On Friday I showed a photograph of our tent set up at Arymwny; here is the view I enjoyed from the site when I got out of the tent after the grey rain of the day before and the buffeting winds that rocked our tabernacle through the night:

That kind of view, with even a touch of the sea, is what makes the camping experience magical.

We had found the site via the UKCampSite website. It provided the ability to search on a map, narrowing down by options such as types of camping accomodated and allowing campfires, and also had numerous glowing reviews. Those reviews were invaluable, not least in meaning we were not phased by having to drive down a long, narrow, unsigned footpath to access the site. The site owner, Norman, was as laid back as suggested. We actually met him just before turning down that lane and didn’t have a chance to talk to him again until settling up our account the day before we left. It is a very trusting approach but I am sure it pays back in return visitors.

The site consists of various bays on either side of his house. They aren’t completely concealed from each other but are contained by broad beds of long grass, meadowside plants and small willow trees. Each bay also has its own tap plumbed in. A gravelled area near the house provides good toilets and also a reasonable shower (free hot water, which was better than many of the sites we looked at online). Inside his house, is a bath which campers are free to use (we stuck with the shower so didn’t see this) and also a fridge freezer, which was invaluable for rotating our cold packs through the week.

We picked a bay on the downward slope, with the benefit of a sea view and a relatively short walk to the facilities. If you look at my developing set of photos, you can see how it is juxtaposed to the main house; close but shielded. The area was not completely level but we were able to position the tent so that we were not in danger of constantly rolling into the side of the tent. I am not sure we have been to enough campsites to offer an expert opinion but Norman’s Armwny was definitely an excellent place to spend a few quiet days in September.