Gower
Cwm Ivy and Llanmadoc Hill
The north-western corner of Gower, with a breached sea wall reverting to saltmarsh and a hill above carrying a Neolithic tomb.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- Ascent
- 150 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Climb Llanmadoc Hill from the village, then drop to Cwm Ivy and the marsh edge before returning. Open hill and field paths.
Worth knowing
- The sea wall was breached in 2014 and the freshwater marsh behind is turning back into saltmarsh, which is being studied closely.
- The Bulwark on Llanmadoc Hill is an Iron Age fort with clear ramparts.
- Do not walk out onto the new saltmarsh; the channels are deep.
What you’ll see
The breached wall and new saltmarsh, the hillfort, and the Loughor estuary.
Background
The 2014 breach was left unrepaired deliberately, creating one of the largest managed realignment sites in Wales.