Slightly lost on the Coast Path

After a refreshing night's sleep, I posted today's morning prayer link to WhatsApp at seven, then listened to the news before walked the short distance to the hotel for a delicious cooked breakfast at half past eight.

Then we pulled on our hiking boots and set out along the beach for Three Cliffs Bay. When we reached the river flowing out of the nature reserve at the far end of Oxwich beach we were surprised to see that it had changed course. Instead of running straight into the sea, it's created a big S-bend in the sand. 

The first of the two bridges upstream was washed off its foundations by a strong tide last winter I think, but it looks as if it's been washed a bit further upstream since then. It's constructed of a steel framework with strong wooden decking. Although heavy, a strong tidal surge when river level is high would be strong enough to lift and shift it. 

On the other hand, the river water, reduced to a slow trickle in time of drought, when most of the sandy riverbed dries out and tides don't come in as far as the bridge, would make its own way to the sea across the surface along a line of least resistance, not straight, but S-shaped. I recall hearing about this in school geography classes sixty five years ago, but this is one of the few instances since then, that I've seen this combination of natural forces at work in the real world.

We followed the coast path from the bridge, running between the lower edge of Nicholaston Woods and the sand dunes. After a while it begins to climb up steeply to the ridge and the coast path signage became rather misleading. We climbed up too high and reached a farm unexpectedly. We couldn't work out where the coast path ran, as we'd taken a wrong turning. We retraced out steps, found the signed path again, but after a spell of walking uphill, walking down again took its toll on our leg joints, so we turned back, about a mile from our destination. Next time we'll just trek along the shore line as far as we can before going up and over the ridge above Three Cliffs Bay. By the time we reached Ivy Cottage, footsore and tired, we had been walking for over four hours, and done seven miles, including diversions. 

The tide was by this time on its way out, and I got a few photos of Dunlin feeding at close range along the line of the last tiny breaking wave, plus one in flight, I was well pleased with. We also glimpsed a couple of buzzards riding the thermals above Nicholaston cliffs, but just for a moment, disappearing too quickly to switch on the camera. It's just great to know they are still there during the avian 'flu epidemic.

We opted to have supper at tea-time, as we'd just had fruit and a hot drink while out walking. We both had fish and chips, which went down well after such strenuous exercise. After Clare's nightly injection ritual at the hotel again, early bed, hoping for another long walk after breakfast and vacating our room tomorrow morning, weather permitting. Then we return to Cardiff after lunch before it gets dark and life returns to normal. I wish we lived nearer!