Fire causes major damage to landmark hotel

The owners of a landmark hotel overlooking the Gower peninsula said they were “heartbroken” by major damage caused by a fire.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to a blaze at the Worm’s Head Hotel in Rhossili at 00:51 BST on Monday morning.

The property has been significantly damaged by the fire, the cause of which has not yet been identified, the fire service said.

It confirmed that no casualties were reported and all occupants were accounted for.

“It is particularly heartbreaking and soul destroying for me and family to see 25 years of hard work destroyed in less than 30 mins,” the owners said in a social media post.

The fire service said it responded to a fire within the property’s accommodation block, which spread to the block’s entire roof space.

The fire was extinguished at around 05:30, with crews continuing to monitor the scene before leaving at 09:32.

“Not sure how we come back from this at all let alone in the near term future but we will strive to come back stronger,” the owners said in a Facebook post.

Sian Nichol, who visits Rhosilli regularly, said she could not believe the destruction following the fire.

“We used to come every summer. It’s absolutely shocking to see it like this,” she said.

Beverly and Gareth Parfitt, from Weston-super-Mare, were visiting friends in Rhosilli and said they were “devastated”.

“We’ve been coming here a few years, spent many a fantastic new year here, so to see it like this, I felt quite emotional when we turned the corner,” said Beverly.

“The vision I had today was to sit outside there with a nice meal and lager together,” Gareth added.

A 25m (82 ft) span of roof had collapsed at the hotel, leaving blackened beams and an exposed chimney stack visible.

In a statement, the hotel management said; “Everyone’s safe. Thank you for your well wishes. The bar and hotel will be closed pending future updates.”

The 17-bedroom hotel has sweeping views of the National Trust-owned Rhossili Bay, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

South Wales Police were also in attendance to the incident.