Walks in the UK: Rhossili, Gower, Swansea

Pretty sights from the Gower’s most breathtaking viewpoints

Length: 4.3 miles

Walking time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Leisurely

Starting point: Car park behind the Worm’s Head Hotel, Rhossili Village

Description:

Rhossili is up there with some of the world’s most beautiful coastal locations and this walk showcases its postcard pretty sights from the Gower’s most breathtaking viewpoints. The final leg of the walk takes you along sand and surf, with the opportunity to dip your toes in the sparkling blue-green sea before heading back up the hill.

1. From the car park walk back up the lane through Rhossili, passing the church on your left, until you reach the sharp bend in the road. Take the lane peeling away left to the end, where a gate leads to National Trust access land. Bear right up the steep south flank of Rhossili Down. It flattens off as you approach the trig point.

2. Keep to the ridge top path, which winds north through bracken and heather. Enjoy superb views in all directions, from Exmoor to the Brecon Beacons, and west to the Preseli Hills. Having passed the second of the ridge’s three prominent peaks, the path falls to a fork. Either follow the track left to the ruined World War II signalling post or keep right through the heather along the ridgetop. Both ways take 10–15 minutes to arrive at the third high point of Rhossili Down.

3. The trig point marks the start of a steep descent to Hillend Campsite. Take care if the grass is wet.

4. Ignoring the path veering left from the foot of the hill along Rhossili Down, head through the main gates of the campsite, bearing immediately right, past the front of the pub-café to the reception and car park gate. From here, a track leads west, skirting the bottom of the campsite to a car park. Follow the fenced track through the dunes to reach the award-winning Rhossili beach.

5. A steady 45-minute ramble along the sand below Rhossili Down takes you south to the start of a steep ascent up the cliff. The steps emerge next to the Bay Bistro & Coffee House.

Points of interest:

A. St Mary’s Church stands at the start of the path up the steep south side of Rhossili Down.

B. The house at the base of the hill is Rhossili’s much photographed Old Rectory, built in the 1850s.

For the full route and to download GPX data for the walk, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/findroutes. This walk is from Ramblers Routes, a collection of Britain’s best walks from the experts. There are hundreds of free routes available on the Ramblers website for anyone to enjoy, and hundreds more for Ramblers members.

The Ramblers helps everyone, everywhere, enjoy walking and protects the places people love to walk. For further information, visit www.ramblers.org.uk.