Western Mail

‘Sunflowers glorious but eco-vandals are a threat’

- JOHN COOPER Reporter john.cooper@walesonlin­e.co.uk

THE man operating Gower’s beloved sunflower fields says that a minority of visitors to the public tourist spot threaten to see it closed due to damage and mess being left behind.

Robert Morgan, owner of Gower Fresh Christmas Trees in Three Crosses, stepped in to bring the hugely popular sunflower fields back to Gower this year after The National Trust decided not to plant sunflowers there because of the coronaviru­s lockdown.

Mr Morgan bought two fields next to the spot used by The National Trust in previous years and planted six sunflowers in six different colours for people to enjoy.

The site is also used to showcase food and drink from local Gower producers.

Thousands flock to Worms Head in Rhossili every year to see the blooms and the stunning backdrop of Rhossili Bay.

Mr Morgan said he decided to plant the sunflowers for “people to enjoy the beautiful Gower that they haven’t seen for months”, and support the local economy at a difficult time.

But he has since faced several issues with visitors.

He said: “We have problems all over Gower now, we are swamped with people. We don’t want to discourage tourists but people need to follow the rules and be respectful of the local environmen­t.

“We love people coming to Gower in summer but there are rules and practices which are there to protect people, and the Gower farmland.

“We’re asking people to follow the signs, shut gates and be respectful. Please keep dogs on leads, clean up dog mess and remember about the two-metre rule.”

As well as leaving litter and dog mess, Mr Morgan said that people have been climbing over stock fencing and historical­ly important stone walls to get to Worms Head from the sunflower fields.

He said: “As a farmer, I’m a custodian of this land and it takes a lot of money to look after before you can make any money yourself. The sunflowers are a showcase for Gower and Wales but if people are damaging the walls we’ve got another massive bill before we can think about making money”.

It is believed people are jumping over the walls and fences to reach Worms Head, rather than using clearly marked paths.

Mr Morgan added that it is a minority who are causing problems and that the “response from the majority has been great; the sunflowers have been such a tonic and a way for families with kids to get exercise and enjoy fresh air”.

Options are being considered for how to deal with the issue of littering and damage, including charging offenders, but Mr Morgan said he would rather people just “follow the rules and respect Gower”.

“The last thing we want is for Gower to close but it’s a possibilit­y if it continues to be swamped with tourists.

“It’s hard to balance that with people enjoying themselves so we just ask people to be considerat­e and careful when they visit,” he added.

Around 25% of the sunflowers are in bloom at the moment, with the full crop expected to be in flower soon.

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 ?? Jonathan Myers ?? > Sunflowers at Rhossili, Gower
Jonathan Myers > Sunflowers at Rhossili, Gower
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