Whiteford Sands

For Whiteford Sands (car park sign spells it Whitford which is how it's pronounced) - Gower's most northerly beach - take the A4118 and B4271 for Llanmadoc. Watch out for the Cym Ivy sign as you pass through the village and turn off to the right.



Be warned - the honesty box doesn't give change.

Soon you should pass the Betty Church wood.

Her father built many of Gower's main sewers.

She was a keen gardener and planted many

of the trees in the 3.5 acre wood where she had a summer house.

You will also pass Cwm Ivy Wood.

On the left as you approach the dunes you will

see Cwm Ivy Tor.

Go along the path through the pines that were

planted to stabilise the dunes.

Soon you will see the dunes at the start of Whiteford Burrows.

A nice, handy stile before you pick your way

through the dunes to the beach.

From here you can see across the estuary of the

River Loughor to Pembrey, Burry Port and Llanelli.

If the tide is right, you can walk out to the Victorian cast iron lighthouse. It is a couple of miles

along the beach towards Whiteford Point.

Millwood and Penrice Estate

Millwood is set in Forestry Commission land close to the Penrice estate in south Gower. Follow the Penrice signpost on the A4118.

There's a free car park right next to the woodland walk.

Mill pond - a remnant of the Penrice Estate.

The mill leat - supplying water to the mill.

Follow the yellow arrow through the wood.

Pass a stile and hop over for luck!

At end of wood, turn left and walk back down the lane

to the car park.

A corn mill with 2 of the stone grinding wheels. A mill on

this site was built in 16th. C. but these remains probably

date from 1785 and was used until 1890.

Stew Ponds (c.1785?) - used to raise or hold fish (probably
carp) providing food for the mansion.

There's a stone stile opposite the car park for a
path to the house and castle.

Beware of falling Norman rock!

The largest castle in Gower is on your left.

The manor house is on your right built in 1775.




Go along the road past where you came out
of the wood. There's a small car park by the
12th. C. Church of St. Andrew.



Plenty of stone stiles here!

2 visits to ruins - Neath Abbey & Morris Castle

The ruins of 12th. C. Neath Abbey can be reached by taking the A4320 through Skewen and then turning right into Monastery road just after the Hope and Anchor pub. There's plenty of free parking space and no charge for visiting the ruins.



It is not hard to imagine how a Cistercian monk of the period looked.




The abbey was dissolved in 1539 after which the site was aquired by a local landowner, Sir John Herbert, who made the monks' lodgings the core of his own mansion.

Morris Castle can be seen from much of Swansea. Finding it is not so easy.

Only two of the four towers remain. It was built in 1770s to house the workers of Sir John Morris after whom Morriston is named (from Morris Town). It was castellated with a quadrangle and housed 24 families. They were accomodated in 24 flats in 3 storey blocks linked by the 4 storey corner towers. The workers were all colliers except for one tailor and one shoemaker.

The castle was seen from Morris's mansion at Clasemont and was probably designed to enhance the landscape as was the castellated Ivy Tower banquetting house on the Gnoll Castle estate in Neath for the Mackworth family (see 'A Stroll in the Gnoll').

The castle remained a 'residential high rise' for the workers for 100 years until quarrying made it unsafe.

A portion of one of the towers came down in the 1987 gales. Hey! Don't lean too hard!

Perhaps the easiest way to the castle is to start in Llewellyn Park, which is off Trewyddfa road, and continue along the path to the left.

Follow the path past the play area and come out of the gate into Cnap-Llwyd road. Cross the road and walk along a path at the side of a bungalow.

There are some steps up to the craig (rock) but they may be a little overgrown.



There is another trail up from Landore. Maybe someone knows it?

Ystradfellte to Sgwd y Eira

The Waterfall Walk #2

From the Angel Inn car park in Pontneddfechan, drive up the hill on the B4242. Soon you will see the wonderful scenery of the southern fringes of the Brecon Beacons. After 4 miles you enter the village of Ystrafellte. Behind the New Inn there is a free car park.

Walk up the hill past the 12th. century Cistercian Church of St. Mary's

...and the 'Powys Village of the Year 2004' sign.

After a good 10 minutes from the village the road levels out and eventually a signpost, 'to the waterfalls', appears.

Take the small road to the right through the forest until you arrive at the car park. This car park charges £4. The one by the New Inn is free.

The track to the Sgwd y Eira ( waterfall of snow) is well-maintained. The walk is 30 minutes from the car park with the last 3 minutes a rough, steep path down to the waterfall.

It is possible to walk underneath the cascade.

Pontneddfechan to Pontmelinfach

The Waterfall Walk #1

This describes the 2 mile walk from Pontneddfechan (Angel Inn) to Pontmelinfach picnic area. Pontneddfechan - Bridge over the lesser River Nedd - (known locally as Pontneddvaughan) is near Glynneath (home of Max Boyce) off the A465. The walk begins at the gate which is close to the Angel Inn where there is a car park. The sign says, "Sgwd Gwladys" which means "Lady Waterfall".

The first leg of the walk along the Neddfechan (lesser River Neath) follows an old tramway. The area was mined for silica (quartzite) in the production of fire bricks known locally as dinas. You can still see the stone sleepers set into the footpath. The trams transported the silica.

After about 20 minutes cross the bridge (pont in Welsh). Here the rocks in the river are a bright red colour.

The first of the waterfalls is seen from the bridge.

After crossing the bridge follow the sign for Pontmelinfach. On the way there are several more waterfalls including Sgwd Gwladys.

Soon the stony, muddy path winds into the picnic area of Pontmelinfach.