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Oxwich Bay ( Welsh: Bae Oxwich) is a bay on the south of the Gower Peninsula, Wales.
Its landscape features sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a 2+1⁄2-mile (4 km) long sandy beach, accessible from the village of Oxwich. It is a popular spot for swimming and watersports including diving, sailing, water skiing and windsurfing. [1] There is a public footpath along the cliffs from Oxwich Bay, around Oxwich Point, and to Port Eynon Bay. Buses run every couple of hours between Oxwich and Port Eynon. [2]
A wetland site at the rear of the dunes forms Oxwich Burrows National Nature Reserve. [3] The dunes are crossed by a small stream called Nicholaston Pill. [4] The bay ends at the eastern end with the cliffs of High Tor; but at low tide, a continuous sandy beach connects with Three Cliffs Bay beyond. [5] Within the nature reserve there are rare plants such as the dune gentian and the round-leafed wintergreen, insects such as the small blue, beachcomber beetle and the hairy dragonfly while the wetlands are important for birds, a bird hide is located at Whitestones which is accessed by a boardwalk through the wetlands. The birds present include water rail, little grebe and wildfowl, as well as the occasional wintering great bittern. [3]
Submarine cables leave the mainland of Britain from Oxwich. These include the SOLAS cable across the Irish Sea, and the TAT-11 and Gemini North transatlantic telephone cables. These latter two do not terminate here but instead continue on to France (TAT-11) and England (Gemini). [6]
On 1 February 2007, Oxwich beach was named the most beautiful in Britain. [7]
References
- ^ "Oxwich Bay". Gower Holidays. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Ruth Livingstone (24 April 2015). "178 Oxwich to Port-Eynon". Coastalwalker.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Oxwich National Nature Reserve, near Swansea". Natural Resources Wales. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "2020 Bathing Water Profile for Oxwich Bay". Natural Resources Wales. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "Tor Bay". Explore Gower. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Steve Homer (30 November 1998). "Disguising a cottage industry". The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ BBC News South West - Gower beach named Britain's best
External links
- grid reference SS513874
- Forces of Nature: Oxwich Bay: Beach information
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Oxwich Bay and surrounding area
- Landslide at Oxwich Bay December 2009 British Geological Survey