Burry Holms

Mirroring Worms Head at the opposite end of the bay, Burry Holms marks the western extent of Llangennith beach. Usually a beautifully quiet place to visit, it becomes an island at high tide leaving the whole area to its resident wildlife and sometimes the odd hardy fisherman. In Welsh, the island is known as Ynys Ianwol and has a rich history known to stretch back over 9000 years to the Mesolithic period, when it was inhabited by nomadic hunters. At this point in time the sea was over 12 miles away. An excavation by the National Museums and Galleries of Wales yielded evidence of the early inhabitation, including tools made from flint, bone and wood along with charred hazelnut shells. Later, in the iron age, a hill fort and ditch were built enclosing around 5 acres on the west side of the island. By medieval times a hermitage/ecclesiastical monastic settlement stood on the east side of the island, known as ?the church of the isle? or ?the hermitage of St. Kenydd-atte-Holme?. Interestingly, excavations in the early 1960s also uncovered second century roman pottery, suggesting continual occupation of the site. The island is a haven for wildlife and wild flowers - don?t forget your binoculars but also don?t forget to check the tide times before you leave, so as not to get cut off.