Gower Peninsula

Peninsula in Swansea unitary authority, south Wales, situated between Swansea Bay and the Burry Inlet and extending into the Bristol Channel. Much of the coastline is the property of the National Trust, and there is tourism on the south coast; the north is marshy.

In the 11th century the area was overrun by the Normans, who built castles and churches, and was thoroughly anglicized in the west and south. It has notable scenery and contains picturesque ruins. As the coastline is principally composed of limestone, there are numerous caves, including Paviland Cave, the site of the important discovery of a skeleton of an old Stone Age man. The old Welsh kingdom of Gwyr was much more extensive and included land to the north.