Port Eynon
| Port Eynon | |
| Glamorgan | |
|---|---|
 Port Eynon Bay | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SS465852 |
| Location: | 51°32’43"N, 4°12’54"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 574 (2001) |
| Post town: | Swansea |
| Postcode: | SA3 |
| Dialling code: | 01792 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Swansea |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Gower |
Port Eynon (also spelt Port Einon, Porth Einon in Welsh) is a coastal village in Glamorgan, on the south coast of the Gower. The village is in the remote south-western corner of the peninsula, within the Gower 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.
The community has its own elected community council.
Port Eynon Bay
Port Eynon Bay is a very popular beach resort beside the village of Port Eynon. Port Eynon Point, to the south west of the bay, is the most southerly point of the Gower Peninsula. The bay is also in the area of outstanding natural beauty.
Both Port Eynon and Horton beaches have suffered from denudation of their sand cover, possibly caused by dredging activities in the Bristol Channel.
Port Eynon Village
The village itself is fairly small and extends from the beach to the top of the hill. Port Eynon village has two fish and chip shops and a gift shop at the sea front, a Youth Hostel, pub, coffee shop and a restaurant.
The Youth Hostel is a converted lifeboat house, situated on the south end of the bay, near the salt house.
A neighbouring village, Overton, is to the north west of Port Eynon and footpaths from Overton lead to Overton Mere, a stony and rocky beach. Also, the village of Horton is at the east end of the main beach, approximately half a mile from Port Eynon.
Port Eynon is situated on the Wales Coastal Path and is well signposted from Rhossili and Oxwich.
History
Port Eynon is thought to be named after Prince Einion ab Owain of Deheubarth[1] or an 11th-century Welsh Prince named Eynon.
Eynon is a local surname too, and the church graveyard in the village shows gravestones with this name.
It is believed that the Prince built Port Eynon Castle which no longer exists.
Smuggling is thought to have been a common engagement of the local residents in the 17th century to 19th century.
A derelict "salt house" used for extracting salt from sea water is located a quarter of a mile from the village, just off Port Eynon Point.
In the second half of the 18th century, through to 1919, a lifeboat was operated from Port Eynon. On several occasions, the lives of lifeboatmen were lost at sea on rescues. On the 1st January 1916 the lives of three young men were lost in when the lifeboat went to the assistance of SS Dunvegan which was shipwrecked off Oxwich point. A memorial to these men exists in the village churchyard. Copies of news articles on the Disaster can be seen on the wall of the local fish and chip shop in Port Eynon.
Outside links
References
- ↑ Cowley, Marilyn. "The Eynon Name". 1997. Accessed 19 Feb 2013.