Rhossili ( cy, Rhosili; ) is both a small village and a community on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is within the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. The village has a community council and is part of the Gower parliamentary constituency, and the Gower electoral ward. At the 2011 census, the population was 278. The community includes the hamlet of Pitton. The name derives from the Welsh word ''rhos'' meaning a moor and the personal name ''Sulein'' hence 'Sulein's moorland promontory'. Rhossili is a popular tourist destination: the views from the headland and the Down are panoramic; several pleasant walks begin, end, or pass through the village; Iron Age remains are found on Rhossili Down. The wide sandy beach is backed with

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

s and attracts surfers at the Llangennith end as well as along the entire stretch of beach.

Church

The present Norman church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Inside there is a memorial to Edgar Evans, who was the first to perish on the ''Terra Nova'' Expedition with Captain Scott on the return from the South Pole.

Rhossili Bay

Rhossili Bay curves along an arc running northwards from the village. The wide sandy beach is backed with

s. Some locals refer to the beach as Llangennith Sands. Behind the beach just north of the village is Rhossili Down with the highest point on the Gower Peninsula, the Beacon (193 metres), and a number of

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

remains. It is between Rhossili Down and the beach that the Warren is found. In some of the fields on "The Vile" in Rhossili, the National Trust plant every year around 400,000 sunflowers. This is an extremely popular attraction for visitors to take selfies at during late July and early August, however there have been issues with some visitors picking the flowers. At the southern end of the Bay is Worm's Head, consisting of two tidal islands: ''Outer Head'' and ''Inner Head'' . At the north is Burry Holms. These islands are accessible only at low tide. Rhossili Bay featured in the

Opening Ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the London 2012 Olympic Games, a youth choir began a cappella performances of "

Bread of Heaven Cwm Rhondda is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873–1932) in 1907. The name is taken from the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley. It is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams' text "Guide Me, O Thou Great Rede ...

" live on the beach which was broadcast at the Olympic Stadium. The bay has been used as the setting of New Earth in the sci-fi show ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' and the bay including the Old Rectory was used in '' Torchwood: Miracle Day''. In 2014, it was voted the UK's number one beach, third best in Europe, and 9th best in the world, by TripAdvisor users.

Fall Bay

Fall Bay is one of the most remote and hardest to reach beaches on Gower. The beach is never crowded due to its remoteness. There is no beach visible at high tide. The beach is very popular with surfers. At very low tide, it is possible to walk over from the beach to Mewslade Bay. The beach is reachable via a path which passes Rhossili village hall. It continues over fields and many stiles and has a steep final descent. The cliff path leads east to Mewslade Bay or westwards towards the Worm's Head and Rhossili Bay.

Gallery

File:Rhossili in Autumn, 2010.jpg, Rhossili beach in Autumn, 2010 File:St Mary's Church, Rhossili (5350).jpg, Church of St Mary the Virgin Image:Worm's head looking through gap.jpg, The Devil's Bridge at Worm's Head Image:Worm's head.jpg, Worm's Head File:Road to Worm's Head Cottage, Gower (gcf02225).jpg, Road to Worms Head Cottage, by John Crawford (fl. 1885), picture in the art collection of the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...

Notable residents

* Edgar Evans, Antarctic explorer (a memorial tablet can be seen in the parish church)

National Trust

The National Trust owns and protects much land on the Gower Peninsula. The Trust operates a visitor centre in Rhossili near the Warren, Rhossili Down, Worm's Head, Rhossili beach and coastal cliffs. Scenes from '' Torchwood: Miracle Day'' were filmed at the National Trust's Old Rectory cottage in Rhossili Bay.

Skinny dipping

On 19 June 2011, almost four hundred people attempted to break the world record for the largest number of people

skinny dipping Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is ''skinny-dipping''. In both British and American English, to swim means "to move through ...

at one time in the sea at Rhossili.

References

External links

Video showing the beauty of Rhossili
{{authority control Communities in Swansea Populated places on the Gower Peninsula National Trust properties in Wales Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Glamorgan Villages in Swansea Seaside resorts in Wales