Wales Visiting Gower, any suggestions?

traumahawk

traumahawk

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Ashley
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I am visiting the Gower Peninsula in May/June and would appreciate any location advice on places to visit whilst out there.
I am staying at Caswell Bay and intend to do coastal walks either side of the bay (and the Bishopston Valley walk) as well as a trip to the Brecon Beacons.
Does anyone have any other location suggestions or advice about the area, places to avoid, perhaps boat trips, etc?

I'm particularly keen on wildlife photography but will also do a bit of landscape and try some long-exposure night photography whilst I'm there.
I also see the Severn Valley Stages rally is on whilst I'm there so I will certainly visit that!

Thanks,
 
Rhosilli at the furthest end of Gower is stunning. Amazing west-facing beach, sunsets, views to Worms Head. Head northwards along the coast for panoramic views of all this. You can walk out to the tip of the mainland and if the tide is low cross over to Worms Head (which is an island at high tide). there was the skeleton of a wooden ship on the beach but I'm not sure if it is still there. Great foreground interest if it is.

The north side of Gower is flattish and more gentle, but there's a good walk thro' sand dunes out to the lighthouse at Whiteford Point. A bit of a drive but there's a Wildfowl Trust reserve on the coast near Llanelli (Penclacwydd?) with loads of hides. Great area to spend a week! (or more.....)
 
To add to Jerry's suggestions, It's well worth a walk along the beach at Oxwich and Three Cliffs Bay. There is some lovely coastal scenery to the West of Port Eynon.

If you walk to the old lighthouse at Whiteford Point, make sure you drop into Llanmadoc Community Shop for their wonderful home made cakes and coffee.

It's a lovely area, OS maps will help you to find the best parts.

I also stayed at Caswell bay last time I was there, I'll be going back one day.

Chris
 
The Gower is full of great places to shoot.

My mother and sister live in The Mumbles which can get very busy at the weekends so a different 'street' scene is available.

You might find some of tbe flatlands interesting too. Lamb on the Gower has a taste of it's own as, for much of the time, the sheep do not eat grass as they graze on tidal salt marshes. This gives a photographic opprtunity when the tides come in as the sheep stay eating till the last minute before 'escaping' the incoming sea. Not quite wild horses in the surf but something different. You may need to chst up the farmers.

I think the best way to see Rhosili is from the seaward. There used to be seal watching trips using semi rigid inflatables but everyone gets wet. Waterproofed cameras are a must but GoPro could do quite well.

I have not been down for a while due to my own ill health but that corner of Wales is glorious and, dependent on available time, the Brecon Beacons and up to Tenby foe Pendine Sands etc is easy too. As said in posts above, you are looking West from that coastline, so sunsets are a great reason to chill out and wait the moment.
 
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Buy some Welsh whisky while you are there and there's a red kite feeding station, somewhere in the Brecons, name escapes me, no doubt Google will find it.
Matt
 
Trip to Skomer island ?

Google "Skomer photography" and you'll find organised trips.
 
Rhossili and the helvita wreck remains, and you can get a nice sunset from the top of Rhossili downs.
Three cliffs (near parkmill) you can park at shepards shop (small charge) and walk down the valley, there's also Pennard castle on the top of the hill on that walk, and a nice reflection shot of the castle in the river if your lucky.
Mumbles also has a castle, and theres another at Weobley (north gower) also near by this is the Penclawd marshes for various birds. Not too far away from this is Whiteford point lighthouse, it's a bit of a walk through the nature reserve (or along the beach) but it's well worth a look, try and get there for low tide and you can get really close, it is possible to get a sunset there but I think you might be too early in the year for the angle to work (not sure)
 
MatBin said:
Buy some Welsh whisky while you are there
Matt
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That'll be Penderyn Distillery. Never been there, although it's only about half an hour from home.

MatBin said:
and there's a red kite feeding station, somewhere in the Brecons, name escapes me, no doubt Google will find it.
Matt
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That'll be Llanddeusant. Been there several times.

There is also a place called Perriswood on the Gower itself - close to Oxwich. It's an Archery and Falconry centre. Again, never been so can't comment on photography opportunities and not really sure what they offer in that regard tbh.

Llanelli Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre is about a 40 minute drive from Gower-ish (it's not actually that far distance wise, but Gower is full of windy roads which are a right pain tbh), but if you're willing to drive all the way up to Builth Wells for the Severn Valley Stages (at least an hour & half) then it's neither here nor there.
 
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Cardiff is better for shopping. Swansea is crap tbh. Every other shop is either a mobile phone shop (selling hundreds of different covers, sim cards etc) or it's empty. And the city centre is incredibly untidy imho. Cardiff (as much as I hate to say it being from Llanelli, and having lived in Swansea for a errr number of years lol) is much better kept, maintained and designed in general. Just a shame the football ground looks like it's built out of Lego.
But Swansea marina can be good photography wise, can also get some lovely views from the Meridian tower (nice restaurant / cafe at the top too - the Grape & Olive).

Oh, and if you do go to Llanddeusant to see the Red Kites, make sure get there in plenty of time. Don't be like @Andrewrallye and I always end up doing pulling into the car park just a couple of minutes before feeding starts then (after waiting for him to sort out his gear) have to jog down the road to the hide. Knackered by the time we get there lol.
 
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