Storm, time and fire have all tried. None of them have stuck.
A Pub at the Edge
of the World
The Worm's Head Hotel. Open since the 1880s. Still here.
The Cottage Era
The building began life as a row of clifftop cottages above Rhossili Bay. By the early 1900s it had become the Wormshead Cottage Hotel — offering adventurous Edwardian visitors sea air, dramatic views, and candlelit rooms. The beds were reportedly hard. Nobody complained about the scenery.
The Heller Years
Guido and Marjorie Heller took over in 1946 and ran the hotel for decades. In 1953, Dylan Thomas visited Guido here — Thomas, who called Gower 'the most beautiful place on earth', had contemplated moving to Rhossili, but abandoned the idea when Heller mentioned the lack of nearby pubs. A licence was eventually obtained. We like to think he'd approve of what we've become.
The Short Era
The Short family bought the hotel in 2001. Adrian Short recalls the early years as something close to Fawlty Towers. Over two decades they turned it into a community institution — the place you brought people when you wanted to show them Wales at its finest. Weddings, wakes, landmark birthdays, first pints. The bar became the heart of Rhossili.
The Night of the Fire
A fire broke out in the early hours and spread quickly through the building. Everyone got out safely. By morning the roof was gone and the kitchen was lost. The building that had stood for over a century was gutted. Within hours, offers of support were pouring in from the community — beds, meals, messages. Rhossili showed up.
Bar Helvetia
Within two weeks of the fire we were pouring pints again — we'd held onto a licence for The Causeway and used it. The bar has since been redecorated, a log fire installed, and food is being cooked fresh at The Causeway and delivered to your table. Accommodation will return when the rebuild is complete. In the meantime, the bar is open and the view hasn't moved an inch.
Did You Know?
Gower was the first place in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. Rhossili Bay has been voted one of the best beaches in Europe almost every year since — and you can see the whole sweep of it from our terrace.
The bar is named after the Helvetia — a Norwegian barque built in 1855 that wrecked at Rhossili Bay in 1887 while carrying Canadian timber. The wreck's ribs are still visible on the beach at low tide.
The name 'Worm's Head' comes from the Old Norse word 'Wurm', meaning dragon or serpent — a reference to the sinuous, sleeping shape of the tidal island as seen from the clifftop. You can walk out at low tide, but mind the tide tables or you'll be spending the night.
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From the fire crews who stayed through the night to the locals who arrived at dawn with tea and offers of help — thank you.
The bar is open.
The view hasn't moved an inch, the ales are on, and the log fire is in. Rhossili is worth the drive.