Southgate to Pwll Du Bay

Start from the National Trust car park in Southgate 554874 (OS Explorer 164). It depends on the time of year whether you need to pay to park here. There are toilets next to the car park and pub,cafe and local shop all within the village. This is a simple walk to navigate as it is such a well trodden path you can simply follow in a SE direction from the car park along the well worn tracks above the cliffs and through the bracken. You are following the Wales Coastal Path to Pwll Du so simply keep the sea on your right hand side until you get to Pwll Du! A short distance from the car park and you will be on High Tor. Below you are Minchin Hole and Bacon Hole caves but take head of the information notices here. For the first time in 100years Chuffs have returned to the Gower and are nesting on these cliffs so be totally sure of where you can and can't walk or climb depending on the season before venturing on the cliffs for a scramble. Carry on round Deep Slade or Hunts Bay and up onto Pwll Du Head for some spectacular views. Again there are a multitude of paths through the gorse bushes depending on how close to the cliffs you want to be. When you walk around the high point of the walk on PwllDu Head you will see right up the Bristol Channel with the Vale of Glamorgan cliffs glowing in the sunshine if you've picked a good day. The path now drops down along the cliff through some small trees and bushes. Having walked along grass until this point you now have to keep your eyes on where you are going as the path becomes stoney and muddy. At 572866 you head steeply up the slope to a gate and pass through. Keep following the Wales Coastal Path signs across a small field and through small wood alongside Pennard Farm. When you come to the track in front of the farm follow it to your right and shortly afterwards at the B&B drop along the footpath to your right. This stoney footpath will take you down onto Pwll Du Bay. After a rest on the beach or pebble bank you can explore Bishopston Valley and follow the path further up the valley back to soughtgate if you wish. I have taken the same path back out of Pwll Du back up to Pennard Farm. You can either retrace your steps the way you came or follow the track directly back to Hunts Farm and if the timing is right sit back on the cliff top to watch the sun go down over the Bristol Channel. From Hunts Farm you simply retrace your steps back to the car park. If you've still got energy in the tank you can continue along the pathway for a wonderful view over Three Cliffs Bay.