Fforest Fields Caravan & Camping Park (Ye..2 Fs) - - - - - Second report below
Fforest Farm
Hundred House
Builth Wells
Powys
LD1 5RT

Tel: 01982 570 406
Fax: 01982 570 444

E-mail: office@fforestfields.co.uk
Web site: www.fforestfields.co.uk

Owners: George & Kate Barstow

Fforest Fields is a sheltered and secluded touring site in a hidden valley 4 miles from Builth Wells and the Royal Welsh Showground. There are 16 amp electric hook-ups but no hard standings.

A mountain stream runs through the 7 acre landscaped site and the surrounding hills are home to many woodland trails, moorland walks, a mountain biking circuit and paragliding area. There are 2 fenced ’dog scampers’ but dogs are allowed anywhere on the farm lands as long as they are on a lead at all times.

The amenity block is almost in the centre of the field and contains 3 showers, 4 toilets and washbasins in each of the men and women areas. There are laundry facilities (including a tumble drier) and 2 washing up sinks. All the hot water is free. The rubbish area has separate areas for newspapers, cans and bottles.

The small reception building has information leaflets as well as also housing a fridge and freezer. The milk, eggs and orange juice are delivered daily and campers pay by leaving the correct money in the honesty box if George is not about. There is also a payphone on site and a freephone direct to the farmhouse for use in emergencies.

The pub at Hundred House is less than a mile away over farmland path and operates a courtesy bus to bring you back at closing time. It offers a wide menu and is more than happy to cater for children. The village also boasts a village store cum post office.

The whole atmosphere of the site is very relaxed and peaceful. George is an excellent host and runs the site with the minimum of fuss.

Editors Note: Jane continues with her thoughts on the area...

We had a very wet week, as a lot of us did over the Whitsun holiday. However, we still managed to get out and about and visited the nearby towns of Llandrindod Wells (used to be a Spa town), Rhayader, and Builth Wells.
All of which provided the opportunity to while away an afternoon, dodging the rain.
A visit to Elan Valley provided us with an interesting walk along the edge of a reservoir and up into the surrounding hills. The visitor centre told the story of the dams and the people who built them.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Elan Valley, it is a series of reservoirs that feed the city of Birmingham with fresh clean water. Apparently it is all done by gravity - quite a feat of Victorian engineering.

In a final attempt to get somewhere out of the rain we headed towards Hereford. Never having been there before we were quite taken with the Cathedral but stopped short of visiting the Mappa Mundi the entrance fee was £4.00 each and we were running short of time. The city itself seems to be a mix of old and new and we have promised ourselves a return visit. We didn’t avoid the rain though, and whilst we were there a tremendous thunderstorm cut the power supply to a large number of shops and banks!

Keith (my husband) and I wish we had visited this area of Wales before now - previously we just driven on by on our way to the coast - and we can wholeheartedly recommend both the area and the campsite to anyone who is looking for a relaxing, peaceful break in beautiful countryside.

Jane Bellingham. CLIC. June 1999

Fforest Fields
Hundred House
Builth Wells
Powys
LD1 5RT

Tel: 01982 570 406
Fax: 01982 570 444

E-mail: office@fforestfields.co.uk
Web site: www.fforestfields.co.uk

Contact: Mr G.T. Barstow

Cost: £ 6.50 (2 adults in small tent) - charges include hot showers

All types of units accepted. Open April to December.

Directions: 4 miles north of Builth Wells, 1 mile south of Hundred House on the A481 (on left if travelling south) - the site is signposted.

This is an absolutely lovely site! It’s quite big but the camping area is broken up into smaller sections with the use of hedges and a small stream. All the pitches are pretty level and the toilet block is centrally situated and within easy reach of all areas. There is a pot-washing area, recycling facilities, laundry with washing machines & dryers; toilet & shower facilities are to a high standard and a fridge/freezer is provided for campers to use. There is plenty of local information available & a small selection of basic foods on sale, eg. milk and local eggs & bacon. Although the site is on a fairly major road it is set well back and is very quiet. There are plenty of electric hook-ups.

The site is beautifully maintained, but wildlife flourishes with banks and wildlife areas left completely natural. The site has a David Bellamy Gold Award for conservation. Children can play in the stream and the shallow pools (adults can fall in the stream on the way home from the pub!) and explore the woodlands, although there is no play area. There are, however, ’dog scampers’ on the site, where dogs can be let off their leads.

There are loads of lovely walks leading directly from the site. The owner has posted informative notices along the paths, which are helpful without being intrusive. We walked uphill from the site and had great views over the hills. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable about the area and is always happy to have a chat and offer advice.

Hundred House is the nearest village, about a mile away and an easy walk. I’m pretty sure there is a general store in the village - there is definitely an excellent pub, the Hundred House Inn, serving good beer. The pubs food has a good reputation but we didn’t try it unfortunately. The nearest town is Builth Wells, set beside the River Wye, where there is a good selection of shops, pubs, cafes etc. The whole area is beautiful and there is loads to do and see. Llandrindod Wells is well worth a visit and the ’short’ route over the hills makes an interesting drive, especially in the fog!

The website is very informative and has some excellent pictures.

Janette Lee. CLIC. March 2002.

Henstent Caravan Park
Llangynog
Nr Oswestry
Powys
Mid Wales
SY10 0EP

Tel: 01691 860 479

Web site: www.caravansitesuk.co.uk/..

Henstent is a small, quiet, family owned and run park. It is in a beautiful elevated position in the Tanat Valley with fantastic views.
The site is just off the B4391 on the outskirts of LLangynog. There are some 40 static caravans on the site and all have are positioned so as to have a view over the valley. They are all privately owned and rental is not permitted.
Facilities exist for 25 tourers and 15 tents in a smaller area by the river separate from the caravans. Caravans pitch against the fence on the lower part of the site backing on to the river. It really was very peaceful and relaxing and we would definitely return for a long weekend again.

We were welcomed and checked in by Dean & Melanie Morris, the owners. Dean escorted us personally to our pitch and then showed us round all the facilities so that we knew where everything was.

Due to its position there is no mobile phone signal at all on the site!! However there is a phone box on site [a proper old red box!] and Dean said if we gave the site number to anyone wishing to contact us he would pass messages on which I thought extremely kind.

The facilities are all contained in one building in the centre of the site. There is one shower and two toilets for each sex plus laundry chemical disposal point. Another room has a library book exchange, information brochures, free loan of local maps and a fridge freezer for use free of charge.

The owners are very keen on the environment so there are different bins to recycle glass, cans, paper, and plastic. The site was quiet on our visit but I imagine the single shower could a bit pushed when the site is busy. There is a 20p charge for 5 minutes, which is ample. I also thought a nice touch was bars of soap - Imperial leather no less - on the washbasins.
The owners have been in residence for two years and are obviously very proud of their site.

Things to do in the area include fishing in the river Tanat, which forms one boundary of the park, as well as bird watching with a wide variety of river, woodland, garden and farmland birds. Birds of prey are also often sighted. Walking, climbing and mountain-hiking for the more active. Bala Lake provides water sports.

Llangynog village is a five minutes walk from the park and has two very good Inns. We had an evening meal in one and Sunday lunch in the other. I can recommend both. Prices are very reasonable, the food excellent and portion control non-existent!

This really is a beautiful site ideal for a relaxing quiet break and you know no one can find you because the mobile won’t work!

Directions:
From A5. Turn off at the Wolfshead roundabout signposted Knockin B4396. Continue along this road until you come to Llynclys crossroads (junction with A483 - White Lion pub opposite). Go straight ahead at crossroads towards Bala. Continue along B4396. Turn left on to B4391 still towards Bala. Continue along B4391 through Pen-Y-Bont-Fawr. You will then come to some 40 mph limit signs, just before Llangynog. The Park is on the right hand side, just after these 40 signs.

David Cuff. CLIC. September 2005

Lakeside Camping and Caravanning Park
Llangorse Lake
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7TR

Tel: 01874 658 226
Fax: 01874 658 430

This is a site in an ideal situation for watersports and horse riding.
The site has 3 seperate areas for camping and one area for vans. The van area is at the far side of a static park, the majority of which were privately owned.

The location was the biggest plus for this site.

The nearest toilet and shower block was a fair walk away and they weren’t the cleanest of facilities.
Later in our stay we did find another block that was much cleaner, however this was probably due to the fact that they were at the opposite end of the park to the tents and vans and therefore were hardly ever used.

A five minute walk from the site took you to the Shop and Bar. The shop sold the basics and as usual was slightly over priced. Unfortunately I never got the chance to sample the bar as come the evening I was too tired.
Another plus were the swans who greeted us arrival, then kept visiting and then saw us off again at the end of our stay.

Maria Mackenzie. CLIC. August 2004

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