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| I had planned this walk for Saturday but because today is so nice and sunny I decided not to wait until tomorrow. I arrived in Oxwich at 11.am and set off up the narrow lane to visit Oxwich Castle. Built by Sir Rice Mansel in the 16th century on the hillside overlooking the village, it is not so much a castle as a fortified manor house.Unfortunately ,the castle was not open to visitors so I had to be content with a photo from outside the gates. |
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| I returned to the village. This picturesque whitewashed cottage has had a new roof but it could well have been a thatch roof in the past..... |
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| .... just like this one. If you read the inscription on the wall plaque (next picture) its claim to fame is that the Rev. John Wesley lodged and preached in the cottage in the 18th century. John Wesley (1703-91) was the founder of the Methodist Church. He was one of the greatest evangelists in the history of the Christian Church. A preacher of great power and an organiser of genius, he founded Methodism in the face of intense opposition. |
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| The old village school is now a private residence. Additions have been made to the old building but you can easily make out its original shape. |
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| Further along the road is pathway leading to St. Illtyd's Church. The church is partly concealed by trees, above it is the hillside and just below is the sea. The church was built in the 13th century but the site has religious connections dating back to the 6th century. |
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| From the pathway just outside the church gates you can see the whole of Oxwich bay and the headlands to the east. In the centre of the picture look for what appears to be a conical cliff face called the Great Tor. I found out later that it is just under two and a half miles away but it didn't look that far off at the time I decided to walk to it.. |
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| It didn't take me long to realise it was further away than I thought. A couple of people came towards me leaving a nice trail of footsteps in the wet sand... just right for a nice lead in to the picture and a pointer to the Great Tor. |
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| Not quite there yet...right ahead like a fat finger pointing skywards is the great lump of limestone I wanted to photograph. |
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| Luckily the tide was right out so I was able to walk around to the seaward side of the Tor to take the pictures. The sand was still very wet after the receding tide but to get the complete reflection of the Tor I had to walk out to the edge of the water and as I took the pictures it was lapping around my boots. |
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| I took two pictures but not being able to decide which one to use for this page, I included both. . |
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| Away now from the water's edge, I took a shot of the headlands to the east. |
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| A look back at the Great Tor before leaving the beach for the sand dunes. |
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| The dunes are extensive and for the most part are covered with coarse grass and small shrubs. |
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| Limestone cliffs rise up from the dunes to the higher land above. |
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| To get my bearings I climbed up the cliffs a little way.You can just see the curve of the beach on the left of the picture.. I have to follow the edge of the beach to get back to my starting point. . |
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| I followed the path at the bottom of the cliffs into the woods. . |
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| Ducking under this fallen tree, a casualty of the recent high winds, I walked on until I came to a small stone bridge crossing a stream. |
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| I paused a moment or two taking a photo of the stream first a view inland...... |
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| .... and then another of the stream as it winds its way towards the sea. I followed the stream to the beach....my walk was over. |