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Canal boat camping pod
From £165 (£165)
4 people maximum 
No dogs allowed This unique retreat is a fully modernised 80s canal boat named Emily, now repurposed and given new life. Nestled in the peaceful Aberedw valley near Builth Wells, she sits in a quiet corner of our Boatside campsite, surrounded by stunning hills. Inside, Emily offers a built-in double bed, two single sofa beds, a toilet, and a functional kitchen—blending charm and comfort in a truly unforgettable setting.
The space
As you approach Emily, you’ll head up the steps onto a spacious decking area—perfect for relaxing and taking in the beautiful surroundings. Stepping down into the boat, you’re welcomed by a bright and inviting open-plan space that includes a sitting area, kitchen.
Continuing through the boat, you’ll find a curtained toilet and a cozy, built-in double bed at the end, creating a snug and restful sleeping space. The sitting room also features two single sofa beds, ideal for accommodating an extra two guests if needed.
Emily has been fully refurbished and modernised to a high specification, blending comfort and practicality with plenty of quirky, characterful touches. From her unique layout to the thoughtful design details, she offers a memorable and one-of-a-kind stay in the heart of nature.
Nestled in a peaceful corner of our Boatside campsite, and surrounded by the rolling hills of the Aberedw valley near Builth Wells, Emily is the perfect retreat for those looking to unwind, reconnect, and enjoy a truly unique getaway.
Guest access
Guests have exclusive use of Emily, the adjoining decking area, and their own private corner of the field, offering a peaceful and secluded space to relax. You’re also welcome to explore the communal areas of the Boatside campsite, where shared facilities such as hot showers are available for your convenience.
Other things to note
Please note that Emily does not currently have a shower onboard, but there are clean and well-maintained communal showers on site just a short walk away. We do have plans to install a private outdoor shower in the near future.
Emily is situated on a working campsite, so while she enjoys a peaceful corner, the site may be busier during bank holiday weekends or when events are taking place at the nearby Royal Welsh Showground.
Dimensions
26.2ft width × 13.1ft length
3 rooms
Living room 2 x Single sofa/futon
Toilet 1 x Toilet
Open space 1 x Double bed
No showers in the unit: shared facilities available.
Features
Bed linen 1 included, 1 max. Car 3 included, 3 max. Doona and pillows 2 included, 2 max. Fridge 1 included, 1 max. Barbecue Breakfast included Car parking by site/unit Coffee maker Cooker Cooking equipment Dining table and chairs Electric heater(s) Ensuite WC Gas and electricity included Heating Kettle Kitchen corner or kitchenette Lanterns/fairy lights Microwave Outdoor furniture Patio Picnic table Power socket(s) Shower Smoking allowed Toaster Towels Other restrictions
No dogs allowed
Availability
| Your booking From £165 (£165) | |
Based on 1 night, 4 people | |
| 2 adults |
Choose your dates and party size to see pricing and availability.
Boatside Caravan and Camping
View prices & book
/-3.362329898374841,52.13121826578313,12,0,0/376x277@2x)
Reviews
97% would recommend this site to a friend
97% would stay here again
What customers say
Boatside: tranquil riverside spot, spacious, level pitches, lovely views. Owners are super friendly and helpful. Facilities are clean, honesty shop handy. Well-kept site, great for country exploring. A few wanted more showers.
Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews
Great site and would recommend!
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked Lovely site and location, Adam was very friendly and helpful in giving us some info on the local area. We visited Elan Valley which was less than 30 mins away and this site was a great base for exploring mid Wales.
Disliked Shower/toilet facilities were maybe in need of updating but they served their purpose!
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you for your kind feedback. We’re delighted you enjoyed the site, the location, and found it a great base for exploring Mid Wales. Elan Valley is always a favourite. We also appreciate your comments on the facilities and will keep them in mind as we continue making improvements. We’d love to welcome you back again.
Lovely peaceful location with nice views
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked Lovely location in-between hills and close to the river, with great views. There is a community owned pub 25 min walk away from the campsite which is lovely, providing breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The shower and toilets were nice and clean. The honesty shop has a good selection of items including the key things you might forget like, camping gas, tent pegs etc.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Lovely site stunnjng views great host
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked The site was very well kept and had stunning views and Adam was lovely he went above and.beyond the 2nd day to make up for no firepit being available on the first night. This was my first time camping with the dog a d she moved it.
Disliked Not the sites fault at all but kept awake by Inconsiderate guests in a nearby tent in neighbouring field on the first night playing loud music then having a massive barny at 3am in the morning but Adam did ensure they were kicked off very promptly the next morning. And we had a much better 2nd night. Would of liked to know where access to walking routes were also as didn't want to go down the road that runs along side of the field with a dog as quite a busy road also a little noise at.night from the road
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: We’re sorry your first night was disturbed by inconsiderate guests, but glad this was resolved quickly so the rest of your stay was more peaceful. Thank you also for your helpful feedback about clearer information on walking routes, we’ll look at ways to improve this for future guests. We’d love to welcome you back again soon.
Good site and I hope to return soon.
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked Lovely level site besides a quiet road and river wye. Fantastic to find a kettle, microwave and honesty fridge. Peaceful and family friendly site.
Disliked Glad to see more showers are being planned.
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you for your kind review. We’re delighted you enjoyed the peaceful riverside setting and the little extras like the honesty fridge and microwave. Yes, more showers are planned for next season, and we’d love to welcome you back soon.
Great camp site, highly recommend
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked Picturesque location, large pitches, looked after, friendly owner
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you for your kind words. We’re so glad you enjoyed the location, spacious pitches, and friendly welcome, we’d love to see you again!
Fantastic campsite, great amenities at the…
Powered grass caravan site
Liked Fantastic campsite, great amenities at the site if you want to wash up, make a hot drink or purchase any general food items. Toilets were really clean, cleaner than most restaurants I’ve seen! We had a lovely quiet spot, Adam the owner was super friendly and approachable, it was lovely that he came over to chat after we had pitched up, you can tell he’s really into making sure people are happy which is just lovely
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you for your fantastic review. We’re so pleased you enjoyed the quiet pitch, the clean facilities, and the little extras on site. It’s wonderful to hear you felt so welcomed, Adam always enjoys making sure guests are happy. We’d love to welcome you back again soon.
Great campsite, great location and excellent value for money.
Unpowered grass caravan site
Liked Great site, great location. Facilities were ideal, didn't have to wait to use any of them. The river is wonderful, plenty fishing. I took my old fly rod and gave it a go, no catches but very tranquil time. Very clean around the site. I stayed on the non electric grass area, lovely field.
Recommend to friends Visit again
Beautiful site with some fantastic viewed.…
Unpowered grass caravan site
Liked Beautiful site with some fantastic viewed. Adam and his partner (Tracy I think) were so welcoming and helpful. They checked in on us to make sure we were ok. Absolutely loved it
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thanks for you review. It was great to meet you too! We’re so pleased you enjoyed your stay and hope to welcome you back again soon.
Will be back 100%
Powered grass caravan site
Liked Lovely riverside site ,great welcome, chilled feel about the place
Had everything fire pits ,logs ,honesty shop ,river for swimming or canoeing .Apple and plum trees everywhere.Quiet considering it was a holiday weekend .
Easy drive to nearby towns and exploring the Brecon area .. absolutely will come back !!!
Disliked No dislikes 👍
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re delighted you enjoyed the riverside setting, the relaxed atmosphere, and all the little extras on site. It’s lovely to hear you had such a great time exploring the area and we’d be thrilled to welcome you back again soon.
Welcoming site with friendly owner (Adam was great)
Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site
Liked Nice and clean site. Adam was super welcoming messaging us before we arrived with some further info and pin drop to location. Toilets clean and plenty. Honesty fridge freezer and pantry was useful with some good items and kettle/microwave. Right by river which was great to swim in. Would recommend to stay and we can’t wait to go back.
Disliked Nothing
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: We’re delighted you and your family enjoyed your first camping trip with us and made the most of the river, the honesty shop, and the facilities. It’s wonderful to hear the children had such a great time. We’d love to welcome you all back again soon.
Features
Dogs allowed
Campfires allowed
Leisure on site
Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis WatersportsAmenities on site
Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area WifiGroups welcome
D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcomeRules
Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all yearThemes
Budget/backpacker Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Walkers' paradise Wildlife havenUtilities
Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energyNearby amenities
Bar nearby Dog walk nearbyType
Small (11-25 sites)Nearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearbyTouring and motorhomes
Drainage hook-up points for caravansLocation
Boatside Caravan and Camping
Aberedw
Builth Wells
Powys
Wales
LD2 3UH
Directions Timezone
Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)
GPS
52.13122°N
3.36233°W
Nearest transport
Coach
Rail
Ferry
AirportPlease note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.
Local attractions
Must see
Brecon Mountain Railway 37.2 km
National Showcaves of Wales 40.2 km
Dolaucothi Gold Mines - National Trust 41.4 km
Penderyn Distillery Visitor Centre 42.2 km
Blaenavon Ironworks 43.6 km
National Trust
Cwmmau Farmhouse 20.3 km
The Weir 37.6 km
Croft Castle and Parkland 41.4 km
Dolaucothi Gold Mines 41.4 km
Skenfrith Castle 48 km
Cycle routes
Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.
Other
Aberedw - Rhyscog - River Edw - Aberedw 1.8 km
Aberedw -Llewelyn's Cave - Aberedw Rocks - Erwood Craft Centre 2 km
Erwood Craft Centre - Aberedw Rocks - Erwood Craft Centre 5.5 km
Twyn y Garth Common - The Gun - Twyn y Garth 6.4 km
Near Erwood - Twyn y Garth - The Gun - River Bachaway - Near Erwood 7.2 km
Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.
Want to know more about camping in Powys?
Frequently asked questions
- Does Boatside Caravan and Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
- Is Boatside Caravan and Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
- What attractions are near Boatside Caravan and Camping? Beers, burgers and other tasty dishes are all well and good, but Builth Wells (10 minutes’ drive) has more than just places to eat. There’s classic entertainment here in the form of … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of Boatside Caravan and Camping?
Read moreCamping and caravan Arrive: 10 a.m. – Anytime Depart by: noon On-site accommodation Arrive: 2 p.m. – Anytime Depart by: 10 a.m. - How much does it cost to stay at Boatside Caravan and Camping? From $45.83 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.