[tomtom]

By a rare turn of events, I've got three child free nights this (bank holiday) weekend - and am hoping to get out and explore some N.Wales esoterica... Wondering if any recommendations of an alright 'pitch up with your tent and camp' site somewhere around the Beddgelert <> Porthmadog area. Nothing fancy - a pitch and a place to wash/crap fine... Could wild camp I expect, but with NWales probably being generally busy and post covid stuff etc.. maybe not.

First thoughts were by Erics nr Tremadog (or what was Erics) but that all seems a bit up market and booked out now... (from their website that is)

Cheers,
T

[petejh]

Llyn Gwynant campsite is a lovely spot not far up the Gwynant valley from Beddgelert, handy for the western area (most areas actually) in the NW Bouldering guide.. Mostly booked up for vans etc. but says they have small tent places available. Gonna be a busy weekend I think!
https://book.ibexres.com/front-booking/book/gwynant94/7522?sellerEntity=account

[tomtom]

Fully booked - thanks anyway Pete. Should have got my arse in gear earlier!

[andy popp]

Fully booked - thanks anyway Pete. Should have got my arse in gear earlier!

Shame. Would have left you perfectly placed for Elephantitus.

[tomtom]

It’s day - trip - able (as I don’t have to be home for any child stuff) so Might sling the tent in the back of the car anyway and if there’s nothing head back….

Was going to head up to the lakes and stay at my parents but they’ve gone away - and not left a spare key! 😂

[galpinos]

Fully booked - thanks anyway Pete. Should have got my arse in gear earlier!

They still have spots for Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon nights on their website under "Unallocated tent without EHU"?

[petejh]

Or the one near capel curig. Bit higher/cooler/windier maybe but a nice spot and not glam.

https://www.dolgam-snowdonia.co.uk/camping

[SA Chris]

They still have spots for Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon nights on their website under "Unallocated tent without EHU"?

How will Tom run his laptop, telly and electric blanket?

[tomtom]

Fully booked - thanks anyway Pete. Should have got my arse in gear earlier!

They still have spots for Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon nights on their website under "Unallocated tent without EHU"?

Only for Friday night from what I ca see - maybe phone browser or something.

Thanks for the other site Pete. That looks a bit more pitch up job.

[kelvin]

Dolgam, near Capel - Arthur had combi-locks on the gates the other week and it was pre-book only. I'd definitely give him a ring. It's normally rock up but the current climate has changed that it would appear.
Great showers tho!

[tomtom]

Dolgam, near Capel - Arthur had combi-locks on the gates the other week and it was pre-book only. I'd definitely give him a ring. It's normally rock up but the current climate has changed that it would appear.
Great showers tho!

All booked - no one seems to answer phones and fielding enquiries by email (trying a few places)... bonkers!!

Thank you for your enquiry.

Please note we are now fully booked for the Bank Holiday weekend of May 28/29/30.
We will NOT send a seperate response to your enquiry if it relates to those dates.

If you are enquiring about other dates we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks
Dolgam

[spidermonkey09]

I'd be tempted to camp in your parents garden and use cafe loos etc!

[tomtom]

:D Piss on the compost heap...

This seems to be on several websites:

Our campsite now only has seasonal pitches for touring caravans or motorhomes - we no longer takes tents. We are an adults only site.

Blimey, gone are the days of pitch up at 9pm, jump over the wall pitch up and pay the next morning...

Its day-trippable (2 hours early/late with no traffic) but would be nice to stop over...

[SA Chris]

Roll back the seat in the car and get your head down for a few hours. The reason I had a big old Volvo for so long was that I could lie flat in the back with the seats down.

[spidermonkey09]

Its a crock of shit. The outraged-of-tunbridge-wells responses to reports of people camping in cars/by the side of the road never seem to acknowledge this. Obviously litter etc is not on but the marginalisation of cheap and informal camping in many National Parks is a big part of the problem I think.

I'm not even joking about the garden camping. Presumably the neighbours might take pity on you and let you in in the mornings anyway?

Alternatively, go to Wales and walk up to Cloggy Boudlers and camp by Llyn D'Arddu.

[Fiend]

Father TomTom determined to up his cross-national super-spreading game just as the Indian Variant is starting to rage through the North of England . Make sure you go via the M60 clockwise with the windows down at the Bolton junction to stock up - and return to Power Club to celebrate the results 


P.S. Might be worth looking at campsites out of Snowdonia (Rhinogau / Bala / Harlech? There's even some decent bivvy spots down there) because you'll have more daylight for commuting to the blocs than you will have energy/skin.

[Will Hunt]

Obviously litter etc is not on but the marginalisation of cheap and informal camping in many National Parks is a big part of the problem I think.

+1

When did this even happen? Why did it happen? There used to be loads of places where you pitched up at night and paid the farmer a fiver in the morning. Facilities were a porta-shitter and a tap - which was all you needed. Looking at what's happened to Eric's it makes you wonder if there's a spate of city folk who have bought these places as investments. Or is it a crackdown on planning by local authorities who are demanding more formalised pitches and better management?

(P.S. getting a kid-free weekend on a warm and sunny bank holiday is like popping up to the loft and finding a lost horde of Aztec gold. No chance I'd waste it sitting in a jam on the A55 doing day trips. Parent's garden would be my option, or carry the tent up to a nice bivi spot.)

[tomtom]

Where I'm hoping to go is probably riddled with great places to bivvy/wild camp.

But having lived a few years in Wild West Wales I'm kind of wary of doing that - if someone had pitched up near where I lived people would have been arsed off.. (and that was before a 5G pandemic) Guess I could always take my doss bag up with me in case...

More replies:

Hi Tom
No sorry, we are only open on a limited basis and cannot take any more for this weekend
We are not taking unbooked campers at all at the moment, so if you want to come another time please make sure you book in advance.
We are also not doing single night bookings at the moment I’m afraid
Kind regards
******* Camp Site

[spidermonkey09]

When did this even happen? Why did it happen? There used to be loads of places where you pitched up at night and paid the farmer a fiver in the morning. Facilities were a porta-shitter and a tap - which was all you needed. Looking at what's happened to Eric's it makes you wonder if there's a spate of city folk who have bought these places as investments. Or is it a crackdown on planning by local authorities who are demanding more formalised pitches and better management?

Presumably they just didn't make any money? Three busy weekends a year (if you're lucky with the weather). They only really make sense as an odd on to an existing farm/business I think as they wouldn't pay for themselves otherwise. I seem to remember that new campsites had to be more formalised when reading about the Eric's takeover as well.

Off the top of my head I can only think of Pembroke and Eric Byne's which are still pitch up and pay later models; any more? Is the Nant Peris one opposite the Vaynol still going?

Sorry for the hijack TT!

[SA Chris]

Must be some in the Lakes, and there are a few in Scotland.

[tomtom]

Well found a 'field with a bog' campsite in Mach - (an hour away) which is £20 for a tent... not booked it yet...

[petejh]

TT I'd just fill the car with food/water and a tent and just go, pitch at night somewhere quiet and drop it in the morning. No-one will know/care if you pick a quiet spot. Plenty of streams with pools for a dip in. I'm assuming you're thinking of exploring the dolerite stuff around Tremadog/Beddgellert/Cwm Pennant.

[dunnyg]

Im not sure it is a general shortage of turn up and pitch style, I think its a short term phenomenon due to covid crossed with bank holiday.

I can think of a couple in ogwen and a couple in the lakes that I usually use that were booked up weeks in advance or not open. Id go bivvy somewhere or gardencamp for sure.

[tomtom]

TT I'd just fill the car with food/water and a tent and just go, pitch at night somewhere quiet and drop it in the morning. No-one will know/care if you pick a quiet spot. Plenty of streams with pools for a dip in. I'm assuming you're thinking of exploring the dolerite stuff around Tremadog/Beddgellert/Cwm Pennant.

Cheers Pete. I think that’s what I’ll do - planning to go somewhere pretty remote so probably take my bag and a stove up with me.

[Anti]

TT I'd just fill the car with food/water and a tent and just go, pitch at night somewhere quiet and drop it in the morning. No-one will know/care if you pick a quiet spot. Plenty of streams with pools for a dip in. I'm assuming you're thinking of exploring the dolerite stuff around Tremadog/Beddgellert/Cwm Pennant.

Cheers Pete. I think that’s what I’ll do - planning to go somewhere pretty remote so probably take my bag and a stove up with me.

Someone was actually camping in the field opposite Cromlech layby the other day, they were brushing their teeth while I was heading to work. I see lots of people wild camping in the woods around Plas y Brenin, can hide up in there easily with bonus Plas y Brenin boulder.

You can easily pop off towards Cwm Ystradllyn/Cwm Pennant and find somewhere off the road to camp, easy access to Lidl / Tesco for a shit before 10pm.