2025 Gower Pilgrimage - Day 1

Day 1 - Rain Didn't Stop Play!

Sorry its a bit late! Normal service will be resumed tomorrow!!

We're off!

We set off in brilliant sunshine and our hopes were high for a good, dry day's walking. 

First church on our Pilgrimage was St Andrew's, Penrice a church which Ali knew well having holiday'd there for the past 10 years or so. From there it was mostly downhill to Oxwich Bay and the 6th Century church of St Illtyd. When we arrived it was closed so we wandered around the outside to admire the earliest part, the Chancel. It was then that Ali noticed the lettering on the nearby gravestone, "Lieut Edna Maria Morgan, WRAC." As we wandered back to leave the church yard we met a lady and she allowed us to enter the now opened church to admire the inside in all its glory.  

It was a bit of a slog up and out of Oxwich and then towards Oxwich Green. We decided to avoid a lot of the coastal path as the weather was definitely looking threatening. So we took to the lanes and paths towards Horton and onwards to Port Eynon. On our route we came across a rather unkempt farm and after that came an extremely badly maintained narrow path with nettles & brambles pushing in from the sides. Yes, we were wearing shorts. Yes I did get stung. Ouch!!

Lifeboatmen Memorial

As we approached Port Eynon it started to spit occasionally. We were heading for St Cattwg's church. Outside was a memorial white marble statue of a lifeboatman which was erected by public subscription to commemorate the three crew members who died but also to give thanks for the ten survivors of the Port Eynon lifeboat disaster on 1st January 1916.        

It started to rain!

No sooner had we taken a photo than it started to rain a little heavier so we ran to the porch of the church where we intended to have our lunch. As we sat to eat the heavens opened and a truly biblical deluge descended on Port Eynon. We lingered a little longer than we'd intended in the hope that the rain would stop. It didn't so we continued to climb, and climb, and climb to reach our next church at Llanddewi. 

Suggestion, don't walk up tracks and pathways after heavy rainfall. Reason? Because they turn into muddy, boggy, water rushing rivers. What fun!! 

Somewhere between Port Eynon and Llandewi, in the pouring rain, my phone which had successfully been tracking us, decided to have a Hissy-Fit!! It lost the whole walk right from when we started. It took random screenshots. It opened a zillion apps. Finally it used up 65% of the battery leaving me with 0%!! Which of course meant I had no map App!! I plugged in my battery-pack and recharged it a bit then switched it back on. It did come back but almost pitch-black. We weren't far from St David's church where I was able to turn the lighting up. That's when I discovered that I'd lost all the earlier walk!! Off we set again for our final church of the day at Rhossili. I have to admit that the final few miles were a bit of a slog. The weather had improved and the sun was shining but, with all the technology fails and the rain I was getting a bit tired. Just as well Ali was there to cheer me up and keep me going (the Haribos helped!) 

We arrived 15 miles after starting, tired but pleased with ourselves, to be greeted by a cheerful Denise with car and dry clothes & shoes!! It has been an interesting first day. We've seen some beautiful little churches and the weather looks set fair for tomorrow's 15 mile hike! 

End of the day and we're still smiling!

Thank you to everyone for your lovely comments and donations. If you'd like to sponsor us please use the link below: 

 donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/margs-gower-100-mile-walk-2025