British Travel Journal | Autumn/Winter 2023

Bracelet Bay, Langland Bay and Caswell Bay where there’s
a surf school. For a bout of Welsh culture, the picturesque
village doesn’t disappoint either, from the world's first
gallery devoted to hand-carved Welsh Lovespoons and
local artists, to laverbread and cockles brunches at The
Darkhorse. You could easily spend a few hours here
exploring the independent boutiques and quirky galleries.
From Oystermouth, you can pick up a Santander Cycle
and take a scenic ride along Swansea’s Promenade, with
beautiful views across the five-mile sweep of Swansea Bay.
We cycled a leisurely mile to Knab Rock (where there is
another Santander pick-up/drop-off point) with Poppy in
tow for a home-cooked Italian lunch by the sea at Verdi’s
Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour.
There's plenty of pasta and pizza to choose from and
the ice-cream sundaes are legendary – with up to 30
different ice cream flavours on offer.
In the afternoon we visited Oystermouth Castle, which
is just a short walk from Mumbles’ shops and restaurants.
Sitting majestically on the hill, the castle features
spectacular views overlooking Swansea Bay. Don’t miss
Alina’s Chapel with its remarkable Gothic windows – and
history buffs will marvel at the 14th-century ancient graffiti
art and medieval maze of deep vaults and secret staircases.
Mumble’s newest hotel, The Oyster House is a great
option for lunch, cocktails or an evening meal. We sat under
a clear blue sky, and with heaters, sea views, and ambient
music, it felt like the perfect holiday spot to unwind following
an active day. The menu was impressive, featuring plenty
of seasonal meat from The Gower Butcher and ‘fresh off
the boat’ fish from Coakley’s Fishmongers, including some
delicious oysters that I simply couldn’t resist.
DAY THREE
During our time in Rhossili the day before, we had the
pleasure of meeting Key, a friendly local who gave us
some valuable recommendations. After taking a dip in the
sea, she told us stories of the limestone cliffs, caves and
mammoths and pointed out where we could spot “the face
in the mountain” and even mentioned a tree inside one
of the caves. It was fascinating to hear about the area’s
history and local legends. Key insisted that Mewslade
Bay, a beautiful spot just north of Worm’s Head, was her
all-time favourite beach, so we went to check it out.
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