16 minute read
Holidays
Hush Hush’s incredible pods may inspire you to start your own glamping site
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START IT YOURSELF
If you’ve enjoyed a break or two on a glamping site, you’ll know that it’s an ideal way to get away from it all. Hush Hush Glamping – situated in unspoilt scenery, with wooden pods nestled beneath the majestic Radnor forest, overlooking the vast Radnor Valley – is no exception. The site is set within 90 acres of farmland, and holidaymakers share this space with friendly alpaca, sheep, red kites, the odd hare and the occasional deer. Sleep under the stars and wake up to nature in this stunning dark sky area. A stay at Hush Hush is perfect for re- A reinvigorating family glamping break energising and reinvigorating you, but it may also inspire you to create your own little bit of paradise. If you are thinking about starting up your own glamping business, or are in the process of setting up your site, the family behind Hush Hush are happy to help. They understand the excitement, the nerves and the 101 questions you may have, and they have decided there’s no need to go it alone. That’s why they have created a Glamping Business Startup Guide just for you! For the same price as an average two-night glamping stay, Hush Hush is offering a glamping guide that is packed full of information and advice. If you’re on the fence about starting a glamping business, this guide is designed to save you a lot of time, effort and money by providing you with the answers you need. The guide can help you determine whether glamping is right for you, whether your glamping business will be feasible and how to go about starting your new venture. It also Business covers marketing and PR, social media Startup and website design, helping you to Guide just target the right audience and encourage for you! bookings to ensure for maximum return on investment (ROI). With each purchase, the same you also get a free business plan with price as an ROI calculation, which will show you average how long it will take to see a ROI. two-night For more about Hugh Hush glamping Glamping, including the Glamping stay, Hush Business Startup Guide, visit
Set in a stunning dark sky area Hush is www.hushhushglamping.co.uk.
Newnes Touring Caravan Park A peaceful haven in Shropshire
Newnes Touring Caravan Park is the ideal spot for a relaxing holiday. Just sit back and enjoy the beautiful views of the countryside or take advantage of the network of footpaths that take you into the heart of the market town of Ellesmere. The park is surrounded by circular walks and woodlands and, with its nine glacial meres, is a nature lover’s paradise. You can explore the area by walking, cycling, driving or by catching a bus, and if you’re an angler you can enjoy fishing at the Newnes at no further cost.
Set in north Shropshire, half a mile (10 minutes’ walk) from Ellesmere, the park is exclusively for adults in search of peace away from the hustle and bustle of family parks. Both caravan and tents are welcome , and there are 60 hook-up points offering individual mains electric and mains water points.
Each pitch looks out over the sixacre site, which is lawned and level, giving superb views over the beautiful surrounding countryside and the Welsh hills. Visit www.thenewnes.co.uk.
TRIPS AND TOURS GALORE
Tanat Valley Coaches is a family-run travel firm that has proudly been operating in Powys and Shropshire since 1920. As well as daily local services, the company offers a wide range of coach holidays and day trips.
Tanat has options for all ages and levels of activity: leisurely day trips to the Llyn Peninsula, a day of shopping at the Birmingham Bullring, or the Victorian elegance of Llandudno. Concerts, festivals, shows, conferences or an ale-trail – there is a packed calendar of events, and you are also invited to get in touch with your own ideas. Tanat also offers a wide range of family-friendly days out during the school holidays: trips to the zoo, the beach and the Royal Welsh Show.
For details of local service, day trips and more, visit www. tanat.co.uk.
COASTAL WONDER
Lyndale Holiday Park is one of the Lyons Group’s newest additions, located a couple of miles north of the bustling town of Towyn, Conwy. The unique, rural development offers seclusion, peace and serenity as part of the Lyons lifestyle promise.
The exclusive owners-only park boasts views of the north Wales coast against a backdrop of green countryside. Set in the heart of nature, Lyndale is popular among cyclists, ramblers and hikers, as well as those just looking for a slice of seclusion near a tourist hotspot.
Direct access from the site to the beach allows guests a fuss-free way to enjoy the seaside. With the mountains on one side and the sea on the other, there’s plenty of coastal and
rural activities for owners to “There’s direct access explore. Enjoy the views from your luxury holiday home balcony, or explore the nearby resorts of from the site Towyn, Rhyl, Prestatyn and to the beach” Llandudno – all of which are within 15 miles of the holiday park. Got a four-legged friend you can’t leave behind? Bring them along – the site are is dog friendly too! www.lyonsholidayparks.co.uk
Escape to north Wales
HOT SPOTS
SNOWDON
If you want to stretch your legs and push yourself while you’re away on holiday in the area, why not have a go at climbing Snowdon? The highest mountain in Wales at an elevation of 1,085 metres above sea level, it’s located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd. It is the third most visited attraction in Wales, visited by over 600,000 walkers annually.
It is designated as a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna. The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by volcanoes in the Ordovician period, which ended 443.8 million years ago, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by glaciation, forming the pyramidal peak of Snowdon and the arêtes of Crib Goch and Y Lliwedd. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including Clogwyn Du’r Arddu, are significant for rock climbing, and the mountain was used by Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of Mount Everest.
The summit can be reached by a number of paths, suitable for different ages and abilities. If you would rather make a more leisurely trip of it, the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a rack railway that opened in 1896, carries passengers the five miles from Llanberis to the summit station.
Peaceful park and stunning scenery
Llawrbetws Caravan Park is an excellent base for exploring north and mid Wales – you can reach all the most notable destinations within 30 minutes. You will find the site on a country lane, amid spectacular scenery, just off the A5 and A494 and close to the world-renowned Rhug Estate farm shop, home of the UK’s first organic drive-through!
If you’re looking to get away from it all on a perfect escape to the heart of rural Wales, then check out Llawrbetws’s beautiful setting and great facilities. Set in the grounds of 14 acres of idyllic countryside with panoramic views of the rugged Berwyn Mountains, this is a quiet, peaceful family-run park in the heart of rural north Wales. It’s perfect for those looking for an authentic country holiday with scenery, wildlife and a rural lifestyle. Llawrbetws Caravan Park is situated between some of the
setting and great facilities. Set in the grounds of 14 acres of idyllic countryside with panoramic views of most notable scenery in the world: caravans look out on the rugged Berwyn Mountains, this the Snowdonia National Park, the Clwydian Range and is a quiet, peaceful family-run park the Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. in the heart of rural north Wales. Owned and run by Geraint and Jane Evans, who have run It’s perfect for those looking for caravan parks for over 30 years, Llawrbetws has upgraded an authentic country holiday with facilities including piped gas and WiFi across the site. scenery, wildlife and a rural lifestyle. After the holiday chaos of the past couple of years, now is Great views the perfect time to plan ahead. Book now for next year and start planning your perfect escape. www.llawrbetws.co.uk
A wonderful rural idyll
ONE TO WATCH
A truly wonderful “watching point”
Trwyn yr Wylfa Camping Site in north Wales is surrounded by glorious sea views and mountains. Relax and watch the sailing boats on the sea or gaze at the fabulous Welsh mountains where sheep and carneddau ponies roam. The views are so lovely that they have even provided the site’s name – Trwyn yr Wylfa means “watching point”.
Since the site came under new management in 2017 it has been featured in iWeekend, was one of the Guardian’s top 20 coastal sites and was nominated for campsite of the year in The Great Outdoors magazine. In 2019 it won the Campsites Popular Choice award for Wales.
Trwyn yr Wylfa accepts caravans, motor homes, tents, campervans and trailer tents. There are hot showers and separate ladies’ and gents’ toilets as well as family and accessible shower rooms, plus a large playing field for ball games.
“Watch Just two miles from the famous walled town the sailing of Conwy, it is a great location for exploring Snowdonia and north Wales. Located between boats or the beautiful village of Dwygyfylchi and the gaze at the mountains” quarry village of Penmaenmawr, it has pubs, shops, restaurants and takeaways all within walking distance. There are cycle routes around the site and it’s also a paradise for walkers as you can walk direct from the site on to the Wales coastal path. www.facebook.com/tywcampingsite
Luxury pods in south Cheshire GLAMP IT UP
If you fancy glamping in a perfect little pod in the middle of the countryside, then Bradley Hall is for you. The 106-acre farm in south Cheshire has four luxury glamping pods with unspoilt views of the surrounding countryside. It is an adultsonly site, open all year round, that aims to provide a comfortable, enjoyable stay that leaves you feeling relaxed and refreshed.
The pods – Meadowsweet, Cowslip, Honeysuckle and Harebell – are all furnished to a high standard, fully heated and with an ensuite shower room. Each houses a double bed, with bedding and towels, and a kitchenette with excellent facilities. Outside is a private patio area for dining and a barbecue.
Every guest is greeted with a welcome pack consisting of bread from Huxley’s bakery in Malpas, Cheshire butter, Nespresso coffee pods and more. Toiletries are available on request.
Meadowsweet pod is just 40 metres away, making it suitable for guests with limited mobility, and has a larger bathroom with grab rails, shower seat and a call system. Up to two well-behaved dogs are permitted to stay in Harebell (conditions apply). Visit www.bradley hallruralescapes.co.uk.
BEAUTY AT BOWLIO
If you’re looking for a site that makes the most of the nature, culture and countryside all around, Bryn Bowlio Caravan Park does just that. It is a three-star, quiet country caravan park set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Clwydian Range, next to Loggerheads Country Park with the famous Offa’s Dyke, hill forts and Arthur’s Stone all within easy reach.
There are 10 spaces for touring caravans, with toilets, showers and laundry facilities. There is also camping and two comfortable, well-appointed holiday cottages for hire. The site has free WiFi throughout.
Activities available nearby include birdwatching, cycling, mountain biking and canoeing, as well as the area’s many country pubs. Staying at Bryn Bowlio gives holidaymakers the perfect getaway in a hidden gem of a site. www.brynbowlio caravanpark.co.uk
Inspiring people to achieve great things
One Shropshire woman has refused to let physical difficulties stand in her way and shows just how much anyone can accomplish with some determination
Since sustaining an irreparable leg injury in 2002, Kelda Wood from Shropshire has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, became the fi rst adaptive woman to row solo across the Atlantic, and was the fi rst adaptive woman to reach the summit of Aconcagua – the highest mountain in South America. The challenge she set herself in 2021 was to complete three triathlons. “I have always wanted to compete in triathlons, but I can’t run, I can’t swim very well and I can’t use a standard bike,” she says. “Several triathlon organisers gave me the go-ahead to take part non-competitively so I learned how to swim in a new way and Bicycles by Design in Ironbridge has created a bespoke bike for me – I’m very grateful for their support.” Kelda completed her amazing challenge in September – and you can read about it on her new platform Creating Momentum, a place for sharing stories and information that will
help motivate people to overcome physical and mental challenges. Kelda received an MBE in 2021 for her work with her charity, Climbing Out, which helps people who have been through mental or physical trauma to rebuild confi dence and motivation. On the day she heard about the honour, she was diagnosed “As I always with breast cancer and had to pause her training to have a mastectomy. Kelda Wood MBE say, it’s not about saying ‘I can’t’, it’s “Setbacks like that are part of life. It is all about fi guring out how to move forward,” she says. “It just made me even more determined to succeed. As I always say, it’s not about about saying saying ‘I can’t’, it’s about saying ‘how can I?’ ‘how can I?’” Ultimately, Kelda says, “I hope to create some momentum which will inspire and motivate others to take on their own challenges head-on.” Follow Kelda’s journey and stories from other inspirational people at www.facebook.com/Momentum4Life and on Twitter @Momentum_4_Life
Riverside ramble
Clive Williams guides us to the start of the River Severn for a walking adventure through mountains and forests
At 220 miles from source to estuary, the Severn is Britain’s longest river and walking its full length would be a serious undertaking. However, there are a number of great hikes for all abilities around the source of Severn, in the Cambrian Mountains near Llanidloes in mid Wales.
A six-mile drive up a narrow lane from Llanidloes brings you to the Rhyd-y-Benwch car park (free). This has a picnic site, toilets and a helpful information board with colour-coded walking trails that coincide with the colour-coded way markers – simple but brilliant. You can download details of the walks from naturalresources.wales.
The walks range from the Cascades (half a mile, all abilities, on a boardwalk along the river, wheelchair accessible) to the Source of the River Severn Trail (eight miles on mixed surfaces, graded strenuous). The fi nal mile of this walk is on the barren slopes of Plynlimon, and it’s hugely rewarding to reach the post marking the source of the longest river in Britain – and there’s a picnic area too.
ENJOY BLISTERFREE WALKING
Have you ever experienced painful foot blisters after an adventurous country walk? If so you’ll probably be eager to explore ways to avoid this. So what can you do to reduce the risk of blisters?
Since blisters are usually caused by friction between shoe and skin, the fi rst things to focus on are well-fi tting, good-quality walking boots or shoes; moisture-wicking socks; double-layered socks; and shock-absorbing insoles.
Another option to consider is wearing 1000Miles-branded anti-blister socks. These will help prevent overheating and friction, and are designed to cushion and support your feet, using performance technology such as a double-layer construction, with Coolmax fabric or Lycra, and comfort pads. For further advice on your footwear, contact Cherry Tree Country Clothing in Ruthin. www.cherrytree countryclothing.com
