Llangennith
(Welsh: Llangenydd) is a village in the City and County of Swansea,
south Wales, in the Gower peninsula. It has a scattering of
houses and one pub - the Kings Head. Llangennith sits at a crossroads
in northwest Gower. Moor Lane, departing westwards, leads to
a caravan park adjacent to Rhossili Bay; and Burrows Lane, departing
to the north, leads to a caravan park overlooking Broughton
Bay.
The
12th-century village church, St. Cenydd's Church, is the largest
in Gower, and was founded by St. Cenydd, who, in the 6th century,
founded a priory here, which was destroyed by Vikings in 986.
The large fortified square tower is curiously placed north of
the nave. A short stroll south of the church is the ruined medieval
village of Coety Green.
St. Cenydd's Church
The
beach is now mainly a centre for surfers, and is located at
the north end of Rhossili Bay in a fairly isolated locale. It
was at one time the most infamous, rough and ready village on
the peninsula, its villagers always the first to rush to any
shipwreck, particularly those in Rhossili Bay, and feuding with
neighbouring villagers over any plunder they could find. In
a famous incident during World War One, when the government
introduced daylight saving time as a public measure, the villagers
held a public meeting and graciously voted to fall in line with
the rest of the country for a trial period of one month.
There
are gentle walks north-west to the coast over the sand dunes
of Llangennith and Broughton Burrows. Signposts to watch out
for include Blue Pool, a dramatic rock pool, which, in the right
sea and sky conditions, takes a deep blue colour; the natural
archway called Three Chimneys; and Culver Hole, a bone cave.
Llangennith is a popular surfing location in the Gower, mainly
due to the consistent swells that pour in from the mighty Atlantic
Ocean, and is situated at the northern end of Rhossili Bay.
The bay stretches for over three miles, and here, whilst wandering
along the water's edge, you can witness the power of the sea
pounding onto the shore. If you have never tried surfing, this
is the place to give it a go, there being several surfing schools
providing lessons during the summer. The beach is backed by
sand dunes, and at the north end there is the island of Burry
Holms.