Adrift at the Dome – Glamping at Llanthony Castaway, the Gateway to the Breacon Beacons

Our reasons for hovering on the doorstep of a traditional Welsh inn on a wet Saturday morning are far less ominous than they might appear. I’d made the 200-mile journey from East Lancashire the day before with my seven year-old son, a car crammed full of books, games and chocolate. We were spending the weekend castaway in Llanthony, at a unique off-grid glamping site at the gateway to the Brecon Beacons.

We were prepared for everything; the absence of phone and internet connection, the peace and quiet, the terrain, and especially the rain. But we all need a break from the rain every so often, and so that’s how we found ourselves, walk abandoned and hovering on the doorstep of the Half Moon Inn pleading refuge before opening time.

Our home for the weekend was Llanthony Castaway, a compact site with three different accommodations tucked away on a working sheep farm. It promised a complete detox from the hamster wheel of life…no phone connection, no TV or radio. It sounded like heaven.

We’d chosen to spend our downtime ‘Adrift at the Dome’, a 4.5m high fully insulated geodome, looking out onto the Welsh hills from a small field at the edge of the farm.

The Dome was more spacious than the beautiful refurbished carriages that were the other abodes – so we opted for more space to spread out our board games and stash our snacks. It’s cosy without being compact, but not so big that you lose the sense of pared down simplicity that you get when camping. We knew we were going back to nature, but we certainly didn’t go back to basics.

Every aspect of the design and décor has been factored in for your complete relaxation, designed with exquisite attention to detail to help you slow down and breathe in your surroundings. From the telescope and stargazing books, the borrow box of luxury toiletries and the fully stocked wood-burner ready to get toasty in front of – everything has been taken care of in this miniature home from home.

For me, one of the pulls of camping life (we’re full-time caravanners, and occasional glampers) is that the processes needed to do the simple things force you to slow right down. Something as basic as waiting for a kettle on a gas hob to boil, the whistle signalling the readiness of your brew, brings me a sense of calm you don’t get with electric.

The Dome was practical yet beautifully high-end, a fully equipped kitchenette (running on gas), solar panel lighting, and the wood-burner providing your heat (though there is a small heater too for winter nights if needed).

We arrived in winter sunshine, affording us beautiful views onto the hills that signal the start of the Black Mountains. Tom immediately got settled onto the sofa with his books whilst I set about lighting the fire…something I’d never done in my 42 years and had been a little nervous about!

And then, we sat. The sun dipped behind the hill as we made our tea, the afternoon rolled into evening, and we did what we never get chance to do. We sat, we chatted, we played. I prodded, poked and added more kindling to the wood-burner without the back up of YouTube to show me how to perfect the act. We did some drawing, got our comfies on. The Dairy Milk was opened.

I don’t know about you, but a combination of full-time work and parenting a primary school age child means that the majority of the conversations I have with my son are instruction based and repetitive, until eventually someone loses their patience and occasionally, the will to live.

He was probably starting to think that my iPhone was permanently glued to my face, and I’d found myself becoming increasingly tense and ill-tempered, and hating how the frenetic pace we operate at was making me behave in this way.

We needed a break, and one where I wasn’t distracted every five minutes by the incessant clatter of never-ending WhatsApp groups.

The owner and creative force behind Llanthony Castaway, Bryony, has a simple ethos, “helping busy, tired and stressed people achieve time for themselves, each other and reconnect with nature by providing a comfortable, peaceful space where they can unwind, explore and rediscover what matters most.”

Being a parent is tiring, feeling like you’re never doing enough of the right thing is tiring, and it’s the kind of tiring that sleep rarely combats. But when there’s just the two of you, a pack of cards and a fire that you’ve made it your weekend’s mission to keep lit…you are forced to unwind and be present with each other.

After an early night wrapped in blankets in the king-size bed, I woke up feeling more rested than I had in some time. The weather was not on our side today, but after a lazy start we headed out to explore the local area.

Tucked away between Abergavenny and the Hay on Wye, the tiny village of Llanthony is home to around 30 people. Impressive for a village of this size though is two pubs, a 12^th Century Priory, and access to some of the finest walking in this part of Wales. Nestled at the edge of the Brecon Beacon’s National Park – depending on your hiking preferences you can reach the Beacon’s Way and Offa’s Dyke Path, both without having to get your car out.

We opted for a short walk directly from the Dome, walking through the farm directly into the grounds of the Priory. Even on a gloomy day you got a sense of the grandeur it once had. From there, paths open up either to head into the hills, on a circular lower-level walk, or down to the other side of the valley. A quick sense check as to how my child was feeling about being cold and damp, led us straight to the doors of the Half Moon Inn seeking shelter.

There’s no greater feeling than sitting by an open fire in wet walking boots, a beer and a bag of crisps in hand. They weren’t officially open when we arrived, but Shaun and his colleague opened the doors to us regardless, chatted rock music with an enthusiastic Tom and helped us spend a pleasant hour warming up with a set of dominoes. It was quite meditative watching him tinker with his bike – yes there was actually a full sized motorbike in the pub on arrival, I hadn’t misheard!

Click here to read what people had to say about glamping at Llanthony Castaway, and making the most of your time in the Brecon Beacons.

We spent the rest of the day camped out back at the Dome. The benefit of an en-suite bathroom, a giant log basket and a fully stocked tea caddy meant we didn’t need to move. As evening fell, it sadly became clear that we wouldn’t be benefitting from the dark skies reserve on this trip – not a star in the sky thanks to the stormy evening.

It may be against the ethos of off-grid, but we finished our day cuddled up in bed watching downloaded episodes of Gladiators. Would I have watched TV had I been there with my partner? No, I wouldn’t. But one thing I have realised is that when you stop doing what you think you should be doing, and start doing what you actually want to do, you usually feel a lot better.

It’s a memory that will linger for some time…the fire crackling, the big curtains drawn, and us wrapped up cosy whilst the rain whipped the outside of the Dome’s panelling… all to the peaceful tune of the Gladiators theme music!

The popularity of glamping has grown exponentially in recent years… and a weekend like this will surely mean different things to everyone. A space to recharge, to reconnect, to relax. A base for your adventure. A space to look at the stars with your partner, read a book on your own, watch a programme with your son without having to empty the washer halfway through.

If any of these things sound like you, then grab your loved one, your fluffy socks and your travel Scrabble, and prepare for a weekend off grid. It sounds like you’re ready to be Castaway.

I was reminded of my reason for going on the drive home, when I asked Tom what the best thing had been for him.

His answer?

“You.”

A stay at Llanthony won’t make you a better parent. But it should help you remember what’s important.

Plan your castaway journey at www.llanthonycastaway.co.uk.

By Amy Blackburn

Image credits, Amy Blackburn