Rhossili facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhossili
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 Rhossili
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| Population | 278 |
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| Principal area | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Swansea |
| Postcode district | SA3 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
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| Welsh Assembly |
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Rhossili (Welsh: Rhosili) is a small village and a community located on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula in Wales. It is famous for being in the very first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. This means it's a super special place with amazing natural scenery!
The village has its own community council. It is also part of the Gower parliamentary area and the Gower electoral ward. In 2011, about 278 people lived here. A small nearby area called Middleton is also part of the Rhossili community.
The name Rhossili comes from two Welsh words. Rhos means a moor, which is a type of open land. Sulein is a person's name. So, the name means "Sulein's moorland."
Rhossili is a really popular spot for visitors! The views from the high points are incredible. Many pleasant walks start, end, or pass through the village. You can even find Iron Age remains on Rhossili Down. The wide, sandy beach is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long. It has sand dunes and is a great place for surfers.
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Rhossili's Historic Church
The village has a Norman church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Inside, you can find a special memorial. It remembers Edgar Evans, who was the first person to die on Captain Scott's Terra Nova Expedition. This was a famous trip to the South Pole.
Exploring Rhossili Bay
Rhossili Bay curves northwards from the village. This wide, sandy beach is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long and has sand dunes. Some local people call it Llangennith Sands.
Just north of the village, behind the beach, is Rhossili Down. This is the highest point on the Gower Peninsula, called the Beacon, at 193 metres (633 feet) high. You can find many prehistoric remains here.
Between Rhossili Down and the beach is an area called The Warren. In some fields on "The Vile" in Rhossili, the National Trust plants around 400,000 sunflowers each year! This is a very popular attraction for visitors, especially in late July and early August. People love to take photos there.
Worm's Head and Burry Holms
At the southern end of Rhossili Bay is Worm's Head. This is made up of two islands that you can only reach at low tide. The Outer Head is about 184 feet (56 metres) high, and the Inner Head is about 154 feet (47 metres) high. At the northern end of the bay is Burry Holms, another island only accessible at low tide.
Rhossili Bay in Media
Rhossili Bay was featured in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. A youth choir sang "Bread of Heaven" live on the beach, and it was shown at the Olympic Stadium.
The bay has also been used as a filming location. It was the setting for New Earth in the sci-fi show Doctor Who. The bay and the Old Rectory were also used in Torchwood: Miracle Day. In 2014, TripAdvisor users voted Rhossili Bay the UK's number one beach. It was also ranked third best in Europe and ninth best in the world!
Discovering Fall Bay
Fall Bay is one of the most remote beaches on Gower. It's also one of the hardest to reach. Because of this, the beach is never crowded. You can't see any beach at high tide. Fall Bay is very popular with surfers. At very low tide, you can even walk from Fall Bay over to Mewslade Bay.
To get to Fall Bay, you follow a path that goes past the Rhossili village hall. It continues over fields and many stiles, with a steep path down to the beach at the end. The cliff path also leads east to Mewslade Bay or west towards Worm's Head and Rhossili Bay.
Notable People from Rhossili
- Edgar Evans, an Antarctic explorer. You can see a memorial tablet for him in the local church.
The National Trust in Rhossili
The National Trust owns and protects a lot of land on the Gower Peninsula. They have a visitor centre in Rhossili. This centre is close to The Warren, Rhossili Down, Worm's Head, Rhossili beach, and the coastal cliffs.
Scenes from Torchwood: Miracle Day were filmed at the National Trust's Old Rectory cottage, which is in Rhossili Bay.
Images for kids
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Rhossili beach in Autumn, 2010
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Church of St Mary the Virgin
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The Devil's Bridge at Worm's Head
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Worm's Head
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Road to Worms Head Cottage, by John Crawford (fl. 1885), picture in the art collection of the National Library of Wales
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