Wales Coast Path on Gower off limits after 30m rock fall

People have been told to avoid the coast path and base of the cliff between Oxwich Church and Oxwich Point

People have been told to stay clear of a section of the Wales Coast Path after a large rock fall.

The coastguard was called to Oxwich Bay beach, Gower, at about 15:00 GMT on Sunday.

A spokesman said the fall covered an area measuring about 30m x 30m (99ft x 99ft) and a cordon was in place "in case of further instability and falls".

Swansea Council and Natural Resources Wales have been informed and another inspection will take place on Monday.

Thomas Methuen-Campbell, from Penrice Estate, which owns the area of beach where the rocks fell, said: "I understand there was a rock fall there about eight years ago and this is a piece which has fallen off below it."

He said he understood the rock was a mixture of limestone and sandstone.

HM Coastguard called the rock fall "significant"

The rock fall on the east-facing section of coastline, past St Illtyd's Church, was close to the site of another landslide nine years ago.

One slab of fallen rock, part of Oxwich Woods, still has trees on it.

Ian Williams, of the Oxwich Bay Hotel, owns the cliffs that collapsed and said he was warned the area was unstable due to a former limestone quarry.

He said: "It is a significant piece that has come down [so] structural engineers from Bristol are coming early next week."

No property or roads are affected.

The coastguard said it was "larger than a previous significant rock fall in 2009 in the same area"