An Oxwich Adventure Trail

Ride through the glistening waves on an exhilarating boat trip with Gower Coast Adventures from Oxwich Bay to Worm’s Head. Guided by professional qualified crew with excellent local knowledge, you will encounter stunning scenery, a wealth of marine wildlife, fascinating local history (from prehistoric bone caves to tales of smugglers) and a unique thrill as you skim across the open water. They know where the seals will be snoozing, the porpoises feeding, and the sea birds nesting. Their passion for the local marine species and habitats brings with it a detailed knowledge of Gower’s wildlife from where to look for dolphins, to which cliffs to scan for perching peregrines, and also a deep desire to protect it.

Pay a visit to Oxwich Castle, a grand Tudor house, built in a courtyard style, which has watched over Oxwich Village since Tudor times. From the moment you walk through the imposing gateway emblazoned with the arms of Sir Rice Mansel, it’s clear this was the home of a gentry family looking to be movers and shakers in the prosperous years of the 16th century. Sir Rice’s relatively humble south range, used as a farmhouse for about 200 years until 1954, is still intact. But his son Edward’s extravagant south range, with its two-storey hall and elegant long gallery with stupendous sea views, now lies in ruins. Outside the courtyard are the remains of an immense dovecote with 300 nests. This was partly to provide the castle with year-round fresh meat – and partly just to show off. Remarkably Oxwich is still owned by descendants of the Mansel family.