Mother's Day

I couldn't capture the sweet coconutty smell of the gorse to bring you but I hope you'll like this photo anyway. This afternoon, Husband, George and I went for a walk to Pwll Du Bay.

From the early seventeenth century until the first years of the twentieth century, many parts of the southern Gower coast were quarried for their limestone. Favoured tenants were given the right to strip limestone from the cliffs for shipping to Devon where it was used in the preparation of agricultural lime. Pwll Du (Black Pool) proved to be especially popular for limestone quarrying: the layers of rocks that were laid down over millions of years have been so disturbed that what was once horizontal is now virtually upright, making the limestone easily accessible.

At the height of production there could be as many as thirty ships in the bay. Part of the payment the captains gave the quarrymen was a beer allowance. This was paid to both men and women – some of whom had a fiercesome reputation for equalling the men in both strength and drinking ability.

The houses that are to be found, nestled into the hillside just behind the shingle bank, were originally built as inns - the Ship and the Beaufort - to cater for what could be hundreds of sailors and quarrymen.

The track that leads down to the beach runs perilously close to the cliff edge, but even that hazard of navigating the track home in the dark while drunk, didn't stop the quarrymen from enjoying their allowance.