Rotherslade
Encyclopedia
Rotherslade is a small stretch of sand
y beach
at the eastern end of Langland Bay
in the south Gower Peninsula
, Wales
. Previously known as 'Little Langland', it only exists as a separate beach at high tide. At low tide it is continuous with Langland Bay.
structure. This was the site of a beach café
and dance
hall. However, it was left abandoned and derelict for many years and became a major eyesore to some people. After much discussion, including the idea of getting the Army to use explosives to demolish it, in the new millennium the structure was knocked down and replaced with concrete terracing, improving the look of the beach to some people.
On the top level of the terrace is a small café which is open for business on most days of the year, unlike the two cafés in the larger Langland Bay, as well as public toilet
s. The cliff
path from the Mumbles to Langland Bay and Caswell runs directly outside the café, which also has an outside seating area overlooking the beach.
s, which are located on another concrete terrace structure.
s and maisonettes on its eastern side, but only a small hotel
and a few houses at the top end on its western side. The road has never seen its own bus
service, mainly due to the fact there is no turning space at the beach end.
. The hotel fell on hard times and after it lay derelict for a short period, it was demolished in 2003. It was replaced by a large complex of luxury apartments, known as 'The Osborne Apartments', that were completed in 2006. A public right-of-way has been maintained from Rotherslade Road, on new steel staging and steps to emerge on the sharp bend in Langland Bay Road.
. In 1892, numerous prehistoric finds, including a mammoth
's tooth, were found here and, like most of the other finds from Gower caves, are kept on public display in Swansea
Museum
. Rother's Tor Cave was filled in and sealed to secure the foundations of the hotel. The famous Impressionist artist
, Alfred Sisley
, stayed in the Hotel during his honeymoon
, and painted a few pictures of the large rock (Storr Rock) close to the cave entrance.
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
at the eastern end of Langland Bay
Langland Bay
Langland Bay is a popular coastal holiday resort in Gower, near Swansea in south Wales. In the right conditions, it is one of the best surf beaches in Britain...
in the south Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Previously known as 'Little Langland', it only exists as a separate beach at high tide. At low tide it is continuous with Langland Bay.
Concrete structures
At the head of Rotherslade once stood a large concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
structure. This was the site of a beach café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
hall. However, it was left abandoned and derelict for many years and became a major eyesore to some people. After much discussion, including the idea of getting the Army to use explosives to demolish it, in the new millennium the structure was knocked down and replaced with concrete terracing, improving the look of the beach to some people.
On the top level of the terrace is a small café which is open for business on most days of the year, unlike the two cafés in the larger Langland Bay, as well as public toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
s. The cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
path from the Mumbles to Langland Bay and Caswell runs directly outside the café, which also has an outside seating area overlooking the beach.
Beach huts
Above the concrete terrace are a number of rows of privately owned beach hutBeach hut
A beach hut is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings...
s, which are located on another concrete terrace structure.
Road access
The beach is serviced by Rotherslade Road which runs from the busy, multi-junction, Langland Corner and has a number of large houseHouse
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s and maisonettes on its eastern side, but only a small hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and a few houses at the top end on its western side. The road has never seen its own bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service, mainly due to the fact there is no turning space at the beach end.
Hotel
Up until the final years of the 20th Century, Rotherslade hosted the Osborne Hotel, which was often frequented by visiting rugby and cricket teams playing at the St. Helens ground in nearby SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. The hotel fell on hard times and after it lay derelict for a short period, it was demolished in 2003. It was replaced by a large complex of luxury apartments, known as 'The Osborne Apartments', that were completed in 2006. A public right-of-way has been maintained from Rotherslade Road, on new steel staging and steps to emerge on the sharp bend in Langland Bay Road.
Tor Cave
The construction of the Osborne Hotel gave rise to the discovery of Rother's Tor CaveCave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
. In 1892, numerous prehistoric finds, including a mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
's tooth, were found here and, like most of the other finds from Gower caves, are kept on public display in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. Rother's Tor Cave was filled in and sealed to secure the foundations of the hotel. The famous Impressionist artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, Alfred Sisley
Alfred Sisley
Alfred Sisley was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life, in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to painting landscape en plein air...
, stayed in the Hotel during his honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
, and painted a few pictures of the large rock (Storr Rock) close to the cave entrance.