Gower Peninsula

 
   
   

Three Cliffs Bay

   

 

   

Along with Rhosilli Bay, Three Cliffs is the most photographed beach in Gower. It is the showpiece that regularly appears in calendars, posters and recently featured in the Guardian newspaper as one of the best places in the British Isles for a picnic.

Fortunately as it is also one of the least easily accessible beaches and lacks the usual tourist facilities it is never really in danger of becoming spoilt or overcrowded. In fact until recently the adjoining salt marshes were grazed by local commoners cattle and ponies.

Three Cliffs is a dramatic bay with its characteristic linked, pointy Three Cliffs complete with their natural archway forming the natural boundary with Pobbles Bay to the east.

The ruins of Pennard castle are perched high on the sandy slope which is the east side of the valley while to the west there are steep slopes leading to Penmaen and Three cliffs campsite. Cefn Bryn, the highest point on Gower towers above the valley.

The usual access is by the footbridge on the opposite side of the road to Shepherd’s stores but please note that parking here is limited and restricted.

Pennard Pill is the stream which curves and meanders its way alongside the woodland path and opens up into the valley leading to the beach. A wooden footbridge facilitates access to the sandy bay. It would seem like a perfect place for a day out, sand, sea, sand dunes, a ruined castle, caves and a river the only draw back being that Three Cliffs is the most dangerous Gower bay for swimming and so really is out of the question.

There is the opportunity to see some interesting fauna and flora at three cliffs. I regularly see herons by the river as well as local people riding their ponies along the beach.

Also Three Cliffs is home to a special plant that grows nowhere else in Britain except in Gower and especially in Pennard – Yellow Alpine Whitlow Grass. It is an exceptionally hardy plant that buries its roots deep in the rock crevices and produces yellow flowers in early spring.

   
   

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