Three Cliffs Bay , otherwise
Three Cliff Bay, is a
bayHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found together on the same stretch of coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are...
on the south coast of the
Gower peninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
in the City and County of
SwanseaSwansea 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...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay. Pennard Pill, a small stream, flows into the sea in the middle of the bay.
The beach is an important asset for locals and visitors and routinely qualifies for
Blue FlagThe Blue Flag is an award that is given to beaches and marinas that have met stringent standards. The exclusive ‘eco-label’ is awarded on an annual basis to beaches and marinas around the world....
status.
Three Cliffs Bay , otherwise
Three Cliff Bay, is a
bayHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found together on the same stretch of coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are...
on the south coast of the
Gower peninsulaThe Gower Peninsula is a peninsula on the south west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel in the southwest of the historic county of Glamorgan. Referred to colloquially as 'Gower', this was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural...
in the City and County of
SwanseaSwansea 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...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay. Pennard Pill, a small stream, flows into the sea in the middle of the bay.
The beach is an important asset for locals and visitors and routinely qualifies for
Blue FlagThe Blue Flag is an award that is given to beaches and marinas that have met stringent standards. The exclusive ‘eco-label’ is awarded on an annual basis to beaches and marinas around the world....
status. As a consequence, dogs are banned from the beach between May and September.
Inland about 500 yards from the main beach on high ground above Pennard pill is
Pennard CastlePennard Castle is a ruined castle, west of the village of Pennard in the Gower peninsula, in south Wales. The castle was established from the 12th century, likely commissioned by Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick, after being granted the Lordship of Gower...
. It was built in the early 12th century, and is imbued with legends of fairies. It is also the only locality in Britain for
Draba aizoides.
Individual beaches that make up this bay have their own names, including Pobbles Bay to the east of the Three Cliffs, and Tor Bay to the west. The beaches are separated at high tide but are accessible to each other at low tide on foot over the sands. Paths lead north to Pennard Burrows, east to Pobbles, and west to Tor Bay. Pobbles and Tor Bay are also accessible from the beach at low tide.
Three Cliffs Bay is effectively part of the
inletA bay is an area of water mostly surrounded or otherwise demarcated by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds....
of
Oxwich Baythumb|right|200px|Oxwich Bay on the Gower peninsula of South WalesOxwich Bay is a bay on the south of the Gower peninsula, Wales.Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a 2.5 mile long sandy beach, accessible from the village of Oxwich...
. At low tide, Three Cliffs Bay forms a continuous sandy beach with Oxwich Bay beach to the west. They only exist as separate beaches at high tide.
The sea cliffs are
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
, about 20 m high, and are a popular destination for rock climbers with 20 climbs in the lower grades. The largest of the Three Cliffs is easily climbed if approached from the grassy base.
In June 2006 the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
Holidays at Home programme declared Three Cliffs Bay to be Britain's best beach.
In a recent programme broadcast in the UK the view over Three Cliffs bay was nominated for "Britains Best View".
Three Cliffs Bay also appears in a music video entry for The Red Hot Chili Peppers made by Swansea film company, Studio8.
Three Cliffs Bay has also been used in Channel 4's skins and is currently being shown in an ITV advert: 'The Brighter Side'.
External links