Peter Lewis grew up in North Gower, spending many school holidays roaming its paths on foot or by bike. After moving away for college, he returned forty years later to make his home and build his working life in South Gower.
Commenting on his love of walking on Gower, Peter says: “Having worked as a botanist and a practitioner in spirituality, I find that both callings now shape the way I walk through this landscape. My eye is often caught by the small and easily missed – the delicate detail of a flower, the shifting textures of hedgerow and woodland – yet I am just as moved by the grandeur of Gower’s wide skies, headlands, and sea-washed horizons.
“I am equally happy walking alone, using the time for reflection and inspiration, or as part of a small group, especially when it means getting to know people I have not met before.
“The walks I return to most are spring in Nicholaston Woods, early summer on the Overton Mere cliffs among the wildflowers, autumn sunsets across Cefn Bryn, and winter days around Oxwich, ending with a sauna and a cold dip in the sea. Despite being a seasonal destination, there is something special about walking in Gower in the colder months, even if it leaves me longing for the re-opening of my favourite summer cafés. All in all, walking is a glorious, simple pleasure of life.”
Peter has been working in Gower for 3 years, overseeing twenty congregations of the Church in Wales, ranging from Rhossili & Llangennith through to Killay and Ty Coch in Swansea.
He says: “My particular area of responsibility is as vicar in the South West cluster of churches which, to me, offer endless possibilities for walks and mini-adventures. In theory, I can visit all the congregations on a wonderful route, The Gower Pilgrimage Way, which is about 50 miles in length. I have walked the whole course but in little sections rather than over the usual 3 days duration. One of the joys of the Pilgrimage trail are the various habitats that you encounter, but so too, the different aspects of history in various locations. Walks through the industrial centres of North Gower contrast with the farmlands in the south, which has inspired a whole set of resources to accompany the Gower Pilgrimage Way, which encourage the walker to become aware of themselves, their life and the outdoors as they journey. You can find these in our churches together with other materials to add a contemplative dimension to our walking.”
For 2026, Peter is leading the following walk:
Port Eynon: family coastal discovery walk on 12th September.