Rhossili and Worms Head / Pen Pyrod

Hello again people and pooches. Joe the Cocker here after our road trip around Wales. This section of our trip found us on the Gower Peninsula, Penrhyn Gŵyr. The Gower was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956.

The National Trust car park in Rhossili is on the edge of the small village. The walk to Worm’s Head takes around twenty minutes each way. That is unless you are obsessed with taking photographs and soaking up the view, like my human.

There are a few eating places in the village, and my human said that we would visit one on the way back.

The view from the footpath over Rhossili Bay was stunning. The clouds were starting to disappear as we walked, and the sun quickly heated my black fur. Sometimes I wish that I was a different colour! The wind was whipping up from the sea over the cliffs, so that kept me cool.

The beach looked like a good zoomie stretch of sand, so I hoped that we would visit there after our walk.

The area has a dark history of smuggling with the beach, providing access to the Gower.

There is a wide expanse of grassland at the top of the shear limestone cliffs where i was allowed to have a run around. My human soon started to worry as I neared the edge. So, back on my lead, I was safely clipped.

As soon as we got our first glimpse of Worm’s Head, he unclipped me for a photo opportunity on the edge of a vertical cliff face. Typical!

We headed in the direction of the Old  Coastguard Station on the headland overlooking the three small islands that make up Worm’s Head.

I had a mooch and a sniff around the building while my human had a short chat with the coastguard.

I had a photo taken with the coastguard while he made a fuss of me. He was a lovely man with a great appreciation of Cocker Spaniels!

My human would have loved to continue the walk to Worm’s Head, but the tides were against us. The islands are accessible at low tide and for 2½ hours on either side. We were there at high tide, unfortunately.

Worm’s Head is made up of three small islands that resemble a serpent when viewed from certain angles. The name derives from the old English word ‘wyrm’, meaning sea-serpent. There is a colony of seals living around the islands. My human spent ages looking for them, but low-tide is probably the more likely time of the day when they bask on the rocks.

We spent an hour or so walking around the area, taking advantage of the lovely weather.

As we left the Coastguard Station, we looked back, and my human said that we would return one day at low tide so that we could walk along the serpents back.

We walked along the cliff tops on a flat grassy area on our return to Rhossili. My human was nervous about me falling off the cliffs and plummeting to the sea below, so I had to be put back on my lead. I thought that I am not that stupid as to venture too close to the edge. Unlike him, who insists on leaning over and risking life and limb.

The wide sandy path led us back to the village.

He insisted on creeping closer to the edge to take photos. Has he never heard about coastal erosion?

We saw and heard many birds as we walked back. Gulls and Swifts were the most frequently seen, but my human got really excited when two Red Kites swooped over our heads.

We were gifted with more views of Rhossili Bay as we neared the village.

My human was peckish, so we visited The View, a cafe overlooking the bay. If you look closely at the photograph, you will see that I was left to guard our table while my human ordered his food. I am a good boy!

My human treaed himself to some of the local brew because his throat needed lubricating, allegedly.

More throat lubricant!

We loved our short visit to the area, which was one stop of a few on that day on the Gower. We will definitely return at low-tide so that we can walk on the islands. Till next time!