Campsite Reviews - Wales

[Si]

Add campsite reviews in Wales to this thread.

Normal review rules apply: just give us the facts, especially if it is a negative review, and try to keep the thread on topic as it's meant to be a resource and so should be easy to skim through. Perhaps we could start each post with something like:

Campsite name: <name here>
Location: <adress / grid ref>
Fees: <£££>
Facilities: <list of cycle-friendly/unfriendly facilities>
Comments: <recommended or not, with reasons>

[bornagaincyclist]

Campsite name: Dolbyn
Location: Capel Wen Road, Nr Newcastle Emlyn SA33 9LP
Fees: £4
Facilities: Shower, a barn with a bar at weekends off sales possible at other times.
Comments: Land lady had cycle camped in Holland. I recommend this campsite, it was both peaceful and friendly!

[bornagaincyclist]

Campsite name: Cilicwm near Llandovery
Location: Campsite is a field on a farm just outside the village
Fees: £4
Facilities: No shower, just a wc.
Comments: Basic camping. Just fine!

[ikenbikeit]

Merthyr Farm
Harlech
Gwynedd LL46 2TP

It is on the Lon Las Cymru
ItS 6 pounds 50 a night
is a working farm and is wonderfully informal
has showers and things but the shops are an incredible climb back from Harlech
Hence one of the best views ever...................

[bikerta]

I can also second this site for its amazing views. What a sunset I had that evening. However, I struggled to even push a loaded tourer up parts of the hill from the northern side, especially at the end of a long day. Definitely make sure you have everything you need for the evening.

[rotavator]

Campsite name: Ty Llwyd
Location: Cwmystwyth, SN 823 753, SY23 4AG, tel 01974 282216.
Fees: £8 per person per tent per night
Facilities: 1 shower with free warm water, 2 toilets, washing up, water tap, swing and slide for kids, picnic benches, fire places and logs available. Electric hook up on some sites. The camping areas without EHC are mainly slightly sloping so you may have to fight gravity if you have slippery sleeping bag and mat.
Comments: Recommended as a basic no frills campsite that is well located for great cycling routes e.g. over the top to the Elan and Wye Valleys. It is a narrow field between the minor road and the river and has great view across the narrow valley. The washing and toilet facilities are behind the farmhouse across the road which is a minor inconvenience provided the weather is fine.
Downsides in mid June: midges arrive as soon as the sun set at 7 pm (it is in a narrow sheltered valley and the weather was warm and calm) and clegs were about during the day. Owners were away most of the weekend so there would have been no-one to complain to if there was a problem to, or to pay the fees.

[rotavator]

Campsite name: Claerddu Bothy
Location: SN 793 687
Fees: None!
Facilities: Water, toilet, kitchen with utensils and gas and cooker, fire wood, sleeping platforms, no electric.
Comments: An unbelievebly posh bothy near the Teifi Pools and the gravel road over to the Claerwen Reservoir and the Elan Valley. Downsides: there is not a good road to it so you will have to walk a bit unless on a mountain bike. Also you don't know who else might turn up!

[Sweep]

Campsite name: Claerddu Bothy
Location: SN 793 687
Fees: None!
Facilities: Water, toilet, kitchen with utensils and gas and cooker, fire wood, sleeping platforms, no electric.
Comments: An unbelievebly posh bothy near the Teifi Pools and the gravel road over to the Claerwen Reservoir and the Elan Valley. Downsides: there is not a good road to it so you will have to walk a bit unless on a mountain bike. Also you don't know who else might turn up!

How far/tough is the walk?
Could a well loaded 26 inch non sus expedition bike ride it?

[rotavator]

It is only 600m from the tarmac road and I would guess that half would be rideable in dry weather on an expedition bike. I was hiking, rather than biking, during the current heatwave so the tracks were dry and easily walked. In wet weather the track would be in part boggy, muddy and flooded and no fun at all. There are various paths to it used by quads, trail motorbikes etc but I think it is intended for bona fide hikers.

[Sweep]

ok sounds good* in decent weather - must investigate - don't mind a bit of bad weather but don't like walking through mud.

* as long as I'm not surrounded by a motorcycle gang in the middle of the night - that bit of your description sounded a tad worrying.

Great thread - my introduction to camping was through some really nice welsh campsites, albeit in a car. back to the recommendations - data.

[crazydave789]

Park farm llangattock

https://www.parkfarm-campsite.co.uk/home

we used to do city scout camps up there on their top fields and also camped down on the main site. decent spacey site with good facilities..

the pub at the end of the road is good and the village shop does decent produce.

[pwa]

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.023724, ... 6?hl=en-GB

I used this site near Hay a couple of years back and it had a lot going for it. Reached via quiet lanes with no need to go near a busy road. The building in the centre of the field is the facilities and includes a generous covered eating area with expansive views across the Wye Valley. It is a lovely place.

The main downside is that truly flat ground is scarce.

The google image is old and obviously dates from when the site was new. It had about 20 visitors when I was there.

[rotavator]

Campsite name: Pencelli Castle Farm
Location: Pencelli, SE of Brecon, SO 094 247. The site is adjacent to the Lon Las Cymru = NCN 8 and the Brecon - Monmouth canal.
Fees: £12.50 per person per tent per night includes hot showers
Facilities: Clean, modern showers, washing cubicles, toilets, laundry and drying room, kitchen, play area.
The non-electric hook-up area that I used is not as flat as the EHU area and is further from the facilities. No dogs and no music. Minimal traffic noise but it was busy when I was there in early August so I cannot say that it was peaceful, but it would be outside the school holidays I guess.
It is a short walk to a pub that offers basic but very welcome food and pleasant, efficient service and has outside seating by the canal.
A bit pricey but worth it.

[rotavator]

Campsite name: Dol-gamedd
Location: Brithdir, Bont Newydd, off the B4416, just east of Dolgellau, SH 773 201
Fees: £10.50 per person per tent per night including hot showers
Facilities: showers, toilets, kitchen, washing machines, two tumble driers, only one of which worked, the other just gobbled my pound coins.
The owner was very welcoming. There were plenty of flat sites available. There were lots of dogs on the site, some just wandering around and one that peed on my panniers when I was about to get pitched, which did not go down well with me! Not as pleasant and peaceful as you might expect as it is close to the A494. No pub within in easy walking distance. Great views of Cadair Idris going down to Dolgellau in the morning.

It was at the end of a wet day and the site was busy when I stayed. This might be a nice place to stay in fine weather and out of the peak season but I was not impressed and I suspect that there are better places to stay nearby.

[robing]

I did LLC in May and had fantastic weather and camped all the way. It was hands down one of my favourite tours - lovely roads, people, scenery and the campsites were among the best I stayed in and all under £10 a night.

Bangor- Treborth Lesiure. A quiet little campsite tucked away but only about a mile from town.

Barmouth - Hendre Mynach. A large site and wouldn't have been my first choice. However, the groundsman/manager was a sound guy and knew exactly what I was after and found me a lovely quiet spot up the hill. Had a great veggie breakfast the next day in Barmouth.

Machynlleth - Gwerniago campsite. A few miles west of town, but a lovely secluded spot on top of a hill. Great facilities. A mile walk to the nearest village for pubs, food etc. Great.

Llanidloes - Dol-y-Lys campsite. Probably the best of the trip. A farm and really friendly hosts. Even offered to run me in to town - but it's an easy, flat cycle. Plenty of camping by the Severn but I went up the top near the showers next to a field of rams who were friendly and quiet neighbours. There's also a camper's kitchen. Lots of facilities in town and a good Spar.

Three Cocks - Little Mill. I really liked this site. The owner, I forget his name now was a really sound guy. It was dead quiet when I went. I was the only camper, bar a few 'residents'. It is near a main road but there wasn't much traffic after about 10pm and road noise doesn't bother me much anyway. Far preferable to noisy people! Good pub grub across the road and they do breakfasts.

Innage Farm - Chepstow. This was the only poor site I stayed at. It's not really a campsite, just camping in someone's garden. There are no facilities. It is a very nice garden but I was a bit miffed as I called in the morning from Hay-on-Wye and said I was cycling in very hot temperatures but she neglected to mention the lack of showers! Also the village pub wasn't doing food that evening so in desperation I got a delivery from Dominos! A shame as all the other campsites were great!



Also - special mention to Gwern Gof Ischaf near Capel Curig on the A5. I didn't go here on LLC but have stayed here a few times and it's a great site. Only about £6 a night and showers are about a pound I believe. It's a large site in a valley and you can always find a quiet spot. It doesn't really feel like a campsite, more like wild camping but with facilities. A real gem.