Remarkably, there is another large swathe of grass on the Mumbles side of the West Cross Inn. The former Swansea Council had it in mind to clear the whole of the seafront of houses, and so when two came on the market next to the Inn the authority snapped them up and demolished them virtually the next day. But the action caused such an outburst of public opinion that the policy - ostensibly to improve the view - was abandoned.

After a 200 yard gap from the West Cross Inn we come across a row of fine detached and semi-detached houses, all with uninterrupted views over the bay. Their rear gardens extend down to the promenade, providing an ideal setting for tea on the lawn.

After a further short walk approaching Norton we reach another potential stopping point, a 'Gelateria (Italian for Ice Cream house) and Café'. A popular haunt for walkers and cyclists, you'll often see a fair crowd of people enjoying their ice-creams inside and out - depending on the weather. As owner Irena Dwyer ruefully admits, the promenade is completely weather-dependent and so, "if it rains there is nothing. But because there is no car access it is only walkers and cyclists who know we are here. It is, however, the perfect hideaway, especially on a sunny day."

As we approach Oystermouth Square a roadsign points the way to nearby Oystermouth Castle and on to Bracelet Bay, itself a mile or so further on beyond Mumbles. The earliest part of the castle monument - the front part of the central block or keep - was probably built by William de Londres in the 12th Century. It later became home to the Lords of Gower and was, it's believed, the likely centre of government in Gower, with Edward I paying a brief visit there in 1284. The de Breos family, who were given Gower by King John, rebuilt the castle in stone and much of what remains today is from that period. On the top floor of the chapel block, established in the 13th century, you can still see its impressive east window and this, and other chapel windows, retain their fine tracery and are widely regarded as among the finest in Wales.

From the 16th Century onwards the castle was largely abandoned and fell into ruin. Much later, in the 20th Century, it became the home of the Glamorgan Battalion of Local Defence Volunteers - the Home Guard. They were cheekily or playfully known as 'Look, Duck and Vanish' but they were men - and boys - from all walks of life in the Mumbles area.
Now, with the help of the 'Friends of Oystermouth Castle', Swansea Council are planning to make the castle as accessible as possible to the public. It's certainly a major tourist attraction, particularly among visiting Americans.

Onward to Part 5...