SwanseaCAM - 150701 Penmaen to Torbay

ARCHIVE PICTURES.

Sunday 15th July 2001.
Penmaen to Torbay.

Weather: Sunny.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind
permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland

Today's walk to Torbay starts from the small roadside car park at Penmaen. It is just before nine o'clock and the morning is fine and sunny.... .

...... as I go through the gate and down the leafy sunlit lane that leads from the car park to the beach. It is so quiet here, there is no-one about to disturb the peace and tranquility of the early morning. Above, in the trees, birds are singing. The morning air is cool and fresh, it is a perfect start for an enjoyable walk.

Further down the lane there are ruins of farm buildings, their stone walls and roofs gradually disappearing under layers of ivy.

The lane narrows to a pathway by the time it reaches the high ground overlooking Torbay.

To my right, is Oxwich bay. The construction on the left of the picture are the remains of a lime kiln. I follow a path down the slope to the beach.

Apart from an early morning swimmer I spotted coming out of the water, the beach is deserted. The large lump of rock is the Great Tor..

The indicator on my camera tells me the batteries are running low and need to be changed so I head along the beach to a convenient spot in the rocks where I can open the camera without sand getting into the works..

After attending to the needs of the camera, it is time to consider my own so I fish my coffee flask out of my backpack and sit on on the rocks in the warm sunshine watching the waves breaking on an empty beach. It is so nice just sitting here in the sunshine I am reluctant to start walking again. I finish off all the coffee and a packet of biscuits before I finally get up to resume my walk.. .
beach shadows

White clouds in the summer blue sky cast their shadows on the sand as I continue along the beach.
waters edge

I dodge the wavelets as I walk along the soft wet sand at the very edge of the receding water.
high cliff

In front of me as I stand with my back to the water is a high cliff which I must climb as part of my circular walk. Fortunately, I do not have to climb the face to reach the top. There is an easier way from the left hand side where the rocks drop away and are replaced by sand dunes..

I leave the beach and begin the climb up....
Steep path

..... the path is steep and the sand underfoot is soft and loose.
Stile

On top, I reach this unusual stile and frame the Great Tor between the bars.
Oxwich view

It was worth the climb for this glorious view of Oxwich beach.

A track winds along the top of the cliffs through bushes, small trees and other assorted vegetation until we are once again above Torbay.The old limekiln makes a good platform from which to take this picture..

Limestone burning was a large industry in Gower from 1800 to the early to mid 1900's. Because of the easy availability of limestone there were many limekilns in Gower. This kiln at Torbay has been restored. .
Great Tor