An interesting walk on North Gower, which will give you an insight into the area's past and some lovely views of the surrounding countryside
Walk grade
Easy
Route type
Circular
Suitable for
All
Terrain
Passing through woods and fields, a cycle path and walking on hard, firm, smooth, some mud, uneven ground.
Start
Free public car park off Dunvant Square in Dunvant on the B4296 road, which is the road between Dunvant and Gowerton.
Finish
Free public car park off Dunvant Square in Dunvant on the B4296 road, which is the road between Dunvant and Gowerton.
Distance covered
2.5 miles
Average time
1-2 hours
Useful information
Public Transport: Yes, see our Exploring by bus page
Free car parking at start of walk, off Dunvant Square.
Refreshments and public toilets available at the start of walk.
Be prepared: Wear suitable footwear.
Safety Information: The route crosses a busy road, so be aware of traffic. There is a flight of steps and for a short stretch the route is steep and soft underfoot.
Walk details
- Start at the car park at Dunvant Square and walk to the main road, turn left and walk along the pavement around the corner.
- Cross the road using the traffic island and then turn off the road down the track past the Dunvant Social Centre and into the woods. You will come to a junction of paths, turn left and follow the path up the short slope and then continue along the path.
- Turn right along the track to the main road. Cross the road and continue on the path on the opposite side of the road. Turn right along the asphalt cycle track and continue back to the car park at Dunvant Square.
Highlights
- The area between Dunvant and Gowerton was once quite heavily industrialised. However in the collieries, brickworks and railways are now long gone, leaving behind little evidence of their existence. In fact this walk is surprisingly rural, mostly passing through woods and fields and you could easily imagine yourself to be in the remotest part of Gower.
- The walk passes close to the sites of four collieries Killan, Bishwell, Bryn Mawr and Dunvant. Bishwell and Bryn Mawr to the south of Gowerton were short-lived, both succumbing to the ever present problem of flooding and in the case of Bishwell, poor industrial relations (one strike lasted two years). They closed in the 1870's.
- However, the collieries in Dunvant have a longer history. Dunvant closed again in 1914. Killan ceased operations in 1925 following the disaster of 1924 in which a number of men were killed. At its peak it employed 900 men. The coal from Killan was pushed along a track that is now the footpath on the first stretch of the walk. It is now hard to imagine that such a tranquil place was once such a hive of activity.
- The spur for the development of this part of the South Wales Coalfield was the Dunvant Valley Railway, which first opened to passengers in 1867 taking people from Swansea Victoria Station via Blackpill through to Gowerton and beyond. In its heyday, the railway carried up to 80 trains a day including express trains to Shrewsbury, but sadly Mr Beeching decided the railway should close in 1964. However, luckily for us it, has now become the Blackpill to Gowerton cycletrack. It is difficult to appreciate now, but the railway was, for sixty years, the only link between Dunvant and Gowerton. Cecil Road only opened in 1923.
The above information is an extract from: Walking for Health, produced by the City & County of Swansea.
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Dunvant to Gowerton 