John Ashley spent his working life in IT and telecommunications, a calling which took him to live and work in several countries including four in the Caribbean. When he returned to the UK in 2005, he realised a long-held ambition to study history by completing the Advanced Diploma in Local History Research at Oxford University. This led to teaching at Swansea University and a series of popular talks on local history topics from The White Rock Copper Works to Buffalo Bill in Swansea.
Also, in 2005 John retrieved his walking boots from storage and took to the paths, bridleways and byways once more. He became one of the first Gower Walking Festival walk leaders and has contributed walks every year since. His dog walks at Whiteford and Oxwich, designed to allow furry friends to run free as much as possible, have become an, occasionally chaotic, much-loved fixture of the Festival programme. John’s walks always have a theme, often drawing on his knowledge of local history.
John contributed 60 walks to the fondly remembered Bay magazine from its earliest editions. Some of the favourite walks were brought together in the volume Ashley’s Walks Around Swansea and Gower, available in Swansea libraries and (very rarely) second-hand. Note that unsigned copies are rarer than signed ones …
John’s retirement job is Walking Development Officer for Swansea Council. His role is to encourage and support perambulation in all its forms, from long distance trails to health and wellbeing walks. He has trained more than 350 walk leaders over the last nine years and helped start 50 walking groups across Swansea and Gower. The groups are led by volunteers, and health and charity workers.
John is a Trustee of the Heart of Wales Line Trail, the 145-mile route down the spine of Wales, and honorary president of the Gower Walking Festival.
For 2026, John is leading the following walks:
Dog Walk to Whiteford Sands on Saturday 12th September.