Mike Clinch is a retired teacher, having worked in a variety of schools for 35 years. He studied geography and geology at university in the late 70s and was fortunate that he could use my love of the landscape and the outdoors in my working life. Nowadays, he really enjoys passing on my knowledge to those that are interested.
Mike developed a love of Gower as a child, having spent many a happy family holiday here. He comments: “I always said to myself that if circumstances gave me the opportunity, then I would love to retire to Gower. This ambition was fulfilled in 2019, when we moved to Three Crosses.
“There is so much variety in Gower, that every day is different. The North shore is very different from the South shore and the hills of the centre and west give fabulous vistas, where on a clear day, you can see Devon to the south, the Preseli Hills to the west, the Beacons to the north and Pen Y Fan to the east. Added to this is a rich variety of geography, geology, archaeology and industrial heritage, which makes it a fabulous place to live and visit.
“My wife and I are both keen walkers and we try to get out as much as we can, often despite the weather. I am an experienced walk leader, regularly leading walks for the Swansea Ramblers and the Gower Society. This will be my third year of leading walks for the Gower Walking Festival, and I very much look forward to bringing an insight into the landscape around us.”
For 2026, Mike is leading the following walks:
Landscape & environment of North Gower on Saturday 5th September.
Dunvant to Fairwood: Landscape & Legacy Trail on Sunday 6th September.