A coast and hill walk to a great village pub: the Britannia Inn, Gower peninsula

Views of six counties, with sea, sand and islands, are just part of the beauty of this south Wales walk

A pub is a vital part of a country walk, but which way to do it? The whole walk first, then pub for well-earned food and beer? Or pub as halfway mark, to restore flagging body and spirits, the uncovered miles making that second or third beer a bad idea? On this walk from the well-loved Britannia Inn, in the Gower village of Llanmadoc, we can decide on the day: it’s a figure-of-eight route, with the “Brit” close to where the loops cross. There’s rain forecast for later, so we start early and aim for a late post-walk lunch, with stops to soak in the views without getting soaked.

And what views. Part of the beauty of this peninsula is its variety of landscapes: wild moorland, golden beaches, limestone cliffs, meadows, mixed woodland and saltmarsh.