Portal North. ISSUE 2 - Magazine - Page 8
Set in a woodland valley, this Welsh farm estate offers
‘nearly wild’ camping with just the right balance of
quiet and comfort.
If you typically only use your tent for Glastonbury, you
can also opt for one of the wild lodgings in the wood,
such as a woodcutter’s cabin or a gypsy caravan.
We tried the latter, which comes with an external
kitchen and gas-昀椀red stove complete with whistling
kettle and battery-powered light. Inside, the coal
burner keeps you toasty while tawny owls lull you
to sleep.
IT’S ABOUT A SOFTER, MORE
INTENTIONAL KIND OF ESCAPE
– SOMEWHERE THAT FEELS
BOTH WILD AND HELD
Near-untouched hillsides provide a beautiful backdrop
to the land which owner Adrian Wright has been
developing for almost two decades. A frequent visitor
to this corner of Snowdonia as a child, he understands
what makes it special. Not just nature, but the feeling
of sanctuary and tranquility that come with it.
Near the centre of this 75-acre joy is the hospitality
offering, run by daughter Alexandra. A wood-昀椀red
pizza oven serves up Neapolitan bases topped with
locally sourced (or found) ingredients, like samphire
and nettle.
There are Welsh craft pies if you prefer and hearty
breakfasts courtesy of a nearby butcher. The handbuilt pub pours beers from the local area and offers a
cocktail list that makes the most of wild produce.
Foraging and bushcraft are also on the menu, while
forthcoming additions to the site include a wood昀椀red barrel sauna, cold plunge, hot tub and holistic
treatments.
Cefn Coed
A few minutes in the opposite direction, sister Sophie’s
smallholding means visitors can spend time with
achingly sweet heritage goats, get acquainted with
inquisitive llamas and meet at least one sheep that
acts like a dog.
As well as helping visitors reconnect with nature, the
animals play a key role in the conservation-led estate
management as they graze the land.
Others might prefer to head for the banks of the river,
where another prime plot for canvas is available when
the tidal Mawddach Estuary allows.
A starting point for hiking trails through the hills or
along an abandoned shoreside train line, if you plot the
right route, you can 昀椀nish your walk with home-cooked
food at the historic George III pub.
“At its core, Cefn Coed is about offering a softer, more
intentional kind of escape – somewhere that feels both
wild and held,” Alexandra tells us. “What we’re building
here is less a traditional campsite, and more a place
to slow down and reconnect – something that sits
between wild landscape and considered experience.”
8 PORTAL NORTH ISSUE 2
