Oxwich Bay is the second largest beach on the Gower Peninsula (Rhossili taking the accolade of being the first) and is one of the most popular during summer months. In 1911, the beach gained fame for hosting the first aeroplane flight in Wales , accomplished by Mr E. Sutton in his Bleriot Monoplane.
In March 1940, further attention was rained upon the bay with the discovery of what was, at that time, believed to be the skeleton of a Pterodactyl amongst the local sand dunes. This later turned out to be the remains of a crocodile, probably buried here by a touring circus that used to visit the area.
Oxwich Bay is backed by a combination of sand dunes, salt marsh, woodland and cliffs, themselves backed by the imposing Old Red Sandstone hill of Cefn Bryn – the backbone of Gower.
The area is a naturalist’s haven, containing a variety of flora and fauna rarely found in the U.K. Unfortunately, one species was completely eradicated by the wreck of an oil tanker in 1945, its spillage ridding the area entirely of the cockles that used to be gathered daily from the shore. For more information on the natural history of Oxwich, there is an excellent Information Centre located at the rear of the bay’s main car park.
