Langdale Walking & Adventure Holidays

INTRODUCTION
The Gower Peninsula is one of the most beautiful parts of Britain and its spectacular coastal scenery can be compared favorably with any of the places round the world where we visit. There are over 200 miles of public footpaths on the Gower Peninsula and amongst the spring flowers we explore its rugged coast, walking along amazing beaches, seeking out smugglers' caves and learning about the geology and history.

We have selected Norton House Hotel & Restaurant in the village of Mumbles, close to Swansea, as our base for this holiday. The hotel is an elegant listed Georgian manor house, owned and managed by the family of Jan & John Power and their son Mark.

It is Johansson Recommended and has an excellent reputation in the neighbourhood for its restaurant, where evening dinner parties will be a feature of the weekend.

Day 1 - Friday 7th May 2010
Rooms are available at the hotel from 3.00pm. Meet in the hotel lounge at 3.30pm for our first walk. From the hotel, we take the footpath along the shores of Swansea Bay to Mumbles Head, stopping off to see the Mumbles lifeboat and pier. We proceed along the cliff path to Bracelet Bay, Limeslade Bay, Rotherslade Bay (optional coffee stop), Langland Bay and Caswell Bay, returning to the hotel via Oystermouth Castle.
Distance 5 miles; 3 hours; Grade Easy. Meet in the hotel lounge at 7.30pm for a welcome reception, followed by a dinner in the hotel restaurant at 8.00pm.

Day 2 - Saturday 8th May 2010
After breakfast in the hotel, we are driven by taxi to the village of Penmaen. We take the footpath down over the cliffs to Tor Bay, with an optional scramble up Great Tor, and then follow the footpath and sand dunes into Three Cliffs Bay and, depending on the tides, cross the river and walk up to Pennard Castle. We walk along the cliff path from Pennard to Pwlldu Head, Pwlldu Bay, Brandy Cove, Caswell Bay, and through Oystermouth back to the hotel. Distance 7 miles; 5 hours; Grade Moderate. 8.00pm - Dinner party in the hotel.

Day 3 - Sunday 9th May 2010
After breakfast, we drive in our own cars to Rhossili, situated at the end of the Gower Peninsula. Depending on the tides, today we have the possibility of either going to Worms Head or Burry Holms:

Worms Head - from the Visitor Centre we walk along the high cliff top overlooking Rhossili Bay to the Coastguard Station, and then scramble down over the rocks onto Worms Head where we should see a profusion of wild flowers and many varieties of seabirds and possibly seals.

Burry Holms - this option involves following the footpath down the cliffs onto Rhosilli Bay and walking along the three mile beach to Burry Holms which, like Worms Head, is only accessible at low tide.

Return via Llangennith Burrows and Rhossili Down. Distance 8 miles; 6 hours; Grade Hard. 8.00pm - Dinner party in the hotel.

Day 4 - Monday 10th May 2010
Breakfast in the hotel. Please vacate your room by 11.00am.

By Car:
Travelling west on the M4, exit at junction 42 - signposted Swansea. Then take the A4067 signposted to Mumbles. After three miles you pass the "Welcome to Mumbles" sign on the left-hand side, and after a further mile look for the Norton House sign on the corner of the right-hand turn shortly before entering the village of Mumbles. The hotel is 50 yards on the left-hand side.

By Rail:
It takes three hours by InterCity train from Paddington to Swansea. Norton House Hotel is a 15 minute taxi drive from the station.

TARIFF
Inclusive price per person sharing a twin/double room: £350.00
Supplement per person for a superior room: £40.00
Supplement for single occupancy: £60.00
Supplement for single occupancy in a superior room: £75.00