The Influence of People - Gower - page 48

CHAPTER 4
The Influence of People
… that interesting peninsula of Gower, an English-speaking district in the heart of Wales, bristling
with castles and ancient camps, and full of interest to the archaeologist.
Alfred Watkins, Pigeon Houses in Herefordshire and Gower
I N ORDER TO appreciate the present natural history of the peninsula it is important to understand the
influence that people have had on the area over the past ten thousand years. The many important sites in-
clude Longhole and Paviland caves, Bronze and Iron Age settlements, the medieval strip field system at
Rhossili known as the Viel and the saltworks at Port-Eynon. In addition, Cefn Bryn Common in central
Gower is one of the richest archaeological areas in South Wales, with dense concentrations of monuments
on the crest and slopes of the ridge that provide evidence of human activity from at least the fourth or third
millennium BC. Elsewhere there are the extensive remains of a medieval deer park, and four historic parks
and gardens are identified in the Register of Landscapes (Cadw, 2000): Clyne Castle, Kilvrough Manor,
Stouthall and Fairyhill. Each has its own distinct character. Penrice Castle and the adjoining estate also
have many similar characteristics and make a major contribution to the landscape and rich wildlife of the
area.
In contrast the domestic buildings in the peninsula have suffered badly from the blight of 'modernisa-
tion' and there have been few attempts to retain the vernacular architecture of the area. Many important
buildings have been demolished, or altered beyond recognition. Even as late as the 1950s two significant
cottages in Port-Eynon, Chestnut Cottage and the Abbey, were demolished. When pulled down in 1952 the
latter was reputed to be 800 years old.
There are, of course, no dividing lines in history and one period merges unnoticeably into the next.
Although the following account is therefore in broad chronological order, it sometimes reaches back, or
movesforward,inordertodescribehowthepeninsulaemergedfromtheglaciationsanddevelopedintothe
place we know today.
THE BEGINNINGS
TheearliestsignofpeopleinGowerisaflinthandaxethatwasfoundatRhossiliandisnowintheNational
Museums and Galleries of Wales. It dates from around 125,000 years ago, when the peninsula was in an
interglacialperiod.Itisnotuntilnearly100,000yearslaterthatevidenceforthepresenceofpeopleisagain
recorded, principally from cave sites such as Cathole. Just before the final advance of the ice sheets some
28,000 years ago, in the early upper Palaeolithic, a young man was buried in what is probably the most
well-knowncave,Goat'sHole,Paviland(Fig.23).Mistakenforafemaleskeleton,theso-called'RedLady'
was discovered by the Reverend William Buckland in 1823. The body was buried with ivory bracelets and
wands and perforated sea shells, all of which were covered with ochre that stained the bones red. Goat's