South Wales - July 2018

At the end of my recent stay in the UK, in July 2018, I joined old college friends in 3 South Wales for a couple of days.  We were all together in 1970-73 in the Geology Department of Queen Mary College, London University. Steve Dutton, Mike Pawluk, Colin Simpson, Rob East and their respective wives, Yvonne, Cate, Mel and Sulis.

The QMC Geology Boys

I started the drive early Sunday morning from Derbyshire and drove over towards North Wales.  I had the idea of taking the scenic route through the middle of Wales rather than the motorway route through England.  I had heard of a ship moored in the Dee estuary that might be worth a look at. The Duke of Lancaster was an old ferry boat that was moored at Mostyn and converted into a entertainment center and shopping facility. As a boat it could avoid the Sunday Trading Laws that restricted activities on a Sunday. The boat is impressive and it has been raised above the current high tide level so it sits up quite prominently on the side of the estuary.

The Duke of Lancaster, Mostyn

Access to the area around the ship is restricted but I managed to go around the low tide on the beach and get a closer look.  The security guard residing there was quite nice and didn’t object at all and we had a chat before he let me out through the locked gate.

I then headed south towards Swansea.  I thought it might be a nice drive and yes it was but it was not the epic countryside of Snowdonia that I was expecting. Just nice countryside.  

The QMC Reunion Folks

We were all meeting in the village of Llangennith, where we were staying at the Kings Head Inn.  It is a nice little village on the Gower Peninsula - a church, a nice pub with hotel, a few houses and a surf shop. Surfing has become popular in the UK.

Llangennith Church

The next morning we set off on a walk up the hill that shelters Llangennith from the coast.  From the top there were lovely views of the coast below. Stretches of almost deserted sandy beaches, views out to the Bristol Channel and over to the Isle of Lundy in the far distance.  The area has been declared as an “Area of Outstanding Beauty” and I must agree, beautiful it certainly is.

Rhossili Beach

We walked over the cliff tops towards the village of Rhossili.  From the top there were nice views of of Rhossili Beach and of the Worm’s Head, a peninsula jutting out into the Bristol Channel that is only accessible at low tide.  

Rhossili Beach and the Worm's Head

The Worm's Head

There is a nice church in Rhossili, St. Mary’s. Inside the church there is a plaque commemorating one of Rhossili’s residents Edgar Evans, a member of Scott’s team to the South Pole.  He died on his way back from the South Pole having been beaten to the Pole by Amundsen’s team.

St Mary's, Rhossili

Edgar Evans Plaque

After a beverage in the Worms Head Hotel we walked out to the peninsula for a better view of the Worm’s Head.  There was a Coastguard Station on the cliff top out there.

We walked back to Llangennith along Rhossili Beach.  A lovely stretch of sand and an easy walk back towards Llangennith.  At the end of the beach a few of us went for a swim. It was nice cooling water but not very deep.  You have to go out a long way to get out of your depth in this part of the world.

That evening we had a great meal at the Britannia Inn in Llanmadoc.  Lots of good time reminiscing with old friends.

Broughton Bay

Next morning I had an early morning swim in Broughton Bay.  That required walking through this fairly large caravan site.  Not very pretty - lots of cheap identical looking mobile homes near the beach.  The UK seems to have a lot of these places that kind of spoil the views in what is a stunning area.  As with the prior day, the water was shallow and I could barely get it above my waist.

Broughton Bay Beach

After breakfast a walk from Llangennith out to Broughton Bay again and along the beach for a while before I turned back leaving everyone to continue.  I had to get back to London for my flight to the US the next morning.

A few more photos here.