Black Stones

Coastal Marsh, Saltings in Glamorgan

Wales

Black Stones

Clock and Railings, Mumbles Pier Mumbles Pier has quite an extensive shore based section with shops, amusements and eating places before you get onto the pier itself. This is right at the east end of the premises and shows some of the newly restored ironwork which is such a feature of the late Victorian pier which opened in 1898.
It is one of the very few privately run piers left in the UK. — Clock and Railings, Mumbles Pier Credit: Des Blenkinsopp

Black Stones is a coastal marsh and saltings located in Glamorgan, Wales. It is situated along the southern coast of the country, near the town of Ogmore-by-Sea. The area is known for its unique ecosystem and stunning natural beauty.

The marsh is characterized by its vast stretch of flat, open land, which is covered in tall grasses, reeds, and other marsh plants. These plants provide crucial habitat and food sources for a variety of bird species, making Black Stones a popular destination for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

The saltings, or salt marshes, are a distinct feature of the area. These are intertidal areas, where the land meets the sea and is influenced by the tides. As the name suggests, these marshes have a higher salt content due to the regular influx of saltwater from the sea. This unique environment supports a different range of plant and animal species that are adapted to tolerate the salinity.

Black Stones offers stunning coastal views, with the dramatic juxtaposition of the marshland against the vastness of the ocean. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, including wading birds, such as curlews, redshanks, and herons, as well as ducks and geese. Seals can often be spotted on the nearby rocky outcrops.

The marsh and saltings are an important natural habitat and have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to protect and preserve their unique ecological value. Visitors to Black Stones can enjoy walking along the coastal paths, birdwatching, and taking in the serene beauty of this coastal marsh and saltings.

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Black Stones Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.579546/-3.9965404 or Grid Reference SS6188. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Clock and Railings, Mumbles Pier

Mumbles Pier has quite an extensive shore based section with shops, amusements and eating places before you get onto the pier itself. This is right at the east end of the premises and shows some of the newly restored ironwork which is such a feature of the late Victorian pier which opened in 1898. It is one of the very few privately run piers left in the UK.

Des Blenkinsopp

Mumbles Pier

A view along the recently refurbished section of the pier towards the new lifeboat station at the end. The old station is on the left and restoration work was still in progress at the far end when this picture was taken.

Des Blenkinsopp

Pirates of Mumbles Pier

External bit of the amusements hall in the pier head building.

Des Blenkinsopp

Cafe by the Sea

Another picture featuring the beautifully refurbished Victorian ironwork on Mumbles Pier which opened in 1898.

Des Blenkinsopp

Thank You, We'll Let You Know

The End Of The Pier Show isn't what it was. A surreal scene on the bit of Mumbles Pier still under restoration. Work in progress, definitely.

Des Blenkinsopp

Mumbles Pier, Old Lifeboat Station

The first station on the pier, which replaced an original station on the shore. The station seen here has now been replaced by a new much larger facility at the end of the main pier.

Des Blenkinsopp

Busy at Verdi's

A hot sunny day has brought people out onto the terrace at Verdi's restaurant

Des Blenkinsopp

Gigs on the Quay

Three rowing gigs among the other boats stored on the hard standing along here beside the bay. The wooded slope of Mumbles Hill rises in the background.

Des Blenkinsopp

Boats by the Coast Path

The familiar blue and yellow Wales Coast Path logo points the way uphill where the path gets back onto the cliffs after following the promenade all round the edge of Swansea Bay.

Des Blenkinsopp

Hire Bikes by the Beach

A cycleway runs beside the bay all the way from Mumbles Head into Swansea. A rack of Santander hire bikes is just here.

Des Blenkinsopp

Paddleboarders and Pipe

Paddleboarders enjoying a very calm sea off the small patch of beach which is in SS6187.

Des Blenkinsopp

Memorial by Myrtle Terrace

On the corner of Myrtle Terrace and Mumbles Road is a rather forgotten looking stone memorial celebrating the marriage of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward 7th) and Princess Alexandra in 1863.

Des Blenkinsopp

Devon Place, Mumbles

Residential street one block in from the sea front.

Des Blenkinsopp

Shop Fronts, Mumbles Road

A short terrace of shops with a bit extra added to the top of the facade for effect.

Des Blenkinsopp

Religion & Cakes, Mumbles Road

Mumbles Methodist Church, opened 1878, and the Christadelphian Hall, with Davies of Mumbles, bakers and confectioners, in between.

Des Blenkinsopp

Low Tide at Oystermouth

Low tide exposes a large beach, unfortunately not blessed with the wide expanses of sand found elsewhere. The notice on the railings refers to the Covid epidemic of 2020/21.

Des Blenkinsopp