Surrounded by walls of slate, this fabulous accommodation sits on a hillside overlooking the dramatic North Wales landscape. We stayed at Llechwedd Glamping at Plas Weunydd, spending a night in a safari tent overlooking Zip World in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
I thought my camping days were over. Actually, scrap that, my camping days are over. Camping as part of a holiday has never really appealed to me, but I did camp at festivals for many years. One too many muddy Glastonbury’s got the better of me, and I finally retired in 2011. Glamping though – that’s another matter, or so I thought. I was sucked back in to festival life and decided to give glamping a shot at Deer Shed Festival. A lovely Bell Tent, already set up for us, with blow up beds. Perfect. Turns out this didn’t really work out for me either, with the rain hammering down during my overnight trips to the porta-loo’s across a muddy field. So I was as surprised as anyone else to find myself considering glamping again, but the lure of Llechwedd Glamping at Plas Weunydd tempted me in.
Why would you put yourself through it again, I hear you ask? And you’d be right in doing so. Well, readers, this was a different kind of glamping. This was a night in a Safari Tent – practically a hotel room as far as I was concerned. Did I mention the en-suite? That was the deal breaker, and after seeing some fabulous promo shots of the Safari Tents and the surrounding location, I was intrigued and wanted to give it a go. Llechwedd is home to an old slate quarry which dates back to the mid 1800’s, located in Bleanau Ffestiniog, North Wales. Since the 1970’s, the site has operated as a tourist attraction with tours of the slate caverns, and more recently is home to one of the Zip World sites and a mountain bike park.
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THE SLATE LANDSCAPES SURROUNDING LLECHWEDD GLAMPING
Passing through Bleanau Ffestiniog as a child, my memories are predominantly of the walls of grey slate on the mountain side. Not helped by a memory of grey skies and rain too Nothing particularly appealing to a child on their way to Butlins in Pwllheli! Apparently not particularly appealing to the creators of the Snowdonia National Park either. The area, despite being located in the heart of the Eryri National Park, was omitted from it when created as it ‘did not satisfy the criteria of exceptional natural beauty’ the park desired. Quite harsh. The adult me has grown to love these landscapes, the large heaps of grey blue slate carpeting the mountainside, with a scattering of industrial buildings from the slate mining operations.
LLECHWEDD GLAMPING AT PLAS WEUNYDD
Arriving at Llechwedd, a glimpse of the Safari Tents can be seen on the hillside overlooking the site and surrounding area. Located adjacent to the Zip World Llechwedd site, check in is carried out at the Plas Weunydd hotel where our luggage was collected and driven up to the accommodation. A short walk up a relatively steep pathway from Plas Weunydd led to the safari tents, although a vehicle was available if there were accessibility issues.
There are six safari tents in total, spread out over the hillside, each with a private decked area and brick barbeque. The elevated location provides fantastic views over the old slate quarry, the surrounding mountains and offers perfect views of the Zip World ziplines. The dramatic and rugged scenery is quite spectacular from this vantage point.
A LOOK AROUND THE LLECHWEDD GLAMPING SAFARI TENTS
Stepping onto the outdoor deck, a set of patio doors led into a lovely open plan living area. My first thoughts of the decor were that it was reminiscent of a cosy Scandinavian log cabin, with a real hygge feel to it. Wooden clad walls, complemented by wooden furniture and a log burner in the corner, added a charming and cosy feel. The main living area featured a kitchenette to the right with sink, microwave oven and fridge. Cutlery and crockery were provided and there was plenty of storage space. Opposite the kitchenette was a dining table with benches.
THE SAFARI TENT SLEEPING AREA
A curtain separated the living area from the sleeping area beyond. The bedroom area slept up to four people, with a double bed to one side and a set of bunks to the other. A door to the rear led to a small en-suite shower room. The bed and bunks were comfortable, but the double bed filled the alcove space to the right, so getting out from the far side in the night would be challenging with two people sharing the bed. This, however, is not uncommon in glamping accommodation where maximising space is critical.
SETTLING IN FOR AN EVENING AT LLECHWEDD GLAMPING
The Safari Tents at Llechwedd Glamping are designed as a self catering accommodation, although there is a bar and restaurant at Plas Weunydd. Prepped for this, we came armed with a homemade chilli, snacks and some local beers ready for chilling. As evening set in, with a chill in the air, we fired up the log burner and settled in for the night. There’s nothing like the sound and smell of a crackling log fire to warm you, so that was the first job of the evening. Some wood was provided in the tent, but it’s worth making sure you have some more which can be booked in advance if required.
Fire roaring, chilli and rice microwaved and a couple of beers cracked open, we settled down for our evening, as the wind picked up outside and the rain started to fall. At this point, you remember that you aren’t in the log cabin, but definitely in a tent. The sound of rain on canvas, along with the flapping sounds in the wind very much reminded us that we were in a tent. But it was warm and dry, so we remained cosy and warm. For any potential visitors, I’d recommend bringing some board games or a pack of playing cards to while away the evening. I’m sure on a balmy summer evening which does occasionally happen in Wales, we’d spend most of the evening outside at the barbeque or sipping drinks on the outdoor deck. On a cold, rainy evening however, it wasn’t really an option.
A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP?
So, did I have a good night’s sleep at Llechwedd Glamping? A couple of things to factor in, especially as a light sleeper. Firstly, being in a tent, the canvas can be quite noisy, especially in wind and rain conditions. Secondly, depending on the time of year, the tents can get a little chilly in the small hours, so it’s definitely worth factoring this into your packing. The safari tent was equipped with an electric oil filled radiator but we chose not to leave it on all night, opting instead to use some hot water bottles which were also provided.
Morning arrived, and with the accommodation being on a ‘room only’ basis, we had stocked up on some pre-breakfast cereal bars. With breakfast available at the Plas Weunydd hotel as well as food options at the adjacent Zip World site, there were plenty of options. A rather gloomy but atmospheric morning, we had some time to hang out on the deck area watching the clouds roll across the mountains. We packed up, headed to the car and drove down to the main complex, grabbed a good breakfast before heading home.
THINGS TO DO AT LLECHWEDD GLAMPING
Llechwedd Glamping at Plas Weunydd shares its location with a number of attractions including Zip World Llechwedd and Antur Stiniog, attracting families and thrill seekers to the area. It’s also a fabulous location for hiking and walking, with a number of local routes offering staggering views of the surrounding landscapes.
ZIP WORLD LLECHWEDD
With six attractions on site, Zip World Llechwedd has a wide variety of thrills, many of which are suitable for all the family. The most historical attraction, Deep Mine Tour, begins with a 500ft journey on the steepest cable railway in Britain. The tour, which lasts about 1 hour and 15 minutes, takes you on a journey through several caverns and tunnels deep underground where you can learn about the mining that took place, as well as getting an understanding of what life was like for the miners in these dark and damp caverns. It was a fascinating insight and a really enjoyable experience.
As well as the Deep Mine Tour, there are a further five attractions to try out on site. Titan and Big Red are the site’s above ground zipline adventures, with Titan reaching speeds of over 50mph, offering stunning views as you fly over the quarry. The underground caverns are home to three further options including the family friendly Underground Golf, as well as Bounce Below – an underground adventure where you jump and slide your way through a series of underground nets (giant trampolines) all within a large cavern. Finally, Caverns provides the opportunity to traverse through an underground assault course featuring zip lines, tightropes, Via Ferrata and rope bridges.
ANTUR STINIOG
Antur Stiniog operate an awesome mountain bike park and offer 14 downhill MTB trails ranging from green grade to black grade, with mountain bike hire options as well as an uplift service. For a high adrenalin day on the trails, it’s a great place to visit with a fabulous cafe on site too.
WALKS NEAR LLECHWEDD GLAMPING AT PLAS WEUNYDD
There are a number of great walks that can be taken from Llechwedd Glamping at Plas Weunydd. The hills to the rear of the site, are home to a number of disused slate quarries and reservoirs, with the remains of some of the quarry buildings still present.
Slightly further afield, to the other side of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Tanygrisiau is less than ten minutes drive and great starting point for two popular hikes in the region. With a free car park at Cwmorthin on the hillside, there is a fabulous trail heading up to Llyn Cwmorthin which provides some fabulous vantage points of the old Cwmorthin Quarry. Taking a paved trail in the other direction leads up to the impressive Llyn Stwlan and Stwlan Dam. It’s a fairly tiring hike towards the end with steep switchbacks up the dam, also making it popular with cyclists, but the views from the top are worthwhile.
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR STAY
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS | There are three accommodation options on site – Plas Weunydd hotel, Llechwedd Glamping and the more recently added Barwlyd Shepherds Huts, located remotely on the hills above Llechwedd providing a unique experience in the area and accessed with a complimentary electric buggy.
GETTING THERE | Llechwedd Glamping is easily accessible by car, following the signs for Zip World Llechwedd. There is a railway station in Blaenau Ffestiniog which is approximately a thirty minute walk away.
BOOK TRAIN TICKETS ON THE TRAINLINE WEBSITE
ADDRESS | Plas Weunydd Hotel, Blaenau Ffestiniog, LL41 3NB
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