Fourteen walkers joined Clive for the rainy drive down to the Gower peninsula and upon their arrival they found that work is being carried out at the main National Trust car park at Rhossili so a temporary half-car park had been set up.
Togging up and making their way southwards in a light drizzle towards the western end of the headland and gazing down below the cliff, a small boathouse which is constructed of natural stone sits at the base of a cliff below a set of steep steps above a small bay known as Kitchen Corner. Built in the 1920’s it was used to store boats and fishing equipment and limestone was shipped out to Somerset and Devon from this bay, whilst even today fishermen are still catching bass, flounder and mullet from the sea.
Crossing the headland adorned with clumps of pretty pink thrift, a set of man-made steps led them steeply downhill to the foreshore above the rocky causeway leading to the Worms Head, christened Wurm by the Vikings meaning Dragon. Access to the Worms Head is controlled by the tide as the causeway is only accessible for two and a half hours before and after the low tide, then the causeway is flooded and visitors are also asked to stay away from the outer head of the Worm between March and July when the nesting season is taking place.
Following a broad grassy path eastwards at the base of the cliff, after which three of the party headed up the cliff path whilst the rest carried on, led them onto a narrow dirt path which soon became steep and rocky around the base of Tears Point. Two more decided to go back and take an easier route leaving the remainder to clamber over huge rocks back up onto terra firma.
Making their way towards a stone boundary wall overlooking the seaweed strewn cove of Fall Bay whilst waiting for the stragglers to join the main party once more, it was time for morning coffee, during which a heavy burst of rain fell.
A pathway through pretty flowering yellow gorse brought them onto the steep rugged limestone cliffs above Mewslade Bay, whilst gazing at the massive lump of rock at Thurba Head where an Iron Age fort once stood.
Descending rocks again onto a pathway and turning inland, a narrow track beside a stone boundary wall encompassing lush green meadows and grazing sheep brought them to the delightful Mew Slade, where a wild garlic-lined pathway led them gradually uphill through woodland to Lower Pitton Farm, then across the B4247.
Tramping up Bunker’s Hill a stile led onto a narrow muddy track adorned with bluebells, then around a field and onto common land on the lower south eastern slopes of Rhossili Down.
By now the sky was beginning to turn blue and climbing gradually uphill to the sound of skylarks trilling and with two paragliders whizzing about on the thermals overhead, the sun broke through the cloud and lit up the view towards Llangennith and the brilliant view back to Worms Head directly below them.
Arriving at the Trig Point on Rhossili Down situated at 633ft with its stunning views across the whole of Gower, down over Rhossili Bay and the Worms Head and across the Lougher Estuary to west Wales, finding shelter from the stiff breeze heralded a break for lunch.
Walking along the ridgeway and passing above some of the many cairns and burial chambers on Rhossili Down, below them on the seaward side lay the remains of a WW2 radar station. It was built to protect the Bristol Channel and was able to detect and send early warning signals to Swansea of approaching enemy planes and also housed gun emplacements and after the war was blown up to protect its secrets.
From the ridgeway there were great views north westwards towards Broughton Bay and Burrows and Llangennith village, before the ridgeway path ended overlooking Hillend Caravan Park. A steep descent past hillside ponies and through the bluebell covered rocky hillside led them to a road and through the caravan park to sandy pathways through Hillend Burrows and out onto Rhossili Bay, where many wet suited surfers were in the blue sea.
With jellyfish of all sizes littering the clean sand, the leader suddenly called a halt for a competition involving drawing the Welsh flag in the sand, which everyone jovially took part in and after judgement of the many dragons on show and some of which resembled a whale, a dinosaur and a very large fish, the winner was Judy who received a book as a prize.
Continuing their trek across the flat sands and gazing towards the white painted Old Rectory above them on the sand dunes of The Warren, which dates back to the early 1700’s, this building was deliberately positioned around halfway between Llangennith and Rhossili so the rector could easily walk between the two churches in his domain. It was rebuilt in the 1880’s and purchased by the National Trust in 1995 and now serves as holiday accommodation with a long list of people wanting to stay there.
During medieval times a village stood on The Warren including a church and it is believed that the original doorway surround from that church is now sited at St Mary the Virgin Church in Rhossili village.
With ferns rapidly growing on the dunes hiding some of the sheep grazing there, a stop to remove outer clothing as the heat rose led to them overlooking the remains of the Norwegian oak built Helvetia, which grounded onto the beach on 1 November 1887 after a month of storms which saved its crew but scattered its cargo across Rhossili Bay, some of which was safely recovered but a lot of which fell into the hands of the locals.
Making their last climb and reaching a gateway back to Rhossili village, a narrow path led them around the Church of St Mary and back to the car park to change boots, before a visit to the charmingly sited Worms Head Hotel with its glorious views over the 3 mile sweep of Rhossili Bay for some liquid refreshment in bright warm sunshine that rounded off a fantastic adventure prior to the journey home.
