Oxwich Point

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Oxwich Car Park (SS 501865)		Ordnance Survey Map OS Explorer 164 - Gower Buy this map from List of OS Maps     Note: If you use OS Maps on-line, you can download this route via this link.
Distance:  5.5 miles	Date of Walk: 20 June 2024
Ascent: Descent: See Walking Time Calculator	867ft (264m) 868 ft (265m)
Traffic light rating:    (For explanation see My Walks page)
For advice on .gpx files see My Walks page	Click the PDF logo above to give a printable version of this walk without the photos.

To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction:  This circular walk from Oxwich round Oxwich Point is a mixture of dense, ancient, broadleaf woodland with only occasional views to the sea followed by a section open to the sea with and very interesting coastal terrain.

At Oxwich point itself is a wave-cut platform of flat grassland backed by impressive limestone cliffs. This provides a pleasant spot for a picnic. The beach is primarily a rocky bed which can be accessed and there is a small sandy beach – “The Sands”.

Oxwich village is next to Oxwich Bay, a large sandy bay popular with holidaymakers. It has a huge car park fortunately and there is nowhere else to park. It has a ‘castle’ (in reality a Tudor mansion), mostly originating in the 16^th Century.  Unfortunately it is only open to the public via precooked tickets (see its website) and in fact you will not even catch sight of it on this walk.

St Illtyd's church is from the 12^th Century with 14^th Century additions, although the chancel may originate form the 6^th Century. Unfortunately it was locked when I visited.

The walk starts from the large car park at Oxwich. To get there, take the A4118 from Swansea and just stay on it until you get there! . If relying on sat. nav. from any other direction, beware. There are some fearsomely narrow lanes on the Gower!

Start: Walk through the car park to the beach. On the beach, turn right and go through the gate in the right hand corner into the lane and turn left.

The lane becomes a tarmac footpath alongside the church before reverting to a more normal type footpath through the trees. There then begins a lung bursting series of steps which seems to go on for ever!

Close to what looks like the top of the steps, meet a three way fingerpost and turn left following the “Coast Path” (SS 504859).

At SS 507855 meet a three way fingerpost and turn left down some more steps. At SS 512851 you will arrive at an information board with a “You are here” indicator”. To be honest, it does not give much information at all!

Continue along the coast footpath. After going through a kissing gate, there is easier access to the rocky beach if you want it. (SS 496853).

There was a section where a diversion was signposted but everybody seemed to be ignoring it and continuing on what would have been the original coast path and I did likewise. You can tell when you get to the end of the supposed diversion because there is a large red sign indicating it looking back.

Continue along the coast path passing through a couple of kissing gates and past a small sandy beach, named on the OS map imaginatively as “The Sands”. There is a somewhat precarious descent to the beach available with a rope to help you!

Continue along the coast path until you reach a forecourt area in front of a private garage (SS 478856). Turn right here to follow a climbing footpath indicated by a fingerpost. I have to say this was not the most pleasant of paths being crowded by shrubbery and very stony underfoot.

At the top of the climb, go through a kissing gate to join another path (SS 480861). Turn right.

Walk straight through the farmyard at Western Slade and go along its access track.

At Eastern Slade, the stony farm track becomes a metalled lane which you follow back to Oxwich passing through the pleasant hamlet of Oxwich Green and keeping  right when the lane forks.

If you need to buy any hiking equipment/clothing before your trip see the Hiking Store

All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.