Pen-y-Bont
Carrog
Corwen
Denbighshire
LL21 9BD
01490 430347
Website - http://www.stationcampsite.com/index.html
Email - enquiries@stationcampsite.com
Open all year
Current fees (2014)
Caravans, motorhomes & trailer tents - £12.00 per unit per night 2-person tent - £10.00 (£12.00 bank holidays) 4-person tent - £12.00 Larger tents - £16.00 Awnings, gazebos & annexes - £2.00 Large free-standing awnings - £12.00 Electric hook-up - £3.00 Dogs - 1st dog free, extra dogs £1.00 each Extra cars - £1.00 each Winter storage - £1.00 per day
This quiet rural site with lovely views is part of a working sheep farm and is set close to the River Dee just off the A5 seven miles west of Llangollen. When I first camped there in 2002 it was little more than a small well-mown field with just half a dozen hook-up points for caravans and an 'overspill' field across the lane for when it got busy; tent campers could pitch where they wanted and if you didn't get there early enough you'd find that all the best spots were taken. There was no need to book, you just turned up, picked your spot and pitched your tent and the owner would eventually come round and collect your money.
Now though it's totally different - over the last few years there have been gradual changes and there's a proper booking system in place with the site being open all year round. The main part of the site now has a small office/reception where you can get milk and canned drinks and there are 20 hard standing pitches and well over 20 hook-ups. A gravel road runs all the way round which makes access to the perimeter pitches really easy and there's a large grassy area in the centre for campers not wanting a hook-up. Beyond the main area is a smaller field with eight hook-up points on two posts, and tent campers can also pitch in the large field across the lane, which has Portacabin toilets and is often used for events and rallies.The toilets and disabled facilites on the main part of the site are basic but very clean and are located in the barn, and new from Easter 2014 are four wet room-type showers which are free. Also in the barn is a washing up sink with hot water, and just outside is another washing up sink and the fresh water tap.
This site is ideally placed for anyone with a liking for steam locomotives as it's right at the end of the Llangollen Steam Railway line - the station is directly across the lane from the site, with trains running several times a day, and the engines turn round right at the back of the main camping field. On the station platform there's a nice little cafe, and a couple of old railway carriages serve as book/gift shops selling all sorts of stuff which is railway-related. Several times a year, usually during school holidays, there are Thomas the Tank Engine events which both small and not-so-small kids will really enjoy.
Down the lane from the site entrance is the River Dee and across the nearby stone bridge you'll find The Grouse Inn, a nice little pub which does good meals. The inside eating area isn't very big and gets packed at weekends, such is the popularity of the place, but there's a large outdoor dining terrace built up above the lane and with great views over the nearby hills. A couple of miles west of the site the A5 runs through Corwen, a nice little village with shops, pubs and take-aways, and about a mile beyond the village, set back off the road, is the Rhug organic farm shop, with a deli, burger bar, restaurant and childrens play area. A large steam and vintage show is held in the fields there on the middle weekend in September and is well worth a visit. A drive further along the A5 will take you in the direction of Bala, with its lovely lake, and Betws-y-Coed with its shops, cafes, and well-known Swallow Falls.
Llangollen to the east of the camp site has a good selection of shops, cafes and pubs, and just beyond the town centre is the canal where you can have a ride on a horse-drawn narrowboat. The ruins of Castell Dinas Bran (Crow Castle) stand on top of a hill above the town - it's a steep walk up the hill to get there but on a clear day the views from the top are worth the climb. About three miles east of the town is the Pontcysyllte aquaduct which takes the canal over the Dee valley - well worth walking across as the views are great, but not for the faint-hearted as it's 126ft high.
With fantastic views, the dawn chorus coming from the trees, and the sound of sheep bleating in the nearby fields, Station Camp Site is a lovely little place in a lovely location, so whether you want to spend a few days exploring the area or a weekend relaxing this is definitely a great place to do it.
Footnote - As I have no photos of my own for this site (it was raining when I was last there) I've borrowed these from the camp site website until such time as I can go back there and take some of my own. So thanks and credit must go to David and Judith Blair, owners of Station Camp Site.
