'' by
Clarkson Stanfield, 1851 Its landscape features sand
dunes, salt
marshes and
woodland. Oxwich Bay includes a long sandy
beach, accessible from the village of
Oxwich. It is a popular spot for
swimming and watersports including
diving,
sailing,
water skiing and
windsurfing. There is a public footpath along the cliffs from Oxwich Bay, around Oxwich Point, and to
Port Eynon Bay. Buses run every couple of hours between Oxwich and Port Eynon. A wetland site at the rear of the dunes forms Oxwich Burrows
National Nature Reserve. The dunes are crossed by a small stream called Nicholaston Pill. The bay ends at the eastern end with the cliffs of High Tor; but at low tide, a continuous sandy beach connects with
Three Cliffs Bay beyond. Within the nature reserve there are rare plants such as the
dune gentian and the
round-leafed wintergreen, insects such as the
small blue,
beachcomber beetle and the
hairy dragonfly while the wetlands are important for birds, a
bird hide is located at Whitestones which is accessed by a boardwalk through the wetlands. The birds present include
water rail,
little grebe and wildfowl, as well as the occasional wintering
great bittern. On 1 February 2007, Oxwich beach was named the most beautiful in Britain. ==References==