{"id":14844,"date":"2024-11-22T11:17:58","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T10:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14844"},"modified":"2024-11-22T11:25:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T10:25:30","slug":"gower-a-visit-to-the-worms-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14844","title":{"rendered":"Gower \u2013 A Visit to The Worm\u2019s Head"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gower \u2013 A Visit to The Worm\u2019s Head<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A glorious day in September saw five of us travelling to Rhossili in a quest to walk over to Worms Head \u2013 the island which sits in Rhossili Bay and is accessible at low tide.<\/p>\n

The National Trust (NT) car park was neat and green with lots of picnic tables. We walked to the end of the headland and after one of us said \u2018I\u2019d love to be certain I had seen a chough\u2019, we were thrilled to see them, with red beaks and legs, doing acrobatics in the breeze and calling. Further along were horses grazing.<\/p>\n

Soon we were descending the slope to the beach and clambering across rocks. With almost 2 hours to low tide, and a sign stating that the causeway is safe until 3p.m., there was plenty of time for the crossing. Although a little concerned that the rocks would be slippery with seaweed, there was no need as all the rocks are covered in barnacles and tiny mussels. Soon the sea was either side of us, but it is a wide causeway at low tide.<\/p>\n

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Arriving at the island we walked to the end of the main section. An easy climb to the ridge of the island, then a climb above the path to sit where a small ridge gives a view of Rhossili and Llangenith beaches to have a snack. As we sit, we exclaim together \u2018oh look seals\u2019 about 6 of them basking on the rocks below us. Cormorants fly, dive and stretch their wings. As we eat our lunch we watch as seals try to knock each other off rocks and make \u2018friends\u2019. A large bull is about twice the size of all the others and lifts his head and tail together posturing. More seals are spotted swimming in the sea and gradually clamber onto the rocks so that by the time we leave there are 9 of them.<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t walked to the far end, the Outer Head via Devil\u2019s Bridge, but it looks more uneven from here and the tide is already turning so we call it a day and start our return to the mainland. We head away from our earlier path to a flatter route and are careful not to trip. Those barnacles would rip your skin if you fell! Our path seems more uneven with some stretches of large rocks to scramble over.<\/p>\n

Arriving back on the beach we walk south east along the ledge above the beach. Streaks of quartz sparkle in the chunky stones apparently untouched by man and washed by the sea on every tide. The sea sparkles in the sun reflecting a beautiful blue sky.<\/p>\n

Now we head inland and make our way over to the next bay \u2013 Fall Bay \u2013 Rather than clamber over rocks again we walk around the bay and down a narrow path which finishes with a few steep drops over polished rocks. Just a few people are settled around the edge of the bay.<\/p>\n

Everyone changed into swimming gear and ran down to the sea for a dip \u2013 I don\u2019t swim well so paddled in the shallows. And Auri, the dog, who hates water stood at the edge and ran every time a wave approached. As I walk out of the sea to race the incoming waves, there are sensations of vertigo from the rushing patterns of the frothy water on the sand.<\/p>\n

We climbed back up above the bay and across fields to the NT carpark. Several fields have been planted with flowers by the NT: the first has sunflowers and several different types of clover, a 4th plant with a pink flower is probably also a clover with an incredible honey scent which completely fills the air, the second has sunflowers, cornflowers and a few other meadow flowers and the third has wildflowers but no sunflowers \u2013 calendula, poppies, cornflower etc. A delight especially as there are still quite a few blooms so late in the season.<\/p>\n

Back at the cars we make our way to the balcony of the pub and sip beers gazing over Rhossili bay. The wreck of the Helvetia (wrecked 1887) gradually disappears as the tide comes in. We could sit for hours but eventually we set off home, leaving one person to find a campsite where she was staying in her motorhome overnight<\/p>\n

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What a magical day, sunshine from dawn to dusk, good company, some amazing wildlife, flowers none of us knew and a visit to the Worm\u2019s Head achieved. And to cap it all that night there was a full moon shining clearly after we got home. What a shame only five of us were able to make it!<\/p>\n

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Gower \u2013 A Visit to The Worm\u2019s Head A glorious day in September saw five of us travelling to Rhossili in a quest to walk over to Worms Head \u2013 the island which sits in Rhossili Bay and is accessible at low tide. The National Trust (NT) car park was neat and green with lots of picnic tables. We walked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-3Rq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16514,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16514","url_meta":{"origin":14844,"position":0},"title":"A Tale of Bravery and Ongoing Service at St Athan","author":"Alan Williams","date":"28th January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"ARTICLES of GENERAL INTEREST A TALE OF BRAVERY AND ONGOING SERVICE AT ST ATHAN As one of 10 HM Coastguard bases strategically located around the UK, St Athan provides vital life-saving support to fishing and other marine industries. 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