Walking on the Gower. Andrew Davies

When the route comes to a National Trust sign at Pwlldu Bay there is a bridge down to your left and a path climbing up the right. To explore the Bay, take the path that drops down to the bridge; do not cross, but head for the houses ahead. Pwlldu is full of interest for its shingle beach, smuggling and quarrying.

      PWLLDU BAY SMUGGLING

      The smugglers’ lane leading to Highway Farm

      Smuggling was commonplace during the 18th and early 19th centuries; of the two secluded houses at Pwlldu, the Beaufort Inn is reputed to have had dealings with smugglers who used its cellar for free storage. The arrangement the landlord had was that fewer barrels left than entered.

      One local historian claims that more contraband was landed here than anywhere else in the Bristol Channel. The sheltered bay offered an ideal location for these illegal activities, with the wooded Bishopston valley providing plenty of cover for transporting contraband to the farms at Highway; these were used as staging posts and as headquarters for the smuggling company.

      Cross the bridge and take the track up the side of the valley. Leave this by taking a footpath on the left through the wood to where it meets another path at Knapp Farm. Turn left and pass through a number of swing gates until you come to where the path enters a field with the rugby posts of South Gower RFC on your right. Keep to the hedge on your left to a road. Turn left here, pass Backingstone Farm on your right and shortly afterwards take the bridleway on your right.

      Turn right when you meet the gate and take the footpath on your right which follows the edge of the valley. Do not take the path that drops down the valley side. At the head of a gully there is a white house. Continue along the path following the valley edge. This brings you into a field where you keep to the left hedge and to a gully. Cross over a fence and a low stone wall and turn right, cross a stile and follow the footpath across the field. At the dwellings take the track straight ahead which brings you to the Joiners Arms and The Valley pub.

      Take the path with Prospect Barn on your left down the slope to a road and a house, turn left and take the footpath to the left of the house. This skirts around the graveyard and drops down back to the start at St Teilo’s Church.

WALK 4

      Pwlldu Head and Bishopston Valley

Start/Finish	National Trust car park, Southgate, Pennard (SS 5540 8735)
Distance	8.5km (5¼ miles)
Total ascent	340m
Time	2hrs
Refreshments	Three Cliffs Café and stores at the start.

      The route heads along East Cliff to High Tor, with fine views west of Oxwich Bay, and then on to Pwlldu Head from where there is a grand vista of Caswell, Mumbles Head and the Vale of Glamorgan coastline as far as Nash Point. This part of the walk is made more interesting by following pathways as close to the cliff line as possible as this affords the best views, and also crosses an Iron Age fort. After visiting the old quarry village the route turns inland, following the picturesque Bishopston Valley with its enjoyable woodland walk.

      From the bottom of the car park where there is a low earth bank, cross over the bridleway, down the slope and turn left following the cliff edge. The slade (small dell or valley) in front of you leads down to the beach of Fox Hole which is named after the cave situated just across the valley below the cliff edge. The care home next to the car park, Heatherslade, was once the home of poet Vernon Watkins, a close friend of Dylan Thomas.

      After around 200 metres, you will encounter another slade to Fox Hole. As you come around its head, take the small path along that again follows the cliff edge. Continue along the cliffs to a prominent headland, High Tor. There is a magnificent view to the west of the sweep of Oxwich Bay with the upland area of Cefn Bryn to the right. The impressive steep cliff just before the sand starts is Great Tor.

      If you are feeling adventurous, it is possible to descend the steep slade to the west of High Tor to a path that runs east along the top of the lower cliff and scramble down to the largest bone cave in Gower, Minchin Hole. This is just visible by looking down to the left from High Tor where there is a large gash in the steep cliff slope. Access to Minchin Hole and Bacon Hole is restricted at various times of the year due to the presence of breeding birds or hibernating bats. Check with the National Trust before attempting to visit either of them, tel: [phone].

      MINCHIN HOLE

      Minchin Hole, the largest bone cave in Gower

      Minchin Hole is the largest and most impressive of all the Gower bone caves but is quite difficult to reach. The route down the cliff requires some very careful scrambling and access to the cave is not for the faint-hearted.

      Extensive finds include the remains of a straight-tusked elephant, bison, soft-nosed rhinoceros, cave bear, reindeer, wolf and hyena showing that the cave was inhabited during the Upper Palaeolithic period. The later excavations by J Mason and JG Rutter proved that the cave was again inhabited during both the Romano-British period and again in the Dark Ages when the cave would have offered a secret hideout to anyone who made their home here. Finds of these periods include over 750 pieces of cooking pots, jars, beakers, dishes and bowls, spindle whorls, combs, finely-worked bone spoons, bronze brooches and numerous coins.

      From High Tor, carry on following the cliff top. Just below you at SS 5602 8682 is another famous cave, Bacon Hole.

      BACON HOLE