List of bays of Wales

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This is a list of the bays of Wales by principal area, taken clockwise around the Welsh coast from the English border at Chepstow to the Dee estuary. It includes coastal indentations which are known by names other than bay (e.g. haven, porth) but which nevertheless have similar characteristics. In addition to those listed, there are numerous bays which remain unnamed on Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, the principal source of names appearing in this list. [1]

Contents

By far the largest bay in Wales is Cardigan Bay, occupying the larger part of the west coast. Other major bays are Swansea Bay, Carmarthen Bay, St Brides Bay, Caernarfon Bay and Conwy Bay. The list is divided into principal areas; 16 of the 22 in Wales have a coast though that of Powys is insignificant. Pembrokeshire has been further divided in view of the large number of bays along its intricate coastline, the greater part of which is protected as a national park. Where a bay is shared by more than one principal area, it is listed under both.

Monmouthshire and Newport

Both Monmouthshire and Newport front onto the Severn Estuary. There are no named bays along the low-lying coast of these two principal areas.

Cardiff

Vale of Glamorgan

Many of the mainly shallow bays along the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan are backed by cliffs of Jurassic limestone. The Vale of Glamorgan's boundary with Cardiff runs through Cardiff Bay.

Bridgend

The coast of Bridgend is low lying with plentiful sand. The largest bay, east of Porthcawl is unnamed on OS maps.

Neath Port Talbot

The coast of Neath Port Talbot is low-lying and relatively straight save for estuaries and a harbour complex.

Swansea

The coast of Swansea includes half of Swansea Bay, half of the Loughor estuary and the entirety of the Gower Peninsula.

Carmarthenshire

The Carmarthenshire coast includes a handful of large estuaries and a couple of large dune systems.

Pembrokeshire

The scenic cliff-backed bays and headlands of Pembrokeshire are a key part of the area's designation as a national park.

South Pembrokeshire

From the Carmarthenshire border, west to the mouth of Milford Haven.

Caldey Island

Caldey Island is an offshore part of Pembrokeshire.

Milford Haven section

The Milford Haven Waterway include numerous sheltered creeks and bays.

Southwest Pembrokeshire

From Milford Haven to St Brides Bay.

Skokholm

Skokholm is an offshore part of Pembrokeshire.

Skomer

Skomer is an offshore part of Pembrokeshire.

St Brides Bay

St Brides Bay is a deep indentation in Pembrokeshire's west coast which contains numerous smaller bays.

North Pembrokeshire

From St Brides Bay to the border with Ceredigion. The north coast forms a part of the southern shore of the larger Cardigan Bay.

Ramsey Island

Ramsey Island is an offshore part of north Pembrokeshire. It includes clockwise from the south the following indentations: Porth Lleuog, Pwll Bendro, Aber Mawr, Bay Ogof Hen, Rhod Uchaf, Rhod Isaf, Aberfelin, Yr Hen-ffordd, Abermyharan

Ceredigion

The Ceredigion coast is a gentle curve forming part of the shore of the larger Cardigan Bay but includes a handful of named indentations.

Powys

The Powys 'coast' is a short stretch of tidal estuary of the River Dovey devoid of bays.

Gwynedd

The coast of Gwynedd includes several bays which are indentations of the larger Cardigan Bay. There are a large number of small bays on the coast of the Llŷn Peninsula.

Bardsey (Ynys Enlli)

Anglesey

Anglesey is Wales' largest island. Its coast is heavily indented. Clockwise around its coast from Abermenai Point at its southern tip are:

Conwy

The coast of Conwy extends some way to east and west of the Conwy estuary.

Denbighshire and Flintshire

There are no bays indenting the coast of either Denbighshire or Flintshire in northeast Wales though both front onto the much larger Liverpool Bay.

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References

  1. "Bing maps". Microsoft Bing. Retrieved 15 January 2021.