Oxwich Bay, The Gower
A trip to one of the UK's prettiest beaches
(Photos/words © urban75, Aug 2007)

Declared the 'the most beautiful beach in Britain' by The Travel Magazine in Feb 2007, Oxwich Bay on the Gower Peninsula offers two and a half miles of golden sand backed by sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland.

Catering for a wide variety of watersports including, diving, sailing, water-skiing and windsurfing, there's a slipway for boats and plenty of safe swimming to be found on the vast beach.

Hidden from the eye, a variety of submarine cables leave the mainland of Britain from Oxwich, including the SOLAS cable that spans the Irish Sea, and the TAT-11 and Gemini North transatlantic telephone cables.


There's a small cafe serving snacks by the beach, with a hotel/bar providing more substantial food and drink.


Wetsuits on the line.


Looking east towards Three Cliffs Bay.

The sand is exceptionally fine on the beach.


The beach is flanked by sand dunes.


...which are great for jumping off!




Photo taken while I was having a paddle. The water was actually pretty warm (for the UK, that is!).


We walked along a huge expanse of golden sand to the Great Tor.


At low tide, you can walk around the Tor into Threecliff Bay.


Looking west with Oxwich Point in the distance.


Look closely and you can see some folks at the top of this rocky outcrop by Nicholaston Burrows.




Clouds started to gather on the horizon.


The beach was almost deserted.


Looking across Oxwich Bay.


Another view with just a few black blobs of people peppering the horizon.






Crossing a small river that flows across the beach into the sea.


The area beyond the beach is a National Nature Reserve managed by the Countryside Council for Wales, and there's a great elevated walk across the marshland that's positively bursting with bird song.



A robin checking us out.




Parking by the beach.


Old building by the beach.

I had hoped to take some pictures of Llangennith, but by the time we got there it was pissing down, so we headed back to Cardiff for some lovely Brains beer.



Beach map


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