Swansea Bay

Bay in Glamorgan

Wales

Swansea Bay

Looking South from the North end of Rest Bay Very flat grassy banks mark the end of Rest Bay. In the distance is the golf course and the large building is The Rest. — Looking South from the North end of Rest Bay Credit: Trevor Rickard

Swansea Bay, located in Glamorgan, Wales, is a picturesque and historically significant bay renowned for its natural beauty and cultural heritage. Stretching for about 10 miles along the south coast of Wales, it is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

The bay is characterized by its stunning sandy beaches, including the famous Swansea Beach, which offers a perfect spot for sunbathing, swimming, and other water activities. The bay's tidal range is the second highest in the world, reaching up to 8 meters during spring tides, making it a hotspot for water sports enthusiasts, particularly windsurfers and kiteboarders.

Swansea Bay also boasts a wealth of historical attractions. The Mumbles, a charming seaside village at the western end of the bay, is home to the iconic Mumbles Pier, a Victorian structure that offers breathtaking views of the bay. Further east, visitors can explore the ruins of Oystermouth Castle, a medieval stronghold with a rich history.

In addition to its natural and historical attractions, Swansea Bay hosts a range of events and activities throughout the year. The annual Swansea Bay Summer Festival, held on the beachfront, features live music, food stalls, and a vibrant carnival atmosphere. The bay is also a hub for sailing races and hosts the Swansea Bay Yacht Race, attracting sailors from around the world.

Overall, Swansea Bay is a captivating destination that offers a perfect mix of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and recreational activities for visitors of all interests.

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Swansea Bay Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.505729/-3.7468189 or Grid Reference SS7879. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Looking South from the North end of Rest Bay

Very flat grassy banks mark the end of Rest Bay. In the distance is the golf course and the large building is The Rest.

Trevor Rickard

Sker Point and Kenfig Sands

Practically at sea level, Sker Point is just a grassy knoll. The vast expanse of Kenfig Sands is in the middle distance leading to Margam Sands and the Port Talbot steel works. The hills at the back mark the coastline of Swansea Bay.

Trevor Rickard

Sker House

Atop the wind blasted dunes of Sker Point, a Cistercian monastery founded some 900 years ago became a private house in Tudor times. It has had a chequered history and is surrounded by impossibly romantic tales of ghosts and thwarted love. This picture was taken just a very few years before the house, derelict for a century, was saved from total collapse and is now saved for the nation as one of the most important historic houses in Wales.

Deirdre Shaw

Sker Rocks

Looking southwards over Sker Rocks from a position just above the western end of the beach at Sker Point. Visible in the photograph is the inlet Pwll Dafan which runs deep into the mass of rock.

eswales

The beach at Sker Point

Looking roughly south east along the beach at Sker Point. A good deal of the beach further away from the camera lies outside the grid square.

eswales

Rest Bay coastline

Looking north-west towards the expanse of the flat Ffynnon-wen Rocks. Sker Point is in the distance.

Jonathan Billinger

Morning walk on the beach

The showery weather has not put off this man and his dog from their stroll along the beach at Rest Bay. The weather did not put the photographer off either!

Jonathan Billinger

Pwll Dafan

The name of the inlet into the platform of rocks at Sker Point. Looking west from the coast path.

Jonathan Billinger

Golf course maintenance

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club operatives are working on the greens and tees to get the grass in good shape to go through the winter.

Jonathan Billinger

Trychineb Santampa 1947 / Santampa Disaster 1947

Mae Cofeb Trychineb Santampa yn coffau'r llong 7,219 tunell a ddrylliwyd ar Greigiau Sker yn ystod storm fawr ar 23ain Ebrill 1947 gan ladd 39 o'r criw oedd arni. Cofir hefyd am yr wyth aelod dewr o fad achub y Mwmbwls 'Edward Prince of Wales' a foddwyd pan suddodd y bad yn yr ymdrech i'w hachub. The Santampa Disaster Memorial commemorates the 7,219 ton ship which was shipwrecked on Sker Rocks during a terrible storm on 23 April 1947 killing all 39 crew members aboard. The memorial also remembers the eight gallant crew members of the Mumbles lifeboat 'Edward Prince of Wales' who were tragically drowned when their boat capsized at the scene while attempting the rescue.

Alan Richards