Rhossili Travel Guide

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Rhossili Bay is classified as an area of outstanding beauty. It is located on the south western tip of the Gower Peninsula. The beach is 3 miles long and reaches a long way towards the sea when the tide is out. The views of the beach and the local hotel are spectacular and it is one of the most photographed beaches. Because of the off shore winds the area is a popular area for water sports. The local car park bears witness to this with people coming and going with their surf boards well until it is dark. Because the area can have extreme weather conditions there have a number of ships wrecked in the area, one of them the Helvetia ran aground in November 1887 and parts of it still protrude from under the sand.

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The walk over Rhossili Down is a great way to spend an hour or two, you'll have the best views on Gower and a few historic surprises on the way too! From the Car Park near the National Trust Visitor Centre you will need to walk back into the Village towards St Mary's Church, take the path behind the Church and then the country lane to your left. In front of you are the wooden gates which lead to Rhossili Down. From here you can either do a 5 mile circular walk over the Down which entails climbing the 632ft hill to the highest point on Gower or you can take the lower path to Llangennith and back. I did the Circular walk and although it was really hard work climbing to the top, it was well worth it as I was rewarded with stunning views over the beautiful Gower coast(once I got my breath back)! Rhossili Down is common land, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. Once on top of the Down you can see some of the beautiful heathland plants such as Western gorse, bell heather and tormentil. It is also home to rare insects such as the southern damselfly and the black bog ant. Wild Ponies and sheep graze on the common, helping with the conservation of the plants by nibbling tree seedlings and other encroaching plants. Anyhow... back to the walk!! After only ten to fifteen minutes walking you will see the stone 'Beacon' in front of you. This marks the highest point on Gower and is the site of a Bronze age Cairn built around four thousand years ago. On the Eastern slopes are the remains of Stone Age Burial Chambers called Sweyne Howes, these were constructed about six thousand years ago. Carry on further along the ridgeway path & you will eventually come across the remains of a World War II radar station which served to provide early warning to the industrial city of Swansea against attach from German Bomber Planes. There is an information board on the site and even though it is not that old the remains are extensive and it's quite interesting to see. Carry on up the slope, when at the top you will be able to see the campsite and Caravans of Hillend, Llangenith. The next part of the walk is a really steep downward climb - not too good for the knees and it seems to go on for ever!! Once you've reached the bottom this is a good place for a pit-stop. There are some decent toilet facilities here and a nice cafe for refuelling. (For the toilets walk out of the wooden gate, over the cattle grid and down the hill past the cafe). For the last leg of the walk, take the lower path back towards Rhossili, this is a lovely easy going path with only a few small inclines on the way - a welcome relief!! The path takes you alongside the beautiful serene Rhossili Bay. About half way along you will pass the Old Rectory which was once linked to the Knights Hospitillar. Remains of the old outbuildings can be seen around the newer property which is owned by the National Trust and is let out as a holiday cottage. When the tide is out it is possible to see the hull of the Helvetia which was shipwrecked at Rhossili in 1887. It is possible at certain points along the path to gain access to the path leading to the beach or alternatively you can carry on walking along the higher path of the two and return to the start of the walk. On the way back to the car park I was lured into the lovely little cafe on the left & to celebrate the end of my walk I treated myself to a Joe's Mint Choc Chip Ice cream - Yum.

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You can walk over to Worms Head at low tide although be sure to check the tide times at the Visitor Centre before you set off. I joined an organised walk run by the Countryside Rangers although as long as you're careful you can do it independently. The walk is not an easy one & entails climbing over rocks and jumping over rock pools until you get to some fairly even paths on the other side. I walked most of the way to the tip of the Worm & was rewarded with views of some fantastic rock formations and Seals swimming around the rocks - wonderful. You can go right to the tip of the headland but this entails practically crawling over rocky outcrops - I chickened out at this point and sat in the sun watching the seals!!

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The best spot for scenery on the Gower Peninsula is Rhossili Bay by far. Car parking is steep however the walk down to the beach is great with the lone house on the hillside and some great photo taking opportunities!