Powys

Powys

Powys is sweeping green fields, miniature farms and rural tranquility. Red kites, the product of a hugely successful reintroduction campaign, coast nonchalantly over the undulating hills of the biggest county in Wales, and they aren’t the only ones flocking to Powys in great numbers.

This is one of the jewels of the country, with atmospheric caves, the majesty of the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, and the remnants of Offa’s Dyke, which now divides England from Wales, all available at your fingertips. Camping in Powys means exploring some of the UK’s most famous natural wonders. For all its hush, it can be a heady place.

It’s not just about the moors and ancient peaks, though. Life in Powys is slow-moving with high notes throughout the year, like the Hay-on-Wye literary festival, which draws a huge crowd of literati annually and enthrals bookworms of all ages. Even the county’s heritage railways, with their steam engines burnished to a high shine, cruise the countryside at a gentle clip, and the many waterfalls of Waterfall Country send streams of spray into the breeze. Get ready to slow down, open up, and dive into places you never thought you’d see.

Reasons to visit Powys

Whether you want to explore above ground or under it, Powys has lots to offer - and our campsites here provide the perfect base from which to discover the region's wonders.

Mountains of fun

The Brecon Beacons are on many must-visit lists, and it’s easy to see why. The Brecon Beacons National Park has several peaks to explore, and the walk to its highest peak, Pen Y Fan, can be accomplished in multiple ways, through gentle flat hills or steep ancient roads. Families can amble around the bases of the Beacons taking in the region’s wide open spaces, while committed climbers can set their sights for the top, where clear days mean a view into England.

The woods and forests of the Black Mountains at the edge of the Beacons have inspired writers like Bruce Chatwin for generations, and kids will love playing at being King Arthur in their dense greenery. If the hills aren’t enough on their own, the Black Mountains also has an Activity Centre that teaches everything from archery and rock-climbing to survival skills and mountain biking, for burning off all the energy you reap from the clear Powys air.

Cave explorations

The history of Powys can often be found underground. This is cave country, and whether you’re a dedicated cave-lover or just fancy an adventure, there are plenty of options for you. The Dan yr Ogof National Showcaves of Wales will cater for every taste, particularly because within the same complex there are three different cave systems and ten total attractions.

The caves themselves — the vast passages of Dan-yr-Ogof, the enormous ceilings and waterfalls of Cathedral Cave, and the spooky human skeletons of Bone Cave — give a sense of epic splendour, while dinosaur fans will love the complex’s 200 life-size models of dinosaurs found in the UK; meanwhile kids who prefer real life animals can cosy up to Shire horses at the centre’s petting area. If you want to experience the world inside a real slate mine, Corris Mine Explorers guides adults and kids over 8 into an abandoned mine while telling the story of its Victorian past.

Royal visits

Powys is castle country, and its highlight is Powis Castle. The interiors are filled to the rafters with precious objects — visiting children are often given “hunts” to find certain things in the vast array on display — and the gardens contain tame peacocks, rolling grass and great picnicking spots. Prefer the king of the birds? Those red kites that grace the skies can be seen at Gigrin Farm Kite Feeding Centre, where they come daily for scraps of meat and soar above an amazed audience.

If the royalty of the literary world is more your style, the annual Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival takes over the Wye Valley and attracts big names from the book world for talks, performances and readings — and little book-lovers have their own parallel festival, HAYDAYS, with workshops and famous children’s authors as key parts of its calendar.

Why choose Experience Freedom?

This section of Wales offers a relaxed place of life, but it has its own secrets — and camping and glamping in Powys is an amazing way to seek them out. Whether you’re here for the culture, the sweeping vistas or the model car museum, Experience Freedom has campsites to suit your needs. To see what we have to offer, click on a particular site, or if you know where you’d like to go, use the Search and Book function to see the booking dates for your chosen campsite.