Coedfryn Farm

“It’s camping like it’s meant to be,” says Edward, the man behind Coedfryn Farm. “Or at least camping like I think it’s meant to be, anyway,” he adds. Luckily, we agree. It’s camping in a field, on a farm with simple facilities and campfires allowed. But there are a few big bonuses to this back-to-basics set up. There are the little things that proper campers will appreciate, such as a picnic bench at each pitch and complimentary firewood for your stay. And then there are the bigger things: the mountains, the sea, and the night-time stars that light up this location in the Pembrokeshire National Park.

A ten-minute drive from the nearest beach at Newport, between Fishguard and Cardigan, is where you’ll find Coedfryn Farm. The difference between here and some of the more commercial campsites on the coast is immediately apparent when you realise there’s just seven pitches in a nine-acre field. That’s more than spacious; it’s vast. Admittedly, pitches are not spread among this expansive grassland evenly but, instead, are sensibly spaced at the sheltered end, near the farm’s wooded edges. Tent campers make up the still-tiny majority here, with six out of seven pitches for canvas and just one allocated for campervans or touring caravans. All are off grid.

Each pitch has a stone-circled fire pit with a barbecue grill, a picnic bench and a little sheltered kitchen stand that's good for protecting your camping stove flame in wet or windy weather. There are a couple of showers, open-air washing up sinks, and flushing loos that are allocated one per pitch. Kids will love the farm animals in the surrounding paddocks and fields: alpacas and their little friends – a Shetland pony, pygmy goats and molly lambs.

The view is all green with Mynydd Carningli, a 1,000-foot mountain at the edge of the Preselis, as a constant backdrop. But where’s that sea we promised? Walk to the higher end of the field, and look west for that. There are a couple of extra picnic benches and fire pits here, making it a great spot to watch the sun set and to remember that the Pembrokeshire coast and its walking, wildlife, watersports and world-class beaches are just a few miles away.