GO! Trip - Gower Tour

International@CampusLife welcomes you to join us on our GO! Trip: Gower

Please note this event is for students currently enrolled at Swansea University (and their friends / family) and is not open for bookings from the general public. A valid Swansea University Student Number will be required on booking.

Date: Saturday 14th May 2022

Time: Leaving Bay Campus bus stops at 9:30am, with pick-ups at Parc Tawe (City Centre – click here for location) at 9:45 and Fulton House, Singleton Park Campus at 10:00am

We’ll be out and about for the day visiting a few of Gower’s most spectacular sights, including Rhossili, Port Eynon, Gower Heritage Centre and Mumbles.

Description: Just a short distance from Swansea, the spectacular Gower Peninsula is a must-see for anyone visiting Swansea! Designated the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956, Gower is famed for its rich and varied environment which is truly breath-taking. From wild moors and limestone cliffs to award winning gorgeous golden sandy beaches.

Here’s a little bit of information on what you can expect:

The Journey via Cefn Bryn – During our morning journey, we’ll be taking the “middle Gower road” which includes travelling over Cefn Bryn. Cefn Bryn is the second highest peak on Gower, reaching 188m (617 ft) with panoramic views of the countryside and coasts on both sides of Gower. The peak is known as ‘the backbone of Gower’ and has been an important ceremonial and burial site since the Neolithic period, is linked to the legend of King Arthur.  

Rhossili Bay & Worm’s Head – Possibly the most famous beach on Gower, Rhossili has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named one of the top 10 beaches in the world and best beach in the UK. Rhossili is the location of Worm’s Head - a mile-long rocky headland that extends into the sea shaped like a giant sea-serpent which marks the most westerly tip of Gower, and the skeletal wreck of the ship Helvetia which sank here in 1887. A great place for some photography! You can take a cliff walk to the lookout at the tip of Gower, stroll down to the bay, or relax with a coffee in the village.

Port Eynon & The Salt House – Port Eynon is as small village and bay located on the south coast of Gower founded in the 11th Century, with a Norman-era church, shops, café and pub. It really is a traditional friendly Gower village. You’ll also find the ruins of The Salt House to explore – dating from the 16th Century, the ruins are a scheduled ancient monument with a huge amount of history. Legend has it The Salt House was associated with the smugglers that prospered around Gower in the 17-1800’s – local legends tell of secret tunnels and stashes still hidden to this day!

The Gower Heritage Centre – Located in a small, wooded valley near the hamlet of Parkmill, the Gower Heritage centre is home to the last water-wheel powered mill on Gower. Since the 1300s the mill provided flour and other essentials to the people of the region. It operates now as a living museum, showcasing the history, life and culture of the Gower. There is loads to see and discover, along with shops, producers and the locally famous Little Valley Bakery! A full guided tour is included.

Mumbles – a busy beautiful former fishing village just down the road from Swansea, Mumbles is home to independent shops, a pier and of course, Joe’s Ice cream (a local treat that must be sampled by any visitor). The town is welcoming and friendly with cute and quirky coffee shops, friendly pubs and bars and unique crafts and arts. It is also the home of Oystermouth Castle which, dating from 1106, is one of Wales’s most iconic coastal fortresses. Grab a bite to eat, munch an ice cream, check out the shops or get yourself a beverage and relax!

Important Information:

Accessibility: This tour involves multiple stops requiring boarding / disembarkation of the coach. At destinations, a variety of terrains are expected including small unpaved paths. If you have any concerns or queries regarding the suitability of this event, or have any specific accessibility requirements, please contact gosocial@swansea.ac.uk as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist, however we cannot guarantee all requirements can be met.

General Advice: Sturdy shoes are recommended. As you may have noticed, the weather in Wales can be unpredictable, so make sure you bring something suitable for all possibilities (umbrellas, sunscreen, who can say!) You can decide to bring our own food or purchase food at various stops along the way, but you might want to bring along a couple of snacks and some water.

COVID-19: You must not attend this event if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 7 days and have not had two concurrent days of testing negative, have been advised to self-isolate, or are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.  If you have recently arrived in the UK, you must have completed any UK Government mandated quarantine period before attending this event.

For information and support relating to COVID, quarantines and guidelines, head to https://myuni.swansea.ac.uk/co...

Additional Information:

Refund policy: refunds for tickets cannot be given after the date of the trip if you fail to attend for any reason. If you require a refund, you must email gosocial@swansea.ac.uk at least 24 hours before the trip departs. Any refunds will not include the booking charge, this will be lost - apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Conduct: You are responsible for your own behaviour and time keeping. Please take reasonable care of your own and other people's health and safety. Should you fail to return to the coach for the set departure time, you will be responsible for your own onward travel. Should you wish to leave the tour, please advise the trip leaders.

Children: Children (aged 3 and over) are welcome on this trip and must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Children must occupy their own seat on the coach and must not be seated on another passenger’s lap. Children under 3 years of age will not be allowed to board the coach. Please be advised that child safety and well-being is the responsibility of their accompanying adult at all times – CampusLife and its partners accept no responsibility for children attending. If you have a child under 3 years of age you’d like to bring along please email GoSocial@swansea.ac.uk to request this at least 48 hours before we depart.

Data Protection: International@CampusLife will use the information you provide for attendance and safety purposes. We will use your data to produce internal statistics but will not share it with third parties or use it for marketing purposes. Your information will be provided to our trip leader on the day of the trip for the purpose of attendance monitoring and emergency situations. The information will be kept confidential and passed back to ICL and destroyed on return from the trip. Fatsoma’s policies can be found on their website.

Photos: We will be taking photos throughout the event which we will use to promote future activities in the form of leaflets, social media posts, digital screens and on our website. If you would not like to be included, then please tell us on the day of the event. If you see yourself in any pictures and would like to be removed, please email us at gosocial@swansea.ac.uk and we will make sure that any photos of you are deleted.