Firecrest Valley

It’s easy to miss the turning for Firecrest Valley. Down a narrow, single-track lane, where moss grows down the centre and bushes hug the sides, you can tell you’re entering a quiet location. “Gem of a little site”, the guest reviews read. “Hidden and peaceful”, others say. And, for 2021, Firecrest is set to be more secluded still, as the owners restrict the campsite for one year only to just their eight pre-pitched bell tents, perfect for campers on the hunt for a little more comfort.

On the site of a former golf course, you can be sure of a flat and spacious place to pitch at Firecrest, with grass any greenkeeper would be proud of. Since they moved here a few years ago, however, the family owners have also been busy encouraging greater biodiversity, planting hedgerows, saplings and shrubs to encourage the bees, and laying out a campsite that’s as accommodating to swallows and blue tits as it is to campers.

There are eight bell tents on offer in total, each furnished with futon-style beds, a scattering of rugs and cushions and with that all-important campfire-pit outside. A communal kitchen area houses washing-up sinks, a fridge and gas hobs for cooking, while gas-powered showers are piping hot and mean that, even though the campsite is eco friendly, you don’t have to forego the essential comforts.

To help with numbers during the COVID pandemic, there’s no ‘pitch-your-own’ camping this year but, even in ‘normal’ times, there’s bucket loads of space to hoon around and play games of frisbee or football. With numbers reduced, it's quieter still and every bell tent really has its own private slice of the space. A separate meadow next door, meanwhile, is assigned for dog walking, with dogs permitted in four of the pre-pitched tents.

Quiet and hidden isn’t the same as sleepy and remote. It takes all of about five minutes to walk to the nearest pub and there’s another couple of good pub options a half-hour walk away in Felindre, best reached by taking the slightly longer, scenic route through the woods. By car it’s half an hour to Cardigan, Aberporth and the coast and the same to some of the best walks in the Preseli Hills. It’s all there and waiting. The hard part is finding the motivation to douse the campfire and leave the space and comfort of the campsite.

Arrival days at Firecrest Valley are Friday and Monday.