What we ate
Bara brith and builders’ tea, daily,
on returning from a walk or the
beach. Saltmarsh lamb and fine
pints of real ale at the Britannia Inn
in Llanmadoc. This is one of those
rare pubs that balances keeping
locals happy and serving award-
worthy grub (britanniagower.com).
We enjoyed dining in the locals-
packed bar, rather than the fancier
restaurant. At tea room and craft
shop Cwm Ivy Café, also in
Llanmadoc, we had molten-cheese
paninis, frothy coffees and sturdy
wedges of ca ke. Th is is a ca fé w it h
a panoramic garden, perched above
the salt marshes sprawling towards
Whiteford Sands. Just make sure
your small child doesn’t lock you
in the remote garden loo using the
outside bolt, as mine did: I was very
grateful I had my phone in my bag!Pip’s Place: from £150 per nt,
min 3nt stay, or 7nts in school
holidays; qualityunearthed.co.ukWe also liked
Our weekend was served with an
unexpected side of nostalgia – and
not just because the children were
f ree to r un w ild. On a n out ing to t he
Mumbles, we played pen ny-shove
with the children in the arcades,
enjoyed greedily-good sundaes
at ice-cream-parlour institution,
Verdi’s – so big, they really should
have been lunch! A nd, at Por t
Eynan, wished we had room for fish
and chips, sitting on the beach wall.
The abundance of wildlife, too, felt
like a step back in t ime: rock pools
full of burgundy urchins and red-
gold starfish, wading birds at the
shoreline, mussels the size of your
hand at Oxwich Bay, and a beautiful
slowworm basking in the sun
among the dunes (pictured, above
right) – the first I’ve ever seen.What we did
Lots and lots of walking – we had
ca lories to bur n (see above!). From
Pip’s Place, we crossed the golf
course, played kings and queens at
ruined Pennard Castle and bounced
dow n t he sof t sa nd g ulley into t he
valley, sometimes f looded by high
spring tides. We spent hours rock-
pooling by limestone cliffs, fish-
spotting in streams and picnicking
on the sands, with a herd of cows
as our main company. Oxwich
National Nature Reserve nearbyis another fine sandy stretch, with
dunes rich in wildlife – here you’ll
find colourful butterf lies and rare
orchids among the wildf lowers
in May and June. We picknicked
on the rocks, then strolled back
along the beach, watching shellfish
hunters digging at low-tide for
edible treasure. The wind-blown
headland at Rhossili provided
another excursion; the Bay Bistro
is a lovely spot for lunch, and you
could always pop into Rhossili
Gallery to check out its jewellery
and art, should the rain arrive.
The best thing
The cabin itself is a work of love,
decorated as a home, not just as a
sparsely furnished let. Owner Pippa
is an artist, which is ref lected in the
pottery dotted around the cabin, the
driftwood ‘beam’ in the living room,
the carefully curated art on the
walls and the colourful homespun
bedspreads, cushions and throws.
Even the bathroom has personal
touches, including a tile splashback,
painted with the beach’s eponymous
three cliffs. It also meant that Pippa
was able to put on a pottery session
for us: the children’s decorated
clay plaques now hang on their
bedroom walls as a reminder of
our adventure-filled Gower stay.A PLACE TO STAYWhat we ate
Barabrithandbuilders’tea,daily,
onreturningfroma walkorthe
beach.Saltmarshlambandfine
pintsofrealaleattheBritanniaInn
inLlanmadoc.Thisis oneofthose
rarepubsthatbalanceskeeping
localshappyandservingaward-
worthygrub(britanniagower.com).
Weenjoyeddininginthelocals-
packedbar,ratherthanthefancier
restaurant.Attearoomandcraft
shopCwmIvyCafé,alsoin
Llanmadoc,wehadmolten-cheese
paninis,frothycoffeesandsturdy
wedgesofca ke.Th isis a ca féw it h
a panoramicgarden,perchedabove
thesaltmarshessprawlingtowards
WhitefordSands.Justmakesure
yoursmallchilddoesn’tlockyou
intheremotegardenloousingthe
outsidebolt,asminedid:I wasvery
gratefulI hadmyphoneinmybag!
Pip’s Place: from£150pernt,
min 3nt stay,or7ntsinschool
holidays; qualityunearthed.co.ukWe also liked
Our weekend was served with an
unexpected side of nostalgia – and
not just because the children were
f ree to r un w ild. On a n out ing to t he
Mumbles, we played pen ny-shove
with the children in the arcades,
enjoyed greedily-good sundaes
at ice-cream-parlour institution,
Verdi’s – so big, they really should
have been lunch! A nd, at Por t
Eynan, wished we had room for fish
and chips, sitting on the beach wall.
The abundance of wildlife, too, felt
like a step back in t ime: rock pools
full of burgundy urchins and red-
gold starfish, wading birds at the
shoreline, mussels the size of your
hand at Oxwich Bay, and a beautiful
slowworm basking in the sun
among the dunes (pictured, above
right) – the first I’ve ever seen.What we did
Lots and lots of walking – we had
ca lories to bur n (see above!). From
Pip’s Place, we crossed the golf
course, played kings and queens at
ruined Pennard Castle and bounced
dow n t he sof t sa nd g ulley into t he
valley, sometimes f looded by high
spring tides. We spent hours rock-
pooling by limestone cliffs, fish-
spotting in streams and picnicking
on the sands, with a herd of cows
as our main company. Oxwich
National Nature Reserve nearby
is another fine sandy stretch, with
dunes rich in wildlife – here you’ll
find colourful butterf lies and rare
orchids among the wildf lowers
in May and June. We picknicked
on the rocks, then strolled back
along the beach, watching shellfish
hunters digging at low-tide for
edible treasure. The wind-blown
headland at Rhossili provided
another excursion; the Bay Bistro
is a lovely spot for lunch, and you
could always pop into Rhossili
Gallery to check out its jewellery
and art, should the rain arrive.
The best thing
The cabin itselfis a workoflove,
decorated as ahome,notjustasa
sparsely furnishedlet.OwnerPippa
is an artist, whichis ref lectedinthe
pottery dottedaroundthecabin,the
driftwood ‘beam’inthelivingroom,
the carefully curatedartonthe
walls and the colourfulhomespun
bedspreads, cushionsandthrows.
Even the bathroomhaspersonal
touches, includinga tilesplashback,
painted with thebeach’seponymous
three cliffs. ItalsomeantthatPippa
was able to putona potterysession
for us: the children’sdecorated
clay plaques nowhangontheir
bedroom wallsasa reminderof
our adventure-filledGowerstay.A PLACE TO STAY