Lower Porthamel Camping

Just down the road from the book lover's paradise of Hay-on-Wye lies Lower Porthamel Organic Farm, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Arriving at the site you have a choice as to the nature of your trip, both excellent but crucially different. If you have kids you might camp in the enclosed, well manicured orchard in the shadow of the farmhouse and you'll enjoy a beautiful, enclosed space with free wi-fi and lovely neighbours. If you fancy something a little wilder venture into the large group field, find your own corner and kick back. Its big open spaces mean even at peak times you'll have no problem finding your own patch, with a pretty little pond completing the picture, and gloriously little light pollution once the sun drops.

During the day Lower Porthamel is a real working farm with eggs available from the farmhouse, as well as some very handsome sheep you might get into a staring contest with (they'll win). On site a nature trail winds through the fields alongside an abandoned railway line and the river Llynfi, a two minute walk away and lovely for a paddle. Off site you might head to Brecon or the small market town of Talgarth, about a twenty minute walk. The big addition since our visit is the on-site Sobremesa tap room, pouring farmhouse beers and ciders made from the very apples and pears you're camping among, with toasties to match; it has quickly become the thing people rave about, so you may not need to leave the field for a drink at all. That said, if you fancy a wander The Old Barn inn is a two mile stroll away.

Firewood is available from the farmhouse in hulking bags you'll surprise yourself by burning through in a night. Put on some tunes, watch other campfires dot the field as shrieks waft through the night, and relish the experience Lower Porthamel have created. One small tip from recent campers: pack your own toilet roll, as the loos can run out.