Gower
Llanrhidian Marsh
The quiet side of Gower: saltmarsh running out to the Loughor estuary, grazed by sheep and ponies, with cockle beds beyond and almost no visitors.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 20
- Ascent
- 90 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
Field paths and marsh edge tracks run west from the village towards Weobley Castle and back. Do not walk out onto the open marsh; the channels fill fast.
Worth knowing
- Salt marsh lamb from these flats is a local speciality and appears on menus across Gower.
- The marsh is cut by deep creeks and floods on spring tides. Keep to the landward edge.
- Weobley Castle is a fortified manor house rather than a castle, and is open to visitors.
What you’ll see
Saltmarsh and creeks, grazing ponies, waders in numbers, and the Loughor estuary.
Background
Penclawdd cockle women gathered here for generations, riding donkeys onto the sands. The industry continues on a smaller scale.