Starting at: Britannia Inn, Llanmadoc

Cwm Ivy to Spiritsail Bone Cave Circular

Embark on a coastal adventure from Cwm Ivy to Spiritsail Bone Cave, starting at the historic Britannia Inn

INFOBURST

 

Start:

Britannia Inn, Llanmadoc

Destination:

Britannia Inn, Llanmadoc

Distance:

5 miles

Walk Length:

2.5 hours

Walk Difficulty:

2 (Moderate)

Parking:

Patrons parking at the Britannia Inn

C0nsiderations:

Always exercise caution when crossing roads and navigating steep paths.

 

THE WALK

Spiritsail Cave

Walk from the Britannia Inn, keeping the inn on your right hand side head up the road towards Llanmadoc community shop.

Once you arrive at the shop continue along the road, the old rectory will come into view, a distinctive Swiss style house built by the reverend J D Davies famed for his carvings in both Cheriton and Llanmadoc churches and his Victorian books, the History of West Gower. On your right you may notice a little white house partially hidden from view, Ty Gwyn, once the dwelling place of Ernest Jones the famous psychoanalyst married to Morfydd Owen the opera singer, Jones hosted Sigmund Freud when he visited.

Llanmadoc church is on the opposite side of the road from the rectory and will be on left as your route bends to the right and you begin to descend the hill. Llanmadoc church is the smallest church in Gower.

Cwm Ivy car park on your right, there is an honesty box here, after passing some houses you will arrive at the entrance to the reserve, pass through the gate and continue to the reserve ss 43383 94079

Spiritsail Cave
Spiritsail Cave

Follow the coastal path signs which will take you left off the gravel track before you hit the beach and high Tor, there are bone caves her at prissens tor/spiritual (insert image jaw). Finds Early Bronze beaker, flint flakes, Romano British artefacts, animal bones, 1 adult burial.

Descend the tor, there are many interesting paths to choose , the most obvious route is directed with an interesting nature trail for young people leading to a gate onto the coast path, the caravan park at Broughton will come into view , Broughton Beach has bronze Age peat layers visible, Llanmadoc Hill on your left is your destination.

A marked path leaving the coast path on the left just before you meet the caravan park taking you up to a gate and fields before another gate onto a gravel track SS 421 78 92 659 And then an access lane. Cockstreet quarry is visible up a grassy slope but not accessible, the lane follows a geological fault so there is red sandstone next to Limestone. Rhossili Down, Harding’s Down and Cefn Gryn are all made of old red sandstone.

Turn right at the path junction,keep left of the telegraph wires and climb to the trig point at the summit of Llanmadoc Hill 6.3km into your walk at this point,SS 42 988

There are spectacular views from the top-following the ridge back towards the Iron Age Hillfort The Bulwark (see information below), there are also numerous Bronze age cairns , cists SS 4429392833, you can walk through the ramparts till you meet a broad gravel track that snakes obviously down the hillside past stormy castle house on your right before the track joins the road back to the Britannia Inn, for the keen eyed there is an abandoned school house nestled into the hillside, it was a ‘happy school’ from 1860-1935. SS 44 92.

Spiritsail Cave
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