea, walk towards the
famous Three Cliffs headland, go for a refreshing swim, fly your kite or walk through the nature
reserve - see below. |
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Oxwich National Nature Reserve |
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Oxwich amenities
The small village offers a
fine hotel and pub restaurant, The Oxwich Bay, a general store with café, a coastguard station and a bus stop with local services to Swansea and
other parts of
Gower. In season there are two cabins selling refreshments at the beach front.
Some of the village cottages now offer
holiday accommodation. The caravan and camping parks and the Oxwich Leisure Park chalets have been
carefully located on the edges of the village.
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The sweep of beach has plenty of sand for
castle building. Explore the rock pools at low tide. A large private car park and
public
toilets make this beach popular with day visitors.
On the shore there is a slipway for boats . |
Along the wooded headland
amidst the trees towards Oxwich Point stands the Church of St Illtyd. Dating from the 13th
century, the site is believed to have been sacred since the
6th century. |
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A fine castle
– in fact a Tudor manor house now in the care of Cadw and open to the public
– stands on the wooded headland but is hidden from view from the bay. A steep 10
minute walk from the little crossroads in the village takes you to the site. This road
leads you on to Oxwich Green with fine views of the coast and surrounding farmland. This
no through road takes you to the jagged coastline at Slade. From here you can pick up the
coastal path taking you around the point to Oxwich or around to the next bay of Horton to
your right.
The land around Oxwich belongs
to the Penrice Estate. As you leave the main road (A4118) to take a left turn down to
Oxwich, you see the remains of the walls marking the entrance to the Penrice Estate. There
are two castles within this private ground.
Outdoor Pursuits
There is no shortage of
outdoor activities to suit all ages on Gower.
Choose from horse-riding,
cycling, golf, tennis, bowls, hang-gliding, flying, climbing, swimming, surfing,
wind-surfing, water ski-ing, boating, fishing and diving. You might
even see
kite surfers or
stand up paddle surfers on the beach.
The coastline offers splendid
walks along spectacular cliff paths or along miles of sandy beach. Inland you can explore
the country paths through quiet woods or across the wind-blown moorland of Cefn Bryn with
superb views to the Gower coast and the Loughor Estuary.
The area is rich in history
from megalithic tombs to Norman castles and fortified manor houses. Seek out the remains
of the once flourishing limestone trade or the oyster industry.
Browse the gallery for places and activity pictures.
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The diverse landscape offers a
wealth of plants, insects and animals for every season.
Bird watchers will delight in the migrating visitors
and residents alike. |
Explore the
many rock pools and comb the beaches for shells and stones. Who knows, you may even come
across a coin from one of the many ships wrecked along this infamous coastline!
As you pass through this
beautiful land and seascape, please honour the Countryside Code:
leave nothing but footprints and take
nothing other than memories and perhaps photographs.
If you don't yet know the area, take a look at some of the
images below. |
