Oxwich Bay

Oxwich Bay is the second largest beach on the Gower Peninsula (Rhossili taking the accolade of being the first) and is one of the most popular during summer months. In 1911, the beach gained fame for hosting the first aeroplane flight in Wales , accomplished by Mr E. Sutton in his Bleriot Monoplane.In March 1940, further attention was rained upon the bay with the discovery of what was, at that time, believed to be the skeleton of a Pterodactyl amongst the local sand dunes. This later turned out to be the remains of a crocodile, probably buried here by a touring circus that used to visit the area.

Oxwich Bay is backed by a combination of sand dunes, salt marsh, woodland and cliffs, themselves backed by the imposing Old Red Sandstone hill of Cefn Bryn - the backbone of Gower.

The area is a naturalist's haven, containing a variety of flora and fauna rarely found in the U.K. Unfortunately, one species was completely eradicated by the wreck of an oil tanker in 1945, its spillage ridding the area entirely of the cockles that used to be gathered daily from the shore here.

Oxwich Towers (Folly)

Oxwich Towers is situated at the western entrance of the large Penrice Estate. Outside its gates, from the A4118 main South Gower road, an ancient lane dips down a heavily wooded hill to the village of Oxwich. But this fragmentary ruin belongs neither to Penrice Castle nor Oxwich Castle. It is, instead, a late 18th Century/ early 19th Century folly created by the Penrice Estate squire of the time - Thomas Mansel Talbot (1747-1813).

Oxwich Castle

Like Weobley Castle on the northern coast of the Gower Peninsula , Oxwich Castle is actually a fortified Tudor manor house. Built upon, and incorporating the 14th century Castle in which he was born, Sir Rhys Mansel constructed this extensive mansion in the first half of the 16th century.

Sited close to the treacherous shore of Oxwich Bay, the Mansel family found many an opportunity to gain advantage of their proximity to the beach by being the first to plunder the treasures of the numerous sailing vessels that wrecked themselves on the coast here. However, such eager salvaging brought disaster upon the family when, on 27th December 1557, Sir Rhys Mansel took possession of the riches from a certain French trading ship that had come to grief off Oxwich Point during a gale. The salvage rights to this vessel, to some extent, also belonged to a Sir George Herbert, one of the most important and powerful men of Swansea at the time, and he and his men soon descended upon Oxwich Castle to forcibly argue their rights on the matter. Fearing that the ensuing argument, between Herbert and his men and Mansel and his own, would turn bloody, Sir Rhys Mansel's daughter, Anne, rushed outside the castle to part the two sides. However, as she intervened, she was struck by a stone thrown by Sir George's angered servant and fell to the ground bleeding from her head. This episode resulted in her death six days later.

Sir Rice Mansel, took his case to the Star Chamber, which imposed heavy fines on Sir George and his men. They were also ordered to return the salvaged goods and to repair all damage caused by the fracas. Additionally the servant stood trial for his part in Anne Mansel's death.

However, as far as the Mansel family were concerned justice had not been done. The court decided to pardon the stone-throwing servant and Sir George craftily avoided paying his fine, as he decided to put all his possessions into trust with his wife as beneficiary. By the time of his death in 1570 he had managed to avoid paying the sum owed. The bitter feud between the Mansels and the Herberts lasted for many years until Oxwich castle was abandoned by the Mansel family in the late 16th century for their new residence at Margam. The building was leased out to tenant farmers who inhabited the smaller south wing, whilst the large east block fell into ruin.

The site is presently conserved and maintained by CADW - Welsh Historic Monuments.

Oxwich Church

The medieval church of St. Illtyd must possess one of the most beautifully situated graveyards in the country. Itself almost buried by the giant canopy of a dense and steeply inclined wood, the church appears to stand aloof from the village and the sandy bay it overlooks, despite being separated by only a few moments walk. At the height of the summer season, when the sun is roasting all who bathe beneath its unblinkered stare, it is a most disquieting experience to stumble from the bustling sands and head for the chill and shaded solitude of the church grounds. The clammy, twilight atmosphere that clings to this churchyard transports its visitors to a ghostly other-world, a feeling that is undisturbed, perhaps even amplified, by the contrasting sound of the sun-worshipping tourists that flock but a stone's throw from its ivy clad walls.


Given such a picturesque and genuinely eerie setting, it is not surprising that one of the strangest ghosts of curious supernatural beasts on the peninsula has chosen to manifest itself here. This horse-like creature creature, seen striding down through the woodland graves towards the foreshore on its hind legs, is a being more readily identified amongst ancient Germanic folklore than in any other closer to home. The church's spring well, which has now run dry, is also reputed to be haunted - by a ghostly horse that drinks from its water before running into the sea and disappearing!

Within the Church itself, which is unfortunately kept locked for most of the year, are some very interesting items of note. The font, for example, is believed to have been brought to the church by St. Illtyd himself! Looking up, and the beautiful ceiling decorations in the chancel area of the church were paid for by Dame Lilian Bayliss, a director of England's Old Vic theatre, who fell in love with the church whilst holidaying in the area. Whilst in the chancel, the stone effigies of a knight and his lady - believed locally to represent the heads of the Norman De la Mare family, who lived in Oxwich Castle and who drowned in the waters of Oxwich Bay in the 14th Century. The effigies have been nicknamed by villages as the "Dolly Mare."

Despite local belief, however, more recent suggestions have dated the effigies to the early 15th Century, suggesting that they are arepresentation of the Castles later occupants - probably Sir John Penres and his wife, Margaret Fleming. The figures are not, as might be first suspected, sculpted from solid rock but have, instead, been constructed of sand particles which have been cemented together with plaster and coated with a plaster coat.

The Rev. J. D. Davies, local historian, author and rector of several Gower Churches in his day, was born in the old Rectory here, which was situated on the rocks sandwiched between Oxwich Church and the sea. This has now, unfortunately, been completely obliterated by the encroaching tide.

On a final, salutary note, at the rear of the churchyard stands the grave of an unknown soldier whose body was washed ashore upon the neighbouring beach during World War I. Given its
anachronistic setting, such a monument provides a perfect moment to reflect upon and honour all those who gave their lives defending their country during those awful and bloody years of conflict.