Luxury Camping in roomy three-bedroom pre-erected tents
You’re not, strictly speaking, ‘camping’ at a Feather Down Farm. You’re staying in ‘tented accommodation’. It’s a small distinction, but it acts as a good indication of what you can expect at this mini-chain of boutique campsites. This is Luxury Camping in roomy three-bedroom pre-erected tents, perfect for the ‘not sure about this camping lark’ section of the community, who might baulk at the idea of trying to put up a tent in the rain. Or for families looking for a good-value alternative to renting a holiday home. Or, indeed, for just about anyone, really – these tented palaces are cool, comfortable and fun.
Feather Down Farms recruit farmers with excess, redundant land, then they transport and erect their high-spec, custom-designed tents at the farm, organise the marketing and reservations, and let the farmers take care of the day-to-day management. The Feather Down team and the farmers share the proceeds appropriately; and everyone’s happy.
If you feel like a caged animal from Monday to Friday, then a visit to Pant y March is for you. The owners don’t believe anything or anyone should be penned in and their sheep, pigs, calves and donkeys all roam free, though if you bring your horse they’ll happily stable it. The site is set high on the mountainside, with spectacular views over Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala) – Wales’s largest natural lake – Yr Aran, Arenig Fawr and other peaks in Snowdonia.
Once here, you’ll want to try the array of watersports, from canoeing and kayaking to white water rafting and windsurfing. You could also stride across the hills, or along any one of the miles of footpaths leading away from the site. At the very least there’s the stunning 45-minute walk to Llanuwchllyn for a delicious Sunday lunch at the Eagles Inn. For more sedate charms, try the Bala Lake Railway at the bottom of the hill to view the lakeside, or drive the 30 minutes to the coast. On the famous Farm Tour, Llinos (the owner) tells of local giants, witches, fairies and kings like Tegid Foel (the Bald). Truly, this is the place for magic, mystery and a wilder side of Feather Down. Croeso cynnes Cymreig – a warm Welsh welcome!