Bay Watching
Tim Davey takes a break on a spectacular stretch of the Welsh coast
THE best laid plans can sometimes go awry and so it was as we headed over the Severn Crossing for a couple of days away in Wales. Our destination was the magnificent sweep of coast that is Swansea Bay and the spectacular Gower Peninsula.
There was just one drawback. As we passed the site of the now demolished Severn crossing toll booths, it was raining. Not just any old rain, oh no - this was like being in a car wash without the detergent.
It can’t go on like this, we told ourselves, as with wipers at top speed we passed by a murky Newport and an even murkier Cardiff. Alas, it could.
We had intended our first coastal port of call to be the magnificent National Trust rocky outcrop on the Gower that is Rhossili and Worm’s Head. We had to hastily abandon those plans on the grounds a cliff walk was most definitely out of order in such a deluge.
Instead we decided to seek refuge in Swansea city centre and a shopping mall. En route we had noted it was now nigh on impossible to see the outline of the iconic Mumbles Pier at the far end of Swansea’s bay through the mist and rain.
Swansea has really pulled out all the stops with its bay, by the way, it looks good and is accessible. You can walk, run and cycle along it from out of the city to Mumbles.
It was while we were browsing in the retail heart of Swansea that we decided to put all our planned adventures on hold for this water-logged day and head for our chosen accommodation, a selfcatering cottage apartment next door to the King Arthur Hotel in the village of
Reynoldston. By coincidence, as we pulled into the hotel, the ferocity of the rainfall had begun to ease considerably. But, boy, were we glad to check in and even more delighted when we opened the door of our apartment home for the next couple of nights. It was delightful.
Years ago this had been the ground floor of one of a pair of character cottages next door to the King Arthur. These have been transformed and enlarged in award-winning architectural fashion into four separate apartments. Ours, in Lower Brynfield Cottage, was a one-bed but it was extremely spacious. There was an entrance hall with cloakroom, a generous-sized fitted kitchen/diner with all mod cons, a superb lounge, then on through to a large king-size double bedroom with doors opening on to your own generous-sized veranda, overlooking a large private lawned area. The bathroom was equally generous, too, possessing a bath, plus separate monsoon-style walk-in shower. It was so cosy - and you get your own secure parking space, too.
Of course, with a thriving friendly pub and restaurant just a few yards away, the location can’t be bettered – and that’s why we headed next door to the King Arthur for our evening meal. To say this place is popular is an understatement. It was a Wednesday evening, and it was very busy. Fortunately, we had booked.
We weren’t disappointed with the food, either. Roasted crab claws with a smoked paprika sauce, fresh mackerel and Welsh lamb rump with ratatouille were on our dining hit list that night.