Walks South Gower > Mill Wood Gower
Description: A short afternoon walk around a diverse broadleaf woodland with lots of watercourses, wildlife and some interesting historic sights at the entrance to the woodland.
Distance covered:2 miles Average time: 1.5 hours Terrain: generally flat wide gravel tracks.
Head out on the south Gower road (A4118) for signposted Port Eynon. Pass the left turn for Oxwich. You will notice the stone Towers of the gate house to the Penrice estate on the outside of the bend. Continue along the main road foe another three quarters of a mile take the first tarmac lane on the left it passes a second estate entrance. Follow the narrow lane down into the valley you will see a car park on the right and the access gate into the woods.
pass through the gate next to the car park and into the woodland. The woods are a rich wildlife site, the streams and ponds are frequented by kingfishers and otters amongst many other notable species.
History 
As you begin your walk on your left you will see an interesting quartered circular old fish or stew pond. Stew ponds were generally used to raise or hold fish (usually carp) and this example in Penrice is typical having stone walls and a puddled clay base, it is in close proximity to the manor house which lies a few hundred yards away on the opposite side of the road and for which it provided food.
The path follows the stream up into the wood at the junction in the track bear left and then take the next turn right. Following the track will take you along a long circular rout of the woodland (there is one left turn which you can use to cut the distance of the walk in half)
Stay on the wide tracks when you have nearly completed the loop you will cross a stream, then at the next junction bear left. When you arrive at the old mill pond turn right at the end of the pond and follow the path back tracing the rout of the old mill leat back to the ruined water mill. From here you are in line of sight from the car park a little way down the road.
The mill is a the 16 th century corn mill from which the woods takes its name. on the road side of the ruin you will find 2 of its original mill stones still rest against its walls.
Map
