Rhossili probably gets its name in part from the Welsh word for moorland, rhos. The second element in the name may be a reference to a Saint Sulien or St Sili, but details are not clear. Certainly the present Norman church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Inside there is a memorial to Edgar Evans who was the first to perish on the Terra Nova Expedition on the return from the South Pole.
History
There was a local tradition that there had been an earlier, pre medieval village complete with church closer to the sea which had been abandoned after "besanding" in the 14th century. A storm and subsequent excavation of newly exposed remains in the Warren in 1980 helped to confirm the truth of this. Despite its relatively remote position, Rhossili is a popular tourist destination: the views from the headland and the Down are panoramic; several pleasant walks begin, end, or pass through the village; Iron Age remains are found on Rhossili Down; and the 4 mile long beach attracts surfers, particularly at the Llangennith end. The prominent wreck of the Helvetia, which ran aground in Rhossili Bay in November 1887, bears witness to the challenging sea conditions.
Rhossili Bay
Rhossili Bay curves along an arc running northwards from the village. The sandy beach is three miles long and is backed withsand dunes. Some locals refer to the beach as Llangennith Sands. Behind the beach just north of the village is Rhossili Down with the highest point on the Gower Peninsula, the Beacon, and a number of prehistoric remains. It is between Rhossili Down and the beach proper that the Warren is found. In some of the fields on "The Vile" in Rhossili, the National Trust plant every year around 400,000 sunflowers. This is an extremely popular attraction for visitors to take selfies at during late July and early August, however there have been issues with some visitors picking the flowers. At the southern end of the Bay is the small tidal island called Worm's Head. At the north is Burry Holms. These islands are accessible at low tide only. Also at low tide, it is possible to see the remains of several shipwrecks, wood from the wreck of the Helvetia being the most prominent when looking north from Rhossili. Worm's Head consists of two islands, Inner and Outer Head. Outer Head reaches 56 metres in height, Inner head 47 metres. Rhossili Bay featured in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, a youth choir began a cappella performances of "Bread of Heaven" live on the beach which was broadcast at the Olympic Stadium. The bay has been used as the setting of New Earth in the sci-fi show Doctor Who and the bay including the Old Rectory was used in . In 2014, it was voted the UK's number one beach, third best in Europe, and 9th best in the world, by TripAdvisor users.
Fall Bay
Fall Bay is one of the most remote and hardest to reach beaches on Gower. The beach is never crowded due to its remoteness. There is no beach visible at high tide. The beach is very popular with surfers. At very low tide, it is possible to walk over from the beach to Mewslade Bay. The beach is reachable via a path which passes Rhossili village hall. It continues over fields and many stiles and has a steep final descent. The cliff path leads east to Mewslade Bay or westwards towards the Worm's Head and Rhossili Bay.
The National Trust owns and protects much land on the Gower Peninsula. The Trust operates a visitor centre in Rhossili near the Warren, Rhossili Down, Worm's Head, Rhossili beach and coastal cliffs. Scenes from were filmed at the National Trust's Old Rectory cottage in Rhossili Bay.
Skinny dipping
On 19 June 2011, almost four hundred people attempted to break the world record for the largest number of people skinny dipping at one time in the sea at Rhossili.
