Oxwich
is located close to the beautiful Oxwich beach between Oxwich Point
and Three Cliffs Bay on the south coast of the Gower, South Wales.
The village itself has a population of less than two hundred but you
can expect to find a greater number of visitors on the beach on a
warm summers day. It is a picturesque village with thatched cottages
and more than it's fair share of attractions including Oxwich Castle,
Penrice Castle, the Oxwich Burrows National Nature Reserve, a 13th
Century Church and one of the best beaches in Wales.
Oxwich Castle is a Tudor mansion rather than a castle, although it
is understood that there was originally a true castle on the site. The
present building is more of a mock-fortified manor house, constructed
during the peaceful and prosperous years of the 16th century. It is
to be found close to the western end of Oxwich Beach. The castle is in
the care of Cadw, the Welsh Heritage authority.
Penrice Castle is the largest castle on the Gower and it's origins
can be traced back to the 12th
Century when a
Norman knight by name of de Penrice was gifted the land that
became the Penrice Estate. The keep, gatehouse and much of the surrounding
walls still stand looking out over Oxwich Bay. The keep dates from mid
13th century and the walls from around 1300 so it is no surprise that
they are in a ruinous condition. It was partly destroyed in the Civil
War and was abandoned afterwards. The castle is on private land, but
a public footpath allows viewing of parts of the curtain walls and the
towers.
Oxwich Burrows National Nature Reserve is a wetland site to be found
behind the huge sand dunes on Oxwich beach. It is a flatland of
salt and freshwater marshes and pools that are surrounded by ancient
woodlands.
The church of St Illtyd's is to be found hidden in the woodlands
that cover the headland of Oxwich Point. The church is dedicated to
St. Illtyd and christianity has been practised on
the site for over 1400 years but the current building with it's castellated
tower dates largely from the 13th Century.
The church contains the effigies of an armed Knight and his Lady who
it is said were drowndead in Oxwich Bay in the early 14th century.
Others suggest that the effigies are of Sir John
Penres and his wife who held the manor of Oxwich in the 15th Century.
The tiny chancel is the oldest part of the church leading some to speculate
that this may in fact be part of the original 6th Century "Llan" or church.
There is an interesting font within the church that some suggest was brought
to Oxwich by St Illtyd himself,
and the bell, housed in the tower, dates back to the 14th century.
The beach has been voted one of the best in Britain, but if you prefer
peace and quiet to the crowds then you need to walk toward Nicholaston
Burrows end of the beach. A slipway provides access for launching boats
and the beach is popular for swimming, sailing, windsurfing, boating,
canoeing and scuba diving. On the day we visited there were more scallops
and cockles then I've seen on a beach for a long time.
Directions :
Take the A4118 from Swansea as far as the hamlet of Nicholaston. Continue
for approximately 1 mile then bear left to Oxwich. Parking is available
,for a charge, fronting the beach.
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