56-509: The Gower Peninsula ( Welsh : Gŵyr ) in the City and County of Swansea , Wales, contains over twenty villages and communities. Most of the peninsula is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . Bishopston ( Welsh : Llandeilo Ferwallt , or historically Llanmerwallt or Llancyngur Trosgardi ) is an inland village, 6 miles (9.5 km) west-southwest of Swansea and near the beaches of Caswell Bay , Brandy Cove and Pwll Du. One of
112-441: A dairy farm and campsite . The nearby Slade Bay includes a small beach , and is a breeding ground for fish such as rays , dogfish, common dab and bass . Three Crosses ( Welsh : Y Crwys ) is an inland village at the north east of the peninsula. Situated at a crossroad on the road from Swansea city centre (10 km) to Penclawdd (5 km), it grew up in the early 19th century to serve small shallow collieries in
168-535: A moor and the personal name Sulein , hence "Sulein's moorland promontory". Rhossili is a popular tourist destination: the views from the headland and the Down are panoramic; several pleasant walks begin, end, or pass through the village; Iron Age remains are found on Rhossili Down. The 2.8-mile (4.5 km) wide sandy beach is backed with sand dunes and attracts surfers at the Llangennith end as well as along
224-413: A regiment of Roman auxiliary troops. Its remains are located beneath the town of Loughor . Stone defences were added to the earthen ditch and rampart by AD 110 and the fort was occupied until the middle or end of that century. However, it was later abandoned for a time and in the early 3rd century the ditch naturally silted up. It appears to have been brought back into use during the reign of Carausius who
280-548: A rock drawing of a red deer from the same period. This may be the oldest cave art found in Great Britain . Gower is also home to menhirs or standing stones from the Bronze Age . Of the nine stones , eight remain today. One of the most notable of the stones is Arthur's stone near Cefn Bryn . Its 25-ton capstone was most likely a glacial erratic (a piece of rock/conglomerate carried by glacial ice some distance from
336-571: A sandy headland west of Three Cliffs Bay , is part of the National Trust's Penrice Estate, bought with Enterprise Neptune funds in 1967. The headland had been inundated by sand, probably in the 14th century, burying the now-ruined stone church. It was excavated in 1861 and remains sunk into the sand and overgrowth. Close to the ruined Church is a neolithic chambered tomb, with a substantial capstone, now partly collapsed but still supported on at least 6 upright stones. Sand inundations hampered
392-551: 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 ; 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 in 986. The folk singer, Phil Tanner ,
448-661: A scraper; flint flakes; a bone spatula; a needle & bead; and animal bones – the remains of domesticated animals, cat and dog. Archaeologists Alasdair Whittle and Michael Wysocki note that this period of occupation may be "significant", with respect to Parc Cwm long cairn, as it is "broadly contemporary with the secondary use of the tomb". In their article published in The Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society (vol.64 (1998), pp. 139–82) Whittle and Wysocki suggest corpses may have been placed in caves near
504-470: Is The Beacon at Rhossili Down at 193 metres (633 ft) overlooking Rhossili Bay. Pwll Du and the Bishopton Valley form a statutory Local Nature Reserve . The southern coast consists of a series of small, rocky or sandy bays, such as Langland and Three Cliffs , and larger beaches such as Port Eynon , Rhossili and Oxwich Bay . The north of the peninsula has fewer beaches, and is home to
560-399: Is a partly restored Neolithic chambered tomb . The megalithic burial chamber, or " cromlech ", was built around 6,000 BP. In the 1950s, members of Cambridge University excavating in a cave on the peninsula found 300–400 pieces of flint related to toolmaking, and dated it to between 14,000 and 12,000 BC. In 2010, an instructor from Bristol University exploring Cathole Cave discovered
616-450: Is an inland village – a scatter of houses around the A4118 road at the foot of the slopes of Cefn Bryn . 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
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#1732772330949672-498: Is buried in its churchyard. A painting of Worm's Head from Llangennydd was made by Cedric Morris . A painting of Llangennith Burrows by John Nash is held in the Government Art Collection. Llanmadoc ( Welsh : 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
728-586: Is consistent with the regions of Llanmadoc, Wales and Médoc , Bordeaux , France 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 of Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton . Llanmorlais, on
784-608: Is in Swansea 's Penclawdd electoral ward . Pennard ( Welsh : Llanarthbodu ) is on the south of the peninsula, about 7 miles south west of Swansea city centre . It falls within the Pennard ward of Swansea . 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 (1906–1967), Harri Webb (1920–1994) and Nigel Jenkins (1949–2014) are buried at St Mary's church. Penmaen ( Welsh : Pen-maen )
840-474: Is in the Gower electoral ward of Swansea and the community of Llanrhidian Lower .) The village gets its name from Saint Rhidian. Its church is dedicated to St Illtyd and St Rhidian . 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
896-503: 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 and Gower country, while the main part of the village stretches along the edge of the estuary. It is plentiful in birdlife , and wild horses roam the estuary. Penclawdd is known for its local cockle industry, which goes back for many years to Roman times. It
952-591: Is known for its coastline , popular with walkers and outdoor enthusiasts, especially surfers. Gower has many caves, including Paviland Cave and Minchin Hole Cave. The peninsula is bounded by the Loughor Estuary to the north and Swansea Bay to the east. Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers 188 km , including most of the peninsula west of Crofty , Three Crosses , Upper Killay , Blackpill and Bishopston . The highest point of Gower
1008-407: Is never crowded due to its remoteness. There is no beach visible at high tide. The beach is very popular with surfers. At very low tide, it is possible to walk over from the beach to Mewslade Bay . The beach is reachable via a path which passes Rhossili village hall. It continues over fields and many stiles and has a steep final descent. The cliff path leads east to Mewslade Bay or westwards towards
1064-606: The Act of Union resulted in the Lordship of Gower becoming part of the historic county of Glamorgan with the southwest part becoming the hundred of Swansea . Agriculture remains important to the area with tourism playing an ever-increasing role in the local economy. The peninsula has a Championship status golf course at Fairwood Park just off Fairwood Common, which twice hosted the Welsh PGA Championships in
1120-712: The Braose family until the death of William de Braose, 2nd Baron Braose in 1326, when it passed from the family to the husband of one of his two daughters and co-heiresses, Aline and Joan. In 1215 a local lord, Rhys Gryg of Deheubarth , claimed control of the peninsula, but in 1220 he ceded control to the Anglo-Norman lords, perhaps on the orders of his overlord, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth . As an Anglo-Norman peninsula isolated from its Welsh hinterland but with coastal links to other parts of south Wales and southwest England, it developed its own Gower dialect of English. In 1535,
1176-622: The Gowerton electoral ward of Swansea .) In 1980, the Welsh National Eisteddfod 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 ( Welsh : Llanilltud Gŵyr) is an inland village. It has its own community council. The population of the community in the United Kingdom Census 2001
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#17327723309491232-583: The Green Coast Award 2005 for "natural, unspoiled environment": Rhossili Bay , Mewslade Bay , Tor Bay , Pwll Du Bay , and Limeslade Bay . Other beaches: The Llethryd Tooth Cave, or Tooth Hole cave, is a Bronze Age ossuary site in a limestone cave, about 1,500 yards (1.4 km) north north west of the Parc Cwm long cairn cromlech, on private land along the Parc Cwm valley, near
1288-767: The Swansea Urban Area . Wales is known to have been inhabited since at least the Upper Paleolithic period, and the Gower Peninsula has been the scene of several important archaeological discoveries. In 1823, archaeologists discovered a fairly complete Upper Paleolithic human male skeleton in Paviland Cave. They named their find the Red Lady of Paviland because the skeleton is dyed in red ochre , though later investigators determined it
1344-816: The United Kingdom to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . Until 1974, Gower was administered as a rural district . It was then merged with the county borough of Swansea . From 1974 to 1996, it formed the Swansea district . Since 1996, Gower has been administered as part of the unitary authority of the City and County of Swansea . Since its establishment in 1999, the Gower Senedd constituency has only elected Labour members. The Gower constituency in Westminster had previously also elected only Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) since 1908;
1400-410: The cockle -beds of Penclawdd . The northern coast is mainly salt marsh , and is used for raising Gower salt marsh lamb which was registered as a Protected Designation of Origin in 2021 under UK law and in 2023 under EU law. The interior is mainly farmland and common land . The population mainly resides in small villages and communities with some suburban development in eastern Gower; part of
1456-459: The village green may be the remains of a village cross. The village is served by an Esso filling station (including a shop, the post office is currently closed), two public houses (The Welcome to Town and The Dolphin Inn), a primary school and a community hall. Murton is in the community of Bishopston and is also a ward for elections to Bishopston Community Council. Murton lies between Bishopston and
1512-963: The 1990s. Meanwhile, the Gower Golf Club at Three Crosses hosts the West Wales Open, a two-day tournament on Wales' professional golf tour , the Dragon Tour. Gower is part of the Swansea travel to work area . There are six castles on the Gower Peninsula: Landimore Castle—also known as Bovehill Castle— Oystermouth Castle , Oxwich Castle , Pennard Castle, Penrice Castle , Weobley Castle and numerous cairns and standing stones. Four beaches have Blue Flag beach and Seaside (2006) awards for their high standards: Bracelet Bay , Caswell Bay , Langland Bay and Port Eynon Bay . Five other beaches have been given
1568-544: The City and County of Swansea, was formed in 2012 from the Three Crosses ward formerly in Llanrhidian Higher community. Upper Killay ( Welsh : Cilâ Uchaf ) is an inland village and community . It has its own elected community council. The Clyne Valley cycle track passes through the village. Upper Killay is a gateway to Gower from the east. It lies to the south of Dunvant . The main road through
1624-705: The Worm's Head and Rhossili Bay. The National Trust owns and protects much land on the Gower Peninsula. The Trust operates a visitor centre in Rhossili near the Warren, Rhossili Down, Worm's Head, Rhossili beach and coastal cliffs. Scenes from Torchwood: Miracle Day were filmed at the National Trust's Old Rectory cottage in Rhossili Bay . On 19 June 2011, almost four hundred people attempted to break
1680-428: 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 , in
1736-524: The attempts at excavation in 1861, 1882 and 1893, and still make it hard to appreciate what the original landform would have been like. It was probably on a false summit of the headland. It is thought that the now lost village of Stedwarlango also lies buried somewhere under the Penmaen Burrows. A pencil and watercolour painting of Penmaen Burrows was made in 1951 by John Nash . This small, south coast village, extending from Port Eynon beach to
List of villages in Gower - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-668: The beach as Llangennith Sands. Behind the beach just north of the village is Rhossili Down with the highest point on the Gower Peninsula , the Beacon (193 metres), and a number of prehistoric remains. It is between Rhossili Down and the beach that the Warren is found. In some of the fields on "The Vile" in Rhossili, the National Trust plant every year around 400,000 sunflowers. This is an extremely popular attraction for visitors to take selfies at during late July and early August, however there have been issues with some visitors picking
1848-725: The beach which was broadcast at the Olympic Stadium. The bay has been used as the setting of New Earth in the sci-fi show Doctor Who and the bay including the Old Rectory was used in Torchwood: Miracle Day . In 2014, it was voted the UK's number one beach, third best in Europe, and 9th best in the world, by TripAdvisor users. Fall Bay is one of the most remote and hardest to reach beaches on Gower. The beach
1904-577: The churchyard are the remains of an old stone cross. 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 ) is Grade 1 listed. The psychoanalyst Ernest Jones 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. 51°36′54″N 4°14′25″W / 51.61506°N 4.24035°W / 51.61506; -4.24035 Crofty, on
1960-466: The cromlech until they decomposed, when the bones were moved to the tomb – a process known as excarnation . At 1,525 m long (nearly 1 mile), the Tooth Cave is the longest cave in Gower. It has tight and flooded sections, and so is kept locked for safety. Rhossili Bay Rhossili ( Welsh : Rhosili ; Welsh pronunciation ) is both a small village and a community on
2016-438: The end of 2008 following the availability of ADSL . Rhossili ( Welsh : 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 and is part of the Gower parliamentary constituency , and the Gower electoral ward. Slade is situated near the south coast, north west of Oxwich Bay . Points of interest include Eastern Slade Farm,
2072-662: The entire stretch of beach. The present Norman church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin . Inside there is a memorial to Edgar Evans , who was the first to perish on the Terra Nova Expedition with Captain Scott on the return from the South Pole . Rhossili Bay curves along an arc running northwards from the village. The 2.8-mile (4.5 km) wide sandy beach is backed with sand dunes . Some locals refer to
2128-577: The flowers. At the southern end of the Bay is Worm's Head , consisting of two tidal islands: Outer Head 184 feet (56 m) and Inner Head 154 feet (47 m). At the north is Burry Holms . These islands are accessible only at low tide. Rhossili Bay featured in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games , a youth choir began a cappella performances of " Bread of Heaven " live on
2184-423: 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 , 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
2240-517: The longest run (with Normanton and Makerfield ) of any UK constituency. This ended in 2015 when the Conservatives took the seat. In 2017, it returned to Labour. The area of both constituencies covers the peninsula and the outer Gower areas of Clydach , Gowerton , Gorseinon , Felindre , Garnswllt and encompasses the area of the historic Lordship of Gower apart from the city of Swansea. About 70 square miles (180 km ) in area, Gower
2296-451: The north coast, is a small cockling village, situated between Penclawdd and Llanmorlais . 51°38′18.00″N 4°07′33.00″W / 51.6383333°N 4.1258333°W / 51.6383333; -4.1258333 The inland village of Gowerton ( Welsh : Tregŵyr ), about 4 miles north west of Swansea city centre , is a gateway to Gower . Its original name was Ffosfelin; it has also been known as Gwter Felen. (The village falls within
List of villages in Gower - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-534: 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 .) In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive postcode areas to live in Wales. Llanrhidian is a north Gower estuarine village, sloping down to salt marshes. (It
2408-671: The rock outcrop from which it came): the builders dug under it and supported it with upright stones to create a burial chamber. The remains of Sweyne Howes on Rhossili Down, Penmaen Burrows Tomb (Pen-y-Crug) and Nicholaston Long Cairn are three other well-known Neolithic chambered tombs. During the Bronze Age, people continued to use local caves for shelter and for burying their dead. Bronze Age evidence, such as funeral urns, pottery and human remains, has been found in Tooth Cave at Llethryd, Culver Hole (Port Eynon) and Cathole Cave . With
2464-518: 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 is part of the Gower parliamentary constituency , and the Gower electoral ward. At the 2011 census, the population was 278. The community includes the hamlet of Middleton. The name derives from the Welsh word rhos meaning
2520-461: The stone baptismal font was placed there by the saint himself. Parkmill is an inland village between Penmaen and Ilston , on the northern side of the A4118 road , the main road between Swansea and Port Eynon , in a wooded valley. It once lay within Parc le Breos, a deer park established in the 1221–32 CE by John de Braose , Marcher Lord of Gower . Penclawdd ( Welsh : Pen-clawdd )
2576-543: The top of a hill, has two fish and chip shops at the sea front, a youth hostel , a pub , a coffee shop and a restaurant . 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 is an inland village. It has its own elected community council. It had one of the longest functioning community broadband schemes in Britain; which started in 2003 and finished at
2632-549: The transition into the Iron Age, hill forts (timber fortifications on hill tops and coastal promontories) and earthworks began to appear. The largest example of this type of Iron Age settlement in the Gower Peninsula is Cilifor Top near Llanrhidian. Roman occupation brought new settlement. The Romans built Leucarum , a rectangular or trapezoidal fort at the mouth of the River Loughor , in the late 1st century AD to house
2688-591: The village of Llethryd. In 1961 the cave was rediscovered by cavers , who found human bones. An excavation was carried out by D.P. Webley & J. Harvey in 1962 revealing the disarticulated remains (i.e. not complete skeletons) of six adults and two children, dated to the Early Bronze Age or Beaker culture . Other finds are now held at the National Museum of Wales , Cardiff : Early Bronze Age, or Beaker, collared urn pottery; flaked knives;
2744-578: 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 is in the far south of Gower. Attractions include the Oxwich Burrows, the Tudor Oxwich Castle , Penrice Castle and Oxwich Bay . The ancient church is dedicated to Saint Illtyd . Legend has it that
2800-553: 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 . 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 , an elderly care facility, closed in 2010. The community population
2856-546: Was 1,331 as of the 2011 census. Notable residents include Andrew Jones (filmmaker) and David Stacey (Actor). Gower Peninsula Gower ( Welsh : Gŵyr ) or the Gower Peninsula ( Penrhyn Gŵyr ) is in South West Wales and is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan , Wales . It projects towards the Bristol Channel . In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in
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#17327723309492912-608: Was 538. The name of the village ( Welsh : Llanilltud ) is thought to have originated from Saint Illtud . The village is home to a brook, a 13th-century parish church (which has a 15th-century bell inscribed with a prayer to St Thomas) and a Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales limestone quarry . The community is surrounded by common land used as grazing land, woodlands and fields. 51°35′38″N 4°04′49″W / 51.59399°N 4.08026°W / 51.59399; -4.08026 See also: Ilston Book Llangennith ( Welsh : Llangynydd ), in north-west Gower, has
2968-523: Was actually a male. This was the first human fossil to have been found anywhere in the world, and is still the oldest ceremonial burial anywhere in Western Europe . The most recent re-calibrated radiocarbon dating in 2009 indicates that the skeleton can be dated to around 33,000 Before Present (BP). In 1937 the Parc Cwm long cairn was identified as a Severn-Cotswold type of chambered long barrow . Also known as Parc le Breos burial chamber, it
3024-526: Was replaced by a stone structure. Excavations in 1960 and 1961 led by Leslie Alcock found evidence that the castle was in use in the 12th and 13th centuries; the first phase was likely built by the Normans . 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. Penmaen Burrows,
3080-583: Was restored in 1865, but retains a Romanesque font and a Romano-British tombstone. Llanmadoc Hill , formed of Old Red Sandstone , is a landmark of west Gower and affords wide views from the top. An evocative painting of the Hill, by Cedric Morris , may be seen at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery , Swansea . A painting of Llanmadoc was also made by John Nash . The Medulli were the likely Celtic tribal ancestors of Madoc . Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
3136-500: Was worried about Irish raids, but was abandoned again before the 4th century. A Norman castle was later built on the site. Following the Norman invasion of Wales the commote of Gŵyr passed into the hands of English-speaking barons, and its southern part soon became Anglicised . In 1203 King John (1199–1216) granted the Lordship of Gower to William III de Braose (died 1211) for the service of one knight's fee . It remained with
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