Quaint seaside village that’s home to one of the UK’s best hidden beaches – with uncrowded pockets even in peak summer
WALES is home to some of the most amazing stretches of beach in the UK and there are plenty of places like the village of Oxwich on the Gower peninsula, that fly under the radar.
It's next to a two-mile stretch of beach loved for its calm seas, its lack of crowds and its impressive scenery.
Home to fewer than 200 people, the small village is considered one of Wales' best kept secrets, with its vast swathes of sand dunes providing plenty of space for families to have a nice relaxing day out.
The beach is one of Gower Holidays' favourite spots.
They said: "The pretty village of Oxwich is situated at the Western end of Oxwich Bay and is close to the hamlets of Oxwich Green and Slade.
"For a small village with a population of less than two hundred, it has a lot to offer. "
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The beach was also included in Time Out's list of the best hidden beaches in the UK, due to its safe waters and vast expanse of space.
They wrote: "The Gower coast is filled with gorgeous beaches, but we love Oxwich for the alluring mix of sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland that back its two-mile sandy stretch and for the pretty village of Oxwich.
"Around the headland, Rhossili is staggering and dramatic, but Oxwich is gentler, with rolling hills behind it and safe shallow waters.
"These do make it a popular spot during the summer, but walk east, towards Tor Bay and Three Cliffs, and the crowds give way to walkers, twitchers and cyclists making the most of the glorious expanse of hard-packed sand."
As well as families, water sports enthusiasts love the beach, with safe water for swimming and surfing.
It's also overlooked by a Tudor manor house, built to resemble a castle by local family the Mansels.
According to Parc Le Breos the family created the property as ambitious way of climbing the social ladder.
The manor house can still be seen overlooking the bay to this day.
Parc Le Breos, who also love the beach's water sports offerings, wrote: "More than two and a half miles of beach, nicely sheltered by Oxwich Point, is a perfect haven for water sports.
"The bay is overlooked by Oxwich Castle, a beautiful mock-fortified manor built by the Mansel family and open to the public.
"It's a magnificent Tudor manor house built by an ambitious father and son whose mock-military flourishes are all about social climbing rather than defence."
A night for two near to Oxwich beach can be booked from around £99.
Meanwhile, the Beach House restaurant offers Michelin Star food from an old coal house right on the shores of the beach.
Head chef Hywel Griffith was raised in Snowdonia and has created a menu influenced by his upbringing and his love for the great outdoors.
It uses local ingredients that are " usually reared, caught, picked or grown just a few short miles away".
The beach is one of several hidden bays in the UK that offer quiet days out by the sea.
Devon
Tunnels Beach in Ilfracombe, Devon requires visitors to navigate a network of tunnels that lead to several sheltered sand and shingle beaches, as well as a Victorian tidal swimming pool.
There is no other way to reach the beaches than by going through the tunnels, with a small entrance fee, making it feel somewhat like a secret bay.
West Sussex
West Wittering near Chichester is one of the most beautiful beaches on the south coast, but the long stretch of sand at East Head is much lesser known.
has perfect white sand, great expanses of dunes for playing hide and seek and at its tip you’ll find a natural harbour.
The beach is perfect for swimming and also has shallow lagoons with good crabbing for the young ones.
Northumberland
The north east is home to miles and miles of sandy beaches, with Low Newton-by-the-Sea among the lesser-known.
The Ship Inn overlooks the beach there and was once named best beach pub in the country by Conde Nast Traveller.
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