Villages in Gower
Encyclopedia
The Gower Peninsula
in the City and County of Swansea
in south Wales in Britain is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
and near the beaches of Caswell Bay
, 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
, 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.
) is one of the most beautiful in Gower, and is Grade 1 listed. The psychoanalyst Ernest Jones
is buried in its churchyard.
Footpaths lead south-east to Stembridge and south-west to Llangenydd.51.61506°N 4.24035°W
and Llanmorlais. 51°38′18.00"N 4°07′33.00"W
, is a gateway to Gower
. Its original name was Ffosfelin; it has also been known as Gwter Felen. (The village falls within 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.
of the community in the United Kingdom Census 2001
was 538. The name of the village (Welsh, Llan Illtyd) 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 National Trust
limestone
quarry
. The community is surrounded by common land
used as grazing land, woodland
s and fields.
See also Ilston Book
.
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.
A painting of Worm's Head from Llangennydd was made by Cedric Morris
.
, 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, 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
.
Close-by communities include Cheriton and Landimore. Nearby beaches include Broughton Bay
and Whiteford Sands
.
of Swansea
.)
of Swansea
.) 51°36′23.00"N 4°10′13.00"W
The village gets its name from Saint Rhidian. Its church is dedicated to St Illtud 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 the village green may be the remains of a village cross.
of Swansea
. It 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. Services are held at 10:30 and 18:00 every Sunday.
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 says that the stone Baptismal font
was placed there by the saint himself.)
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
.
industry, which goes back for many years to Roman
times.
(It is in Swansea
's Penclawdd electoral ward
.)
. (It falls within the Pennard ward of Swansea
.) It has a church, a primary school and a golf course. It contains the ruins of Pennard Castle. The poet Vernon Watkins
(27 June 1906 — 8 October 1967) is buried at Pennard.
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 was replaced by a stone structure. The dates of the structures are not known but the ringwork and timber gateway is accepted as being Norman
. The timber gateway was destroyed by fire and later replaced by a drystone walled
gate tower. It is believed that the replacement could either have been built by a Norman or the Welsh lord Rhys Gryg ap Rhys, who had destroyed all the castles in Gower in 1217.
beach to 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.
It had one of the longest functioning community broadband
schemes in Britain; which started in 2003 and finished at the end of 2008 following the availability of ADSL. It may come back in 2011 but with Optical fiber
instead of wireless network; and to promote this idea a "better bordband roadshow" has been orgnised.
.jpg)
Rhossili 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.
. Points of interest include Eastern Slade Farm, 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
.
(10 km) to Penclawdd
(5 km), it grew up in the early 19th century to serve small shallow collieries
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. (For administration it is part of Llanrhidian Higher
community
in the City and County of Swansea.) Three Crosses is home to Capel Y Crwys
, a large independent chapel.
from the east. 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
. Their clubhouse and playing fields are to the south of the village, on Fairwood Common.
Notable residents include Andrew Jones (filmmaker)
.
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"...
in the City and County of 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...
in south Wales in Britain is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It contains over twenty villages and communities.
Bishopston
Bishopston - or Llandeilo Ferwallt - is an inland village, 6 miles (9.5 km) west-southwest of SwanseaSwansea 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 Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
and near the beaches of Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay
Caswell Bay is a popular UK holiday resort in the south east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales.Access to the beach is relatively easy and inland from the sandy beach is a recreational park. Caswell is ideal for surfing, holidays in the nearby Hotels and Chalet Park. The beach regularly...
, 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 (electoral ward)
Bishopston is the name of an electoral ward and coterminous community of the same name in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own community council. Most of the area is rural consisting of farmland and small villages...
.)
Bishopston church, at the head of Bishopston Valley, is dedicated to Saint Teilo
Saint Teilo
Saint Teilo, was a British Christian saint - a monk, bishop and founder of monasteries and churches. He was from Penalun , near Tenby, in Pembrokeshire, in south Wales...
, 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 popular with summer tourists as a place to stay whilst exploring the beaches in the local area. The 13th-century church of saint Catwg (or CadocCadoc
Saint Cadoc , Abbot of Llancarfan, was one of the 6th century British Christian saints. His vita twice mentions King Arthur. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning...
) is one of the most beautiful in Gower, and is Grade 1 listed. The psychoanalyst Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones
Alfred Ernest Jones was a British neurologist and psychoanalyst, and Sigmund Freud’s official biographer. Jones was the first English-speaking practitioner of psychoanalysis and became its leading exponent in the English-speaking world where, as President of both the British Psycho-Analytical...
is buried in its churchyard.
Footpaths lead south-east to Stembridge and south-west to Llangenydd.51.61506°N 4.24035°W
Crofty
Crofty, on the north coast, is a small cockling village, situated between PenclawddPenclawdd
Penclawdd is a village which is situated in the north of the Gower Peninsula in Swansea, Wales. Penclawdd is most famous for its local cockle industry which goes back for many years to Roman times. It falls within the Penclawdd electoral ward. It is one of the larger villages on the Gower Peninsula...
and Llanmorlais. 51°38′18.00"N 4°07′33.00"W
Gowerton
The inland village of Gowerton (Welsh, Tregwyr), about 4 miles north west of Swansea city centreSwansea 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 Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
, is a gateway to Gower
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"...
. Its original name was Ffosfelin; it has also been known as Gwter Felen. (The village falls within the Gowerton electoral ward
Gowerton (electoral ward)
Gowerton is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the county of Swansea, Wales, UK. It is named after Gowerton village which falls within the ward....
of 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...
.)
In 1980, the Welsh National Eisteddfod was hosted on the 'Elba' area of the village. The Eisteddfod stone (Gorsedd stones
Gorsedd stones
Gorsedd Stones are groups of standing stones constructed for the National Eisteddfod of Wales. They form an integral part of the druidic Gorsedd ceremonies of the Eisteddfod...
) is located on the round-about opposite the garage on the road to Penclawdd.
Ilston
Ilston is an inland village. It has its own community council. The populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of the community in the United Kingdom Census 2001
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....
was 538. The name of the village (Welsh, Llan Illtyd) is thought to have originated from Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Illtud
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
. The village is home to a brook, a 13th-century parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
(which has a 15th-century bell inscribed with a prayer to St Thomas) and a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
. The community is surrounded by common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
used as grazing land, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s and fields.
See also Ilston Book
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...
Llangennith
Llangennith, in north-west Gower, has a scattering of houses and one pub - the Kings 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 BayBroughton Bay
Broughton Bay is a beach of the Gower Peninsula, south Wales, located at the north western tip. The bay is backed by sand dunes further inland. Access to the adjacent Whiteford Sands beach to the west is only available at low tide....
.
The 12th-century village church, St. Cenydd
Cenydd
Cenydd was a Christian hermit saint who lived in Britain in Gower and in France in Brittany, probably in the 6th century...
'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.
A painting of Worm's Head from Llangennydd was made by Cedric Morris
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea but worked mainly in East Anglia...
.
Llanmadoc
Llanmadoc is in the north west of Gower. The village is named after the churchyard of St MadocMadoc
Madoc or Madog ab Owain Gwynedd 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 Gwynedd who took to the sea to flee internecine violence at home...
, 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, 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
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea but worked mainly in East Anglia...
, may be seen at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the city of Swansea, Wales. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library and near Swansea Central police station...
, 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...
.
Close-by communities include Cheriton and Landimore. Nearby beaches include Broughton Bay
Broughton Bay
Broughton Bay is a beach of the Gower Peninsula, south Wales, located at the north western tip. The bay is backed by sand dunes further inland. Access to the adjacent Whiteford Sands beach to the west is only available at low tide....
and Whiteford Sands
Whiteford Sands
Whiteford Sands is a two mile expanse of beach on the northern side of the Gower Peninsula, south Wales. It is the most northerly beach on Gower and sits on the edge of the Loughor estuary....
.
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 wardPenclawdd (electoral ward)
Penclawdd is the name of an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It is named after the village of Penclawdd, which falls within the ward....
of 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...
.)
Llanrhidian
Llanrhidian is a north Gower estuarine village, sloping down to salt marshes. (It is in the Gower electoral wardGower (electoral ward)
Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
of 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...
.) 51°36′23.00"N 4°10′13.00"W
The village gets its name from Saint Rhidian. Its church is dedicated to St Illtud 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 the village green may be the remains of a village cross.
Murton
Murton is in the Bishopston wardBishopston (electoral ward)
Bishopston is the name of an electoral ward and coterminous community of the same name in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own community council. Most of the area is rural consisting of farmland and small villages...
of 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...
. It 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. Services are held at 10:30 and 18:00 every Sunday.
Murton also hosts Murton Rovers AFC Football team.
Oxwich
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
Oxwich Castle
Oxwich Castle
Oxwich Castle occupies a position on a wooded headland overlooking Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula, Wales, UK.Although it may occupy the site of an earlier fortification, this is a castle in name only as it is a grand Tudor manor house built in courtyard style. A product of the peaceful 16th...
, Penrice Castle
Penrice Castle
Penrice Castle is a castle near Penrice on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales.- History :Penrice Castle is the 13th-century successor to a strong ringwork to the southeast, known as the Mountybank. It was built by the de Penrice family who were originally given land at Penrice for their part in the...
and Oxwich Bay
Oxwich Bay
thumb|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. It is a popular spot for...
.
The ancient church is dedicated to Saint Illtyd
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
. (Legend says that the stone Baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
was placed there by the saint himself.)
Parkmill
Parkmill is an inland village between PenmaenPenmaen
Penmaen may refer to one of several places in Wales:*Penmaen, Caerphilly*Penmaen, SwanseaSee also:*Penmaenmawr, Conwy County Borough...
and Ilston, on the northern side of the A4118 road
A4118 road
The A4118 road is a road in Swansea, Wales which connects Dyfatty Street in the city centre with the village of Port Eynon. It runs in an approximate east-west direction...
, the main road between 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...
and Port Eynon
Port Eynon
Port Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
, in a wooded valley. It once lay within Parc le Breos, a deer park established in the 1221–32 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
by John de Braose
John de Braose
John de Braose , 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....
, Marcher Lord of Gower
Gower (Lordship)
thumb|350px|right|Map of the Lordship, showing the area detached , the area added and the Town and Franchise of Swansea. The language boundary is shown as a dotted line....
.
Penclawdd
Penclawdd 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 famous for its local cockleCockle (bivalve)
Cockle is the common name for a group of small, edible, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae.Various species of cockles live in sandy sheltered beaches throughout the world....
industry, which goes back for many years to Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times.
(It is 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...
's Penclawdd electoral ward
Penclawdd (electoral ward)
Penclawdd is the name of an electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. It is named after the village of Penclawdd, which falls within the ward....
.)
Pennard
Pennard is on the south of the peninsula, about 7 miles south west of Swansea city centreSwansea 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 Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
. (It falls within the Pennard ward of 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...
.) It has a church, a primary school and a golf course. It contains the ruins of Pennard Castle. The poet Vernon Watkins
Vernon Watkins
Vernon Phillips Watkins , was a British poet, and a translator and painter. He was a close friend of Dylan Thomas, who described him as "the most profound and greatly accomplished Welshman writing poems in English"....
(27 June 1906 — 8 October 1967) is buried at Pennard.
Penmaen
Penmaen is an inland village - a scatter of houses around the A4118 roadA4118 road
The A4118 road is a road in Swansea, Wales which connects Dyfatty Street in the city centre with the village of Port Eynon. It runs in an approximate east-west direction...
at the foot of the slopes of Cefn Bryn
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 it protrudes from surrounding limestone...
. 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. The dates of the structures are not known but the ringwork and timber gateway is accepted as being Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
. The timber gateway was destroyed by fire and later replaced by a drystone walled
Dry stone
Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking...
gate tower. It is believed that the replacement could either have been built by a Norman or the Welsh lord Rhys Gryg ap Rhys, who had destroyed all the castles in Gower in 1217.
Port Eynon
This small, south coast village, extending from Port EynonPort Eynon
Port Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
beach to the top of a hill, has two fish and chip shops at the sea front, a youth hostel, a pub, a coffee shop
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 a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
.
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
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
schemes in Britain; which started in 2003 and finished at the end of 2008 following the availability of ADSL. It may come back in 2011 but with Optical fiber
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
instead of wireless network; and to promote this idea a "better bordband roadshow" has been orgnised.
Rhossili
Rhossili 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
Gower (UK Parliament constituency)
Gower is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
, and the Gower
Gower (electoral ward)
Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
electoral ward.
Slade
Slade is situated near the south coast, north west of Oxwich BayOxwich Bay
thumb|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. It is a popular spot for...
. Points of interest include Eastern Slade Farm, a dairy farm
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
and campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
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The nearby Slade Bay
Slade Bay
Slade Bay - marked on Ordnance Survey maps as "The Sands" - is a sandy beach near the village of Slade, south Wales. It is set in a relatively inaccessible location - being reachable only on foot and climbing over some large rocks. At the back of the beach, worked fields and steep gorse-clad...
includes a small 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...
, and is a breeding ground for fish such as rays
Batoidea
Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates, containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families...
, dogfish, common dab
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
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
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Three Crosses
Three Crosses is an inland village at the north east of the peninsula. Situated at a crossroad on the road from Swansea city centreSwansea 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 Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the...
(10 km) to Penclawdd
Penclawdd
Penclawdd is a village which is situated in the north of the Gower Peninsula in Swansea, Wales. Penclawdd is most famous for its local cockle industry which goes back for many years to Roman times. It falls within the Penclawdd electoral ward. It is one of the larger villages on the Gower Peninsula...
(5 km), it grew up in the early 19th century to serve small shallow collieries
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
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. (For administration it is part of Llanrhidian Higher
Llanrhidian Higher
Llanrhidian Higher is a local government community in Swansea, south Wales. The community has its own elected community council....
community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the City and County of Swansea.) Three Crosses is home to Capel Y Crwys
Capel Y Crwys
Capel Y Crwys is an Independent Congregation chapel located on the Gower Peninsula in the village of Three Crosses, Swansea. It is the largest chapel on the Gower earning itself the colloquial name of Gower's "Cathedral"...
, a large independent chapel.
Upper Killay
Upper Killay is an inland village. It has its own elected community council. The Clyne Valley cycle track passes though the village. Upper Killay is a gateway to GowerGower 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"...
from the east. The main road through the village passes over a cattle grid to the west, which marks the start of Fairwood Common
Fairwood Common
Fairwood Common is a large area of barely populated common land in the heart of the Gower Peninsula, south Wales. It forms part of the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Swansea Airport is located in the middle of the common...
. The village has its own rugby team, Swansea Uplands RFC
Swansea Uplands RFC
Swansea Uplands RFC is a rugby union club based in Upper Killay, Swansea, south Wales.Swansea Uplands RFC was founded at the Uplands Hotel, Swansea in 1919 by players of the pre-World War I Swansea Grammar School team on their return to Swansea...
. Their clubhouse and playing fields are to the south of the village, on Fairwood Common.
Notable residents include Andrew Jones (filmmaker)
Andrew Jones (filmmaker)
Andrew Jones is a British screenwriter and director.-Biography:Andrew Jones was born in Britain, in Swansea in South Wales....
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Small communities
- Burry Green is a hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
on the junction between the north GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
road (from SwanseaSwanseaSwansea 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...
to Llangenydd) and the road south to Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
and Rhosili on the south Gower coast. The latter road forms the shortest road link between Rhosili and Llangenydd. It is a little over a mile north west of Reynoldston, 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 BayCaswell BayCaswell Bay is a popular UK holiday resort in the south east of the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Wales.Access to the beach is relatively easy and inland from the sandy beach is a recreational park. Caswell is ideal for surfing, holidays in the nearby Hotels and Chalet Park. The beach regularly...
, one of the most popular bays in south Gower.51.57115°N 4.01787°W
- Horton is a south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
village, situated just north east of Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
off the A4118 roadA4118 roadThe A4118 road is a road in Swansea, Wales which connects Dyfatty Street in the city centre with the village of Port Eynon. It runs in an approximate east-west direction...
. 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. 51°33′12.00"N 4°12′06.00"W
- Kittle is an inland community, next to Bishopston, spreading north and south of the Pennard Road. (It is in SwanseaSwanseaSwansea 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...
's Pennard electoral wardPennardPennard is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Pennard has its own community council....
.) 51°35′03.00"N 4°03′35.00"W
- Knelston is an inland settlement on a conspicuous rise one mile south-west of Reynoldston. (It is in the Gower wardGower (electoral ward)Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
.)51°34′46.00"N 4°12′53.00"W In neighboring fields may be found ruins of a 12th-century church of St Taurin, and three standing stones.
- Landimore is a north GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
hamlet, descending to salt marshes east of Cheriton. It is in the Gower wardGower (electoral ward)Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
between Llanmadoc and Llanrhidian. On the slopes of a hill to the west are traces of Landimore castle (also known as Bovehill castle).
- Langland village, near the south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
coast, adjoins the popular Langland BayLangland BayLangland 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...
beach resort. It is in the NewtonNewton, SwanseaNewton is the name of an electoral ward and a village in the City of and County of Swansea, Wales. The Newton ward is a part of the Mumbles community...
and OystermouthOystermouthOystermouth is an electoral ward and a village in the Mumbles community and also the City and County of Swansea, Wales...
wards.51°34′11.00"N 4°00′12.00"W
- Llandewi or Llanddewi is an inland hamlet, on the road linking the north GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
villages of Llangenydd, Llanmadoc and Llanrhidian with the south Gower villages of Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
and Rhosili. It is in the Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
community council area, approximately 2 miles south west of Reynoldston and 3 miles north of RhossiliRhossiliRhossili is a small village and community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula near Swansea in Wales. Since the 1970s it has fallen within the boundaries of Swansea. It is within an area designated as the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom...
. The church of St. David was built by Henry de Gower between 1328 and 1347. Its tower contains an 18th-century bell. 51°34′46.00"N 4°13′25.00"W
- Llethryd (or Llethrid) is an inland farming settlement, near the centre of GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, around the B4271 road out of SwanseaSwanseaSwansea 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...
, just over halfway between Upper Killay and Llanrhidian, 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 GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, on the outskirts of Rhosili village and not far from Rhossili Bay. It has a much-used village hall. Lanes lead south to Fall Bay and Mewslade, and north across Rhosili Down to Llangenydd.
- Nicholaston is a farming community near the south coast of GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, on the road between Penmaen and Oxwich. It is in the Gower wardGower (electoral ward)Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
. 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 GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
road, a little west of Llanrhidian, consists of a small number of houses and a holiday accommodation site.
- Overton in south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
is a secluded hamlet overlooking Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
. It is in the Gower wardGower (electoral ward)Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
. Footpaths lead south to the pebbly beach of Overton Mere, and west along the cliffs to Paviland and Rhosili.
- Oxwich Green in south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
is a farming settlement on the road between the villages of Oxwich and Slade.
- Penrice, a hamlet in south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, inland from Oxwich BayOxwich Baythumb|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. It is a popular spot for...
, is approachable by steep, narrow roads. On its village green - once a social centre of Gower - stand the church of St Andrew and the stone base of a former cross. Penrice Park contains an 18th-century country-house and the remains of a Norman castle - both known as Penrice CastlePenrice CastlePenrice Castle is a castle near Penrice on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales.- History :Penrice Castle is the 13th-century successor to a strong ringwork to the southeast, known as the Mountybank. It was built by the de Penrice family who were originally given land at Penrice for their part in the...
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- Pitton is a sheltered settlement in south-west GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, near Rhosili, centred on Great Pitton Farm, one of the oldest farms in Gower. It is in the Gower wardGower (electoral ward)Gower electoral ward is an electoral ward in Britain. It is a ward of the City and County of Swansea, and comprises the western part of the Gower Peninsula...
. In the 18th century some villagers were involved in smuggling. Lanes lead south from Pitton Hill to the sea at Mewslade, and north across Rhosili Downs to Llangenydd.
- Pitton Green consists of a few houses on the road connecting the villages of Scurlage and RhossiliRhossiliRhossili is a small village and community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula near Swansea in Wales. Since the 1970s it has fallen within the boundaries of Swansea. It is within an area designated as the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom...
.
- Scurlage in southern GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
lies at the junction of roads leading to Port EynonPort EynonPort Eynon is a village and community in the city and county of Swansea, Wales. The community has its own elected community council...
or Rhosili. It has a sports field and a caravan site. Some walls of Scurlage castle may be seen.
- Southgate is on the cliffs of south GowerGower PeninsulaGower 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"...
, within the Pennard wardPennardPennard is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Pennard has its own community council....
of SwanseaSwanseaSwansea 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...
. It is near Penard golf links. Footpaths lead to Pobbles and Three Cliffs BayThree Cliffs BayThree 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...
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