The
Gower Peninsula
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
, Wales, United Kingdom is an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...
. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanmerwallt'' or ''Llancyngur Trosgardi'')
is an inland village, 6 miles (9.5 km) west-southwest of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
and near the beaches of
Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay or Welsh Bae Cas-wellt (meaning straw fortress), is a beach on the south east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales. It is a sandy beach popular with families, holiday makers and surfers, and it regularly achieves Blue Flag beach, ...
, Brandy Cove and Pwll Du. One of the larger villages in Gower, it has its own rugby club, South Gower Rugby Football Club, and its own primary and comprehensive schools. (Bishopston is part of Swansea's
Bishopston ward.)
Bishopston church, at the head of Bishopston Valley, is dedicated to
Saint Teilo
Saint Teilo ( la, Teliarus or '; br, TeliauWainewright, John. in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', Vol. XIV. Robert Appleton Co. (New York), 1912. Accessed 20 July 2013. or '; french: Télo or '; – 9 February ), also known by his ...
, who gives the village its Welsh name. The church contains a plain, massive font of Romanesque type, and its tower holds two 18th-century bells. In the churchyard are the remains of an old stone cross.
Cheriton
Cheriton, near the north coast, is a tourist destination where summer visitors stay whilst exploring the beaches in the local area. The 13th-century
church of St Catwg (or
Cadoc
Saint Cadoc or Cadog ( lat-med, Cadocus; also Modern Welsh: Cattwg; born or before) was a 5th–6th-century Abbot of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorgan, Wales, a monastery famous from the era of the British church as a centre of learnin ...
) is Grade 1 listed. The psychoanalyst
Ernest Jones
Alfred Ernest Jones (1 January 1879 – 11 February 1958) was a Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst. A lifelong friend and colleague of Sigmund Freud from their first meeting in 1908, he became his official biographer. Jones was the first En ...
is buried in its churchyard. The author and cricketer
William Collins was born at Cheriton.
Footpaths lead south-east to Stembridge and south-west to Llangenydd.
Crofty
Crofty, on the north coast, is a small cockling village, situated between
Penclawdd and
Llanmorlais.
Gowerton
The inland village of Gowerton (), about 4 miles north west of
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centr ...
, is a gateway to
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
. Its original name was Ffosfelin; it has also been known as Gwter Felen. (The village falls within the
Gowerton electoral ward of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
.)
In 1980, the Welsh
National Eisteddfod
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...
was hosted on the 'Elba' area of the village. The Eisteddfod stone (
Gorsedd stones) is located on the round-about opposite the garage on the road to Penclawdd.
Ilston
Ilston ( Gŵyr) is an inland village. It has its own community council. The
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of the
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
in the
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.
The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
was 538. The name of the village () is thought to have originated from
Saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
Illtud
Saint Illtud (also spelled Illtyd, Eltut, and, in Latin, Hildutus), also known as Illtud Farchog or Illtud the Knight, is venerated as the abbot teacher of the divinity school, Bangor Illtyd, located in Llanilltud Fawr (Llantwit Major) in Gla ...
. The village is home to a brook, a 13th-century
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
(which has a 15th-century bell inscribed with a prayer to St Thomas) and a
Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales
The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Natur De a Gorllewin Cymru) is a Wildlife Trust in south and west Wales, one of 46 such Trusts in the United Kingdom.
History
Forerunner of the WTSWW, the former West Wal ...
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...
. The community is surrounded by
common land
Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect Wood fuel, wood, or to cut turf for fuel.
A person ...
used as grazing land,
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
s and fields.
See also:
Ilston Book
The Ilston Book is the earliest record of a Baptist church in Wales. It is named after the location of a Baptist meeting place near the ruins of the old Trinity well, the site of a pre-Reformation chapel, at Ilston Beck in Gower near Swansea.
Fo ...
Llangennith
Llangennith ( cy, Llangynydd), in north-west Gower, has a scattering of houses and one pub – the King's Head. It sits at a crossroads: Moor Lane leads west to a caravan park near
Rhossili Bay
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a community council and i ...
; and Burrows Lane leads north to a caravan park overlooking
Broughton Bay.
The 12th-century village church,
St. Cenydd's Church, is the largest in Gower, and was founded by St. Cenydd, who in the 6th century made a hermitage here, which was destroyed by
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
in 986. The folk singer,
Phil Tanner
Phil Tanner (16 February 1862 – 19 February 1950) was a traditional singer from Llangenith in the Gower Peninsula ( South Wales).
Songs and singing style
Tanner was an invaluable source of several once popular English language folk songs, ...
, is buried in its churchyard.
A painting of Worm's Head from Llangennydd was made by
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is best known for his portra ...
. A painting of Llangennith Burrows by
John Nash is held in the Government Art Collection.
Llanmadoc
Llanmadoc ( cy, Llanmadog) is in the north west of Gower. The village is named after the churchyard of
St Madoc (or Maidoc), who founded his hermitage or monastery here in the 6th century. The 13th-century building was restored in 1865, but retains a Romanesque font and a Romano-British tombstone.
Llanmadoc Hill
Llanmadoc Hill is a 186-metre-high hill at the northwestern corner of the Gower Peninsula west of Swansea in South Wales. The summit at the western end of the east–west aligned ridge is crowned by a trig point; at its eastern end are a series o ...
, formed of
Old Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the northeastern seaboard of North America. It also exte ...
, is a landmark of west Gower and affords wide views from the top. An evocative painting of the Hill, by
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is best known for his portra ...
, may be seen at the
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the City and County of Swansea, in Wales, United Kingdom. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library.
History
The ...
,
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. A painting of Llanmadoc was also made by
John Nash. The
Medulli
The Medulli (Gaulish: ''Medulloi'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper valley of Maurienne, around present-day Modane (Savoie), during the Iron Age and Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Medullorum'' by Vitruvius (late 1st c. BC) ...
were the likely
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
tribal ancestors of
Madoc
Madoc ab Owain Gwynedd (also spelled Madog) was, according to folklore, a Welsh prince who sailed to America in 1170, over three hundred years before Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492.
According to the story, he was a son of Owain Gwyned ...
.
Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
Haplogroup R1b (R-M343), previously known as Hg1 and Eu18, is a human Y-chromosome haplogroup.
It is the most frequently occurring paternal lineage in Western Europe, as well as some parts of Russia (e.g. the Bashkirs) and pockets of Central A ...
is consistent with the regions of Llanmadoc, Wales and
Médoc
The Médoc (; oc, label= Gascon, Medòc ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the ''département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''(Pagus) Medull ...
,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the Celtic migrations from the South East to the North West, and likely predates St. Madoc. The population was 365 in 2011.
Close by communities include Cheriton and Landimore. Nearby beaches include
Broughton Bay and
Whiteford Sands. It is in the
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
of
Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton
Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton is a rural community on the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, south Wales. It comprises the villages of Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton. Together they share a community council.
The community is bordered by Rhos ...
.
Llanmorlais
Llanmorlais, on the north coast, was a cockling village. The name Llanmorlais is not a true
Llan place name, but a corruption of the village's old name, Glan Morlais, which refers to the banks of Morlais Stream. (The village is in
Penclawdd electoral ward of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
.) In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive
postcode
A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...
areas to live in Wales.
Llanrhidian
Llanrhidian is a north Gower estuarine village, sloping down to salt marshes. (It is in the
Gower electoral ward of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
and the community of
Llanrhidian Lower
Llanrhidian Lower is a community in the Gower peninsula forming the west of Swansea, south Wales. The community has its own elected community council.
The population was 512 as of the 2011 UK census.
The area covered by the community council in ...
.)
The village gets its name from Saint Rhidian. Its church is dedicated to
St Illtyd
St Illtyd is a hamlet near Aberbeeg, in southeast Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is situated on the mountain road between Pontypool and Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent. It rests at about 1200 feet above sea level. The ...
and
St Rhidian
file:Llanrhidian church and cottages-geograph.org.uk-3545022.jpg, Llanrhidian church and cottagesRhidian was a 6th-century Welsh Pre-congregational saint, Pre-congregational Saint who is often associated with Saint, St Illtyd.
Rhydian might be a ...
. The present building was constructed in the 13th century, with a chancel and tower added in the 14th century. In the porch may be seen a 9th-century stone, bearing simple carvings of human figures and animals. A standing stone on the
village green
A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...
may be the remains of a village cross.
The village is served by an Esso filling station (shop and post office), two public houses (The Welcome to Town and The Dolphin Inn), a primary school and a community hall.
Murton
Murton is in the community of Bishopston and is also a ward for elections to Bishopston Community Council. Murton lies between Bishopston and the village of Newton.
Murton is home to Murton Methodist Church a Wesleyan Methodist Church dating back to 1828, which celebrated the centenary of its current building in 1997. Murton also hosts Murton Rovers AFC Football team.
Oxwich
Oxwich is in the far south of Gower. Attractions include the Oxwich Burrows, the
Tudor Oxwich Castle,
Penrice Castle and
Oxwich Bay
Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula of South Wales
Oxwich Bay ( cy, Bae Oxwich) is a bay on the south of the Gower Peninsula, Wales.
Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a long sandy beach, accessible f ...
.
The ancient church is dedicated to
Saint Illtyd. Legend has it that the stone
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.
Aspersion and affusion fonts
The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...
was placed there by the saint himself.
Parkmill
Parkmill is an inland village between
Penmaen and
Ilston
Ilston ( cy, Llanilltud Gwyr) is the name of a village and a local government community in Swansea, southwest Wales. Ilston has its own community council.
Description
The population of the community in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 538 and 5 ...
, on the northern side of the
A4118 road
The A4118 road is in Swansea, Wales, connecting Dyfatty Street in Swansea City Centre with Port Eynon in the Gower Peninsula. The route runs through suburban areas until it reaches Upper Killay, where the road enters rural Gower. It passes ove ...
, the main road between
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
and
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
, in a wooded valley. It once lay within Parc le Breos, a deer park established in the 1221–32
CE by
John de Braose
John de Braose (born 1197 or 1198 – 18 July 1232), known as ''Tadody'' to the Welsh, was the Lord of Bramber and Gower.
Re-establishment of the de Braose dynasty
John re-established the senior branch of the de Braose dynasty.
His father w ...
,
Marcher Lord
A Marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales.
A Marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in F ...
of
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
.
Penclawdd
Penclawdd ( cy, Pen-clawdd) is in the north of the peninsula. It is one of the larger villages in Gower. Part of the village is perched on a high location, enjoying panoramic views over the
Loughor estuary
The River Loughor () ( cy, Afon Llwchwr) is a river in Wales which marks the border between Carmarthenshire and Swansea. The river is sourced from an underground lake at the Black Mountain emerging at the surface from Llygad Llwchwr which tran ...
and Gower country, while the main part of the village stretches along the edge of the estuary. It is plentiful in
birdlife
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
, and wild
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
roam the estuary. Penclawdd is known for its local
cockle industry, which goes back for many years to
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
times.
It is in
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
's
Penclawdd electoral ward.
Pennard
Pennard ()
is on the south of the peninsula, about 7 miles south west of
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centr ...
. It falls within the
Pennard ward of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. It has a church, health centre, library, a primary school and a golf course. It contains the ruins of
Pennard Castle. The poets
Vernon Watkins
Vernon Phillips Watkins (27 June 1906 – 8 October 1967) was a Welsh poet and translator. His headmaster at Repton was Geoffrey Fisher, who became Archbishop of Canterbury. Despite his parents being Nonconformists, Watkins' school experienc ...
(1906–1967),
Harri Webb
Harri Webb (7 September 1920 – 31 December 1994) was a Welsh poet, Welsh nationalist, journalist and librarian.
Early life
Harri Webb was born on 7 September 1920 in Swansea, at 45 Tŷ Coch Road in Sketty, but before he was two the family m ...
(1920–1994) and
Nigel Jenkins
Nigel Jenkins (20 July 1949 – 28 January 2014) was an Anglo-Welsh poet. He was an editor, journalist, psychogeographer, broadcaster and writer of creative non-fiction, as well as being a lecturer at Swansea University and director of the crea ...
(1949–2014) are buried at St Mary's church.
Penmaen
Penmaen ( cy, Pen-maen) is an inland village – a scatter of houses around the
A4118 road
The A4118 road is in Swansea, Wales, connecting Dyfatty Street in Swansea City Centre with Port Eynon in the Gower Peninsula. The route runs through suburban areas until it reaches Upper Killay, where the road enters rural Gower. It passes ove ...
at the foot of the slopes of
Cefn Bryn
Cefn Bryn is an ancient ridge in Britain. It is a 5-mile-long Old Red Sandstone ridge in south Wales, in the heart of the Gower Peninsula, in the City and County of Swansea. Local people colloquially refer to it as the "backbone of Gower", as ...
. There are a number of archaeological sites in the area. It contains Parc-Le-Breos, a 19th-century hunting lodge, that was once the deer park of William de Breos,
Lord of Gower, but today serves as a hotel and pony-trekking centre.
Penmaen Castle began as a small timber castle. Later it was replaced by a stone structure. Excavations in 1960 and 1961 led by
Leslie Alcock
Leslie Alcock (24 April 1925 – 6 June 2006) was Professor of Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, and one of the leading archaeologists of Early Medieval Britain. His major excavations included Dinas Powys hill fort in Wales, Cadbury Ca ...
found evidence that the castle was in use in the 12th and 13th centuries; the first phase was likely built by the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
.
The timber gateway was destroyed by fire and later replaced by a
drystone walled gate tower. Alcock suggested that stylistically this phase of the castle may have been built by the Welsh.
A painting of Penmaen Burrows was made by
John Nash.
Port Eynon
This small, south coast village, extending from
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
beach to the top of a hill, has two
fish and chip shops
A fish and chip shop, sometimes referred to as a chip shop, is a (often fast food) restaurant that specialises in selling fish and chips. Usually, fish and chip shops provide takeaway service, although some have seating facilities. Fish and c ...
at the sea front, a
youth hostel
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ba ...
, a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, a
coffee shop and a
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
.
To the north-west lies Overton village, with footpaths to Overton Mere, a rocky beach. Half a mile to the east of the main beach stands the village of Horton.
Reynoldston
Reynoldston is an inland village. It has its own elected community council.
It had one of the longest functioning community
broadband
In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...
schemes in Britain; which started in 2003 and finished at the end of 2008 following the availability of
ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. ...
.
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili) is on the southwestern tip of the peninsula. Since the 1970s it has fallen within the boundaries of Swansea. The village has a
community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.
In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...
and is part of the
Gower parliamentary constituency, and the
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
electoral ward.
Slade
Slade is situated near the south coast, north west of
Oxwich Bay
Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula of South Wales
Oxwich Bay ( cy, Bae Oxwich) is a bay on the south of the Gower Peninsula, Wales.
Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a long sandy beach, accessible f ...
. Points of interest include Eastern Slade Farm, a
dairy farm
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history th ...
and
campsite
A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using te ...
.
The nearby
Slade Bay
Slade Bay - marked on Ordnance Survey maps as "The Sands" - is a sandy beach near the village of Slade, on the Gower Peninsula in South West Wales
South West Wales is one of the regions of Wales consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, ...
includes a small
beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
, and is a breeding ground for fish such as
rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
, dogfish,
common dab
The common dab (''Limanda limanda'') is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, in particular the North Sea, where it lives on sandy bottoms down to depths of about . ...
and
bass.
Three Crosses
Three Crosses ( cy, Y Crwys) is an inland village at the north east of the peninsula. Situated at a crossroad on the road from
Swansea city centre
Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centr ...
(10 km) to
Penclawdd (5 km), it grew up in the early 19th century to serve small shallow
collieries
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use c ...
in the area. These collieries had disappeared by the early years of the 20th century, and since then Three Crosses has developed as a 'dormitory village' for Swansea. Three Crosses is home to
Capel Y Crwys, a large independent chapel. The village is currently home to one village shop (Country Stores) and two public houses, The Joiners Arms and The Poundffald.
It has its own Community Council Three Crosses
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
in the City and County of Swansea.
Upper Killay
Upper Killay ( cy, Cilâ Uchaf) is an inland village and
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
. It has its own elected community council. The Clyne Valley cycle track passes through the village. Upper Killay is a gateway to
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
from the east. It lies to the south of
Dunvant
Dunvant ( cy, Dyfnant) (Dyfn - deep; nant - stream or brook) is a suburban district and community (parish) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and falls within the Dunvant ward. It is situated in a valley some 4.5 miles west of Swansea cit ...
. The main road through the village passes over a cattle grid to the west, which marks the start of
Fairwood Common. The village has its own rugby team,
Swansea Uplands RFC
Swansea Uplands RFC is a rugby union club based in Upper Killay, Swansea, Wales, who play in the WRU Swalec Leagues. They are currently in Division 3 West A.
Swansea Uplands RFC was founded at the Uplands Hotel, Swansea in 1919 by players of the ...
. Their clubhouse and playing fields are to the south of the village, on Fairwood Common. There is a primary school in Upper Killay, named Cila Primary School. The school has a nursery. There is a park next to the community centre and a village shop.
Fairwood Hospital
Fairwood Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Fairwood) was a health facility in Upper Killay, Swansea, Wales. It was managed by the Swansea Bay University Health Board.
History
The facility was established as a fever hospital in 1914. After joining the Nat ...
, an elderly care facility, closed in 2010.
The community population was 1,331 as of the 2011 census.
Notable residents include
Andrew Jones (filmmaker)
Andrew Jones (6 October 1983 – 15 January 2023) was a Welsh screenwriter, producer and director of low-budget independent feature films, mainly in the horror genre.
One of his most successful properties was the ''Robert the Doll'' film ser ...
and David Stacey (Actor).
Small settlements
*Burry Green is a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
on the junction between the north
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
road (from
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
to
Llangenith
Llangennith ( cy, Llangenydd/Llangynydd) is a village in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. It is located in the Gower. Moor Lane leads westwards to a caravan park near Rhossili Bay and Burrows Lane leads northwards to a caravan park ...
) and the road south to
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
and
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
on the south Gower coast. The latter road forms the shortest road link between Rhossili and Llangenith. It is a little over a mile north west of
Reynoldston
Reynoldston is a rural village and a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, which had a population of 439 in 2011. The community has its own elected community council. The village is located deep in the heart of the Gower Peninsula.
...
, and is not far from the Burry Stream, which runs north into the Loughor estuary. The large village green faces the north-eastern slopes of Cefn Bryn, the second-highest point in Gower. Footpaths lead north across Ryers Down to Cheriton.
*Caswell village rises above
Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay or Welsh Bae Cas-wellt (meaning straw fortress), is a beach on the south east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales. It is a sandy beach popular with families, holiday makers and surfers, and it regularly achieves Blue Flag beach, ...
, one of the most popular bays in south Gower.
*Horton is a south
Gower
Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
village, situated just north east of
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
off the
A4118 road
The A4118 road is in Swansea, Wales, connecting Dyfatty Street in Swansea City Centre with Port Eynon in the Gower Peninsula. The route runs through suburban areas until it reaches Upper Killay, where the road enters rural Gower. It passes ove ...
. Steep lanes descend to sea level, where there are dunes and firm sands, and where visitors may enjoy good bathing, canoeing, fishing and walking. Footpaths lead west to Port Eynon, and east to Slade Bay, Lucas Bay, Oxwich Point and Oxwich.
*
Kittle is an inland village, near to Bishopston, spreading north and south of the Pennard Road. (It is in
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
's
Pennard electoral ward.)
*Knelston ( cy, Llan-y-tair-mair) is an inland settlement on a conspicuous rise one mile south-west of
Reynoldston
Reynoldston is a rural village and a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, which had a population of 439 in 2011. The community has its own elected community council. The village is located deep in the heart of the Gower Peninsula.
...
. (It is in the
Gower ward.) In neighbouring fields may be found ruins of a 12th-century church of St Taurin, and three standing stones.
*
Landimore is a north Gower hamlet, descending to salt marshes east of Cheriton. It is in the
Gower ward between Llanmadoc and
Llanrhidian
The Gower Peninsula ( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanm ...
. On the slopes of a hill to the west are traces of Landimore Castle (also known as Bovehill Castle).
*Langland village, near the south Gower coast, adjoins the
Langland Bay
Langland Bay is a popular coastal holiday resort in Gower, Swansea in south Wales. It is a popular surfing beach which regularly meets the European Blue Flag award for quality.
History
Langland Bay - together with Caswell Bay, Rotherslade, ...
beach resort. It is in the
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
and
Oystermouth
Oystermouth (a corruption of the Welsh name ''Ystum Llwynarth'' or ''Ystumllwynarth'') is a village (and former electoral ward) in the district of Mumbles, Swansea, Wales. It is part of the Mumbles community (civil parish).
Description
The ...
wards.
*Llandewi or Llanddewi is an inland hamlet, on the road linking the north Gower villages of
Llangenith
Llangennith ( cy, Llangenydd/Llangynydd) is a village in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. It is located in the Gower. Moor Lane leads westwards to a caravan park near Rhossili Bay and Burrows Lane leads northwards to a caravan park ...
, Llanmadoc and
Llanrhidian
The Gower Peninsula ( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanm ...
with the south Gower villages of
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
and
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
. It is in the
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
community council area, approximately 2 miles south west of
Reynoldston
Reynoldston is a rural village and a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, which had a population of 439 in 2011. The community has its own elected community council. The village is located deep in the heart of the Gower Peninsula.
...
and 3 miles north of
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
. The church of St. David was built by
Henry de Gower between 1328 and 1347. Its tower contains an 18th-century bell.
*Llethryd (or Llethrid) is an inland farming settlement, near the centre of Gower, around the B4271 road out of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
, just over halfway between
Upper Killay
The Gower Peninsula ( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanm ...
and
Llanrhidian
The Gower Peninsula ( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanm ...
, and on the western edge of Pengwern Common. Here the road descends steeply into a little wooded valley, through which flows the stream of Parkmill Pill. About 200 yards south of the road lies the entrance to the vast
Llethryd Tooth Cave.
*Middleton lies on the south-west edge of Gower, on the outskirts of
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
village and not far from
Rhossili Bay
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a community council and i ...
. It has a much-used village hall. Lanes lead south to
Fall Bay
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a community council and i ...
and
Mewslade, and north across Rhossili Down to
Llangenydd.
*Nicholaston is a farming community near the south coast of Gower, on the road between Penmaen and Oxwich. It is in the
Gower ward. The isolated church of St Nicolas was built in the 14th century, but was thoroughly reconstructed in 1894. Its alabaster pulpit incorporates sculptures of the 19th-century theologians Keble, Liddon and Pusey.
*Oldwalls, on the north Gower road, a little west of
Llanrhidian
The Gower Peninsula ( cy, Gŵyr) in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Villages
Bishopston
Bishopston (, or historically ''Llanm ...
, consists of a small number of houses and a holiday accommodation site.
*Overton in south Gower is a secluded hamlet situated 1/3 of a mile west of
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
. It is in the
Gower ward. Footpaths lead south to the pebbly beach of Overton Mere, and west along the cliffs to
Paviland
The Red Lady of Paviland is an Upper Paleolithic partial skeleton of a male dyed in red ochre and buried in Wales 33,000 BP. The bones were discovered in 1823 by William Buckland in an archaeological dig at Goat's Hole Cave (Paviland cave) – ...
, The Knave and
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
.
*Oxwich Green in south Gower is a farming settlement on the road between the villages of Oxwich and Slade.
*Penrice, a hamlet in south Gower, inland from
Oxwich Bay
Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula of South Wales
Oxwich Bay ( cy, Bae Oxwich) is a bay on the south of the Gower Peninsula, Wales.
Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a long sandy beach, accessible f ...
, is approachable by steep, narrow roads. On its village green – once a social centre of Gower – stands
St Andrew's Church, Penrice and the stone base of a former cross. The painter
Alfred Janes
Alfred George Janes (30 June 1911 – 3 February 1999) was a Welsh artist, who worked in Swansea and Croydon. He experimented with many forms, but is best known for his meticulous still lifes and portraits.
He is also remembered as one of The K ...
has a memorial in the churchyard. Penrice Park contains an 18th-century country-house and the remains of a Norman castle – both known as
Penrice Castle.
*Pitton is a sheltered settlement in south-west Gower, near Rhossili, centred on Great Pitton Farm, one of the oldest farms in Gower. It is in the
Gower ward. In the 18th century some villagers were involved in smuggling. Lanes lead south from Pitton Hill to the sea at Mewslade, and north across Rhossili Downs to
Llangenith
Llangennith ( cy, Llangenydd/Llangynydd) is a village in the City and County of Swansea, South Wales. It is located in the Gower. Moor Lane leads westwards to a caravan park near Rhossili Bay and Burrows Lane leads northwards to a caravan park ...
.
*Pilton Green consists of a few houses on the road connecting the villages of Scurlage and
Rhossili
Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community (Wales), community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a Loca ...
.
*Scurlage in southern Gower lies at the junction of roads leading to
Port Eynon
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a village and Community (Wales), community within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, located on the far south tip of the Gower Peninsula within the designated Area of Outstanding Natu ...
or Rhossili. It has a sports field and a caravan site. Some walls of Scurlage Castle may be seen.
*
Southgate
Southgate or South Gate may refer to:
Places Australia
*Southgate, Sylvania
*Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria
Canada
*Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County
* Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario
Ed ...
is on the cliffs of south Gower, within the
Pennard community of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. It is near Pennard golf links. Footpaths lead to Pobbles and
Three Cliffs Bay
Three Cliffs Bay () (), otherwise Three Cliff Bay, is a bay on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay. Pennard Pill, a large str ...
.
References
External links
Gower Community Councils
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Villages In Gower
Villages in Swansea