Gypsy Castle Camping

View prices & book 9.1 25 reviews
Visitor image of the sunset from their pitch
Visitor image of the sunset from their pitch
Visitor image of their pitch
Pitching field
Local residents
Close to major cycle routes
River wye
River wye
In the pretty powys countryside
1/25
Visitor image of their pitch
Pitching field
Local residents

  • Semi-wild site on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park
  • Central Hay-on-Wye 15 minutes' walk away; Hereford 25 minutes by car
  • Small-scale site with ample space; well-behaved dogs welcome
It's a small, simple site, but Gypsy Castle Camping ticks an awful lot of boxes. Firstly, it's on the outskirts of the brilliant Powys town of Hay-on-Wye. And then there's the fact that it's in the Brecon Beacons National Park, a short stroll away from refreshing River Wye scenery. Given the above, it's clear how this prime patch could be just the job for those on the hunt for self-sustained breaks. In need of some holiday reading? In Hay-on-Wye's bookshop-lined streets you'll be able to pick up material on pretty much every conceivable subject. In town, there are also pubs, restaurants and a nice number of independent shops. The Warren, a gorgeous common on the Wye, is a few minutes' walk away. In keeping with its peaceful farmland surrounds, the facilities at Gypsy Castle Camping are kept to a minimum: there's a hot shower in a converted horsebox, a couple of portable toilets (with toilet roll provided), some washing-up sinks and that's pretty much it. While it's not the place for posh pampered holidays, it has to be said that there's something deeply satisfying about waking up surrounded by wildlife and views of the Black Mountains… Well-behaved dogs can be brought here, but please keep them on a lead and properly supervised – there's livestock about. When questions about site etiquette or the local area come up, just ask the manager who drops by to touch base at regular intervals.

Site type

Tent sites 12
Motorhome sites 3
Open now
Opens 6 June
Please note
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 6 Jun to

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesMotorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 25 Pitchup.com customers

  • 56%
    10
  • 12%
    9
  • 24%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 4%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

96% would recommend this site to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

A peaceful, no-frills spot, a short walk from Hay-on-Wye. Clean facilities, helpful owner Colin. Some thought it pricey for basic setup, lacked shade/bin signs. Most loved the open space, views and quiet vibe.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 3
Arrival date (latest first)

Nice relaxed site with a great host.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Alys M.

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Nice relaxed site a short walk away from town. Colin is a lovely host, checks in with his guests every day and makes sure toilets and showers are clean. Loved watching the red kites flying about.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Many thanks for the positive comments Colin 😀

Clean, efficient amenities...great shower! Generous site with good views. Pitches were mostly…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Julie B.

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Clean, efficient amenities...great shower! Generous site with good views. Pitches were mostly on the flat.

Disliked Was not clear where to leave rubbish or not to leave rubbish.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your positive feed back ,the big sign next to the toilet asked u to please take all your rubbish home with you ,perhaps I should highlight it better Colin

This was a great site to visit. Colin was greatwith communication.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Steven L.

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Was a great trip.
Easy to find location.
Well kept site.
Clean amenities.
Electric hook-up.
Good views.
Close to Hay-on-Wye.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for the positive feedback Colin

Quiet site with good views but very limited facilities

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 1
Richard H.

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Very quiet, rural site with views over the surround fields and hills. Quiet site. Short walk along the old railway line into Hay on Wye and down to the Warren where there are riverside fields and swimming spots.

Disliked Only two portaloos for toilets, washing up facilities open to the elements, just a couple of sinks in the middle of the field.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your feedback ,we are what we r a pop up camp site for 26 days a year

near Hay-on-Wye * very quiet…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked near Hay-on-Wye * very quiet

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your review all comments are gratefully recieved Cokin

Great location, very basic facilities, but that's all we need.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 10
Claire M.

Power optional grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked The simplicity

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your positive comments Colin

Open space, laid back, access to town and river, views, peaceful, quiet.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 4
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 6
Ian S.

Power optional grass tent or motorhome site

Liked Open space, laid back, access to town and river, views, peaceful, quiet. Text from Colin telling us about site and where to pitch

Disliked Price was abit much for pretty basic facilties

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your comments

Simple and nice campsite in great location

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked Location great and shower and loos clean

Disliked Grass long, no trees(shade)

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your comments

Lovely quiet site, great value for money

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Laura E.

Power optional grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked A short (15min) walk into Hay on Wye
Clean and functional shower / loos
Friendly owner who was responsive to messages

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind review Colin

Close to centre, basic facilities in field

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 4
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked Basic camping field on edge of town with portaloos and shower in an old horse box. Quiet and pleasant site. Convenient for walking into town. Nowhere to deposit rubbish, take it home.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Portable toilet

Pop-up campground

Dogs 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 Watersports

Amenities 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 Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Gypsy Castle Camping

Gypsy Castle Lane

Hay-on-Wye

Powys

Wales

HR3 5PW

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

52.06963°N
3.14255°W

Nearest transport

Coach
21.6 km Interchange
22.9 km Telephone Exchange
29.1 km Bus Station
Rail
22.4 km Builth Road Rail Station
23.3 km Cilmeri Rail Station
25.1 km Llandrindod Rail Station

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.

Local attractions

To fully take advantage of being so close to the Wye, you'll want to spend a generous portion of your holiday messing about by, in or on the water. Local coarse fishing opportunities are a five-minute drive away, while those looking to expend a bit more energy can head to Celtic Canoes (five minutes) to rent a riverworthy craft. Other, bigger bodies of water like Llangorse Lake (20 minutes) are also worth scouting out, particularly if you're into hiking – the lake and its surrounding villages have some of the loveliest walks around. If there's demand for further outdoor action, you can easily make the trip to Black Mountain Activities (10 minutes), where a range of land and water-based options are yours for the choosing. While 100% Welsh holidays certainly have appeal, travellers planning on staying here a bit longer might also like to look at what's over the border in England. The top three highlights? It's a tough call, but Neolithic Arthur's Stone (15 minutes), Hereford's Cider Museum (25 minutes) and Hampton Court Castle (45 minutes) are all strong contenders.

Must see

Blaenavon Ironworks 32.8 km

Big Pit: National Coal Museum 33.3 km

Blaenavon World Heritage Centre & Tourist Information Centre 33.3 km

Brecon Mountain Railway 33.9 km

Raglan Castle 38.9 km

National Trust

Cwmmau Farmhouse 10.6 km

The Weir 22.1 km

Skenfrith Castle 31.9 km

Croft Castle and Parkland 33 km

The Kymin 42.4 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Hay on Wye - Offa's Dyke Path - Penhenallt - Hay Common - Hay 0n Wye 1.2 km

St Mary's Church - Cusop Dingle - New Forest Farm 2.2 km

Cusop - New House Wood - Cusop Dingle - Cusop 2.2 km

Stone Circle - Hay Bluff - Black Hill - Monnow Valley Walk - Stone Circle 5 km

Near Ffynnon Gynydd - The Begwns - near Ffynnon Gynydd 5.9 km

Local events

  • Green Man Festival (Thursday, 14 August 2025 – Thursday, 14 August 2025)

    Crickhowell, Wales 22.6 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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Powys?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Gypsy Castle Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Gypsy Castle Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Gypsy Castle Camping? To fully take advantage of being so close to the Wye, you'll want to spend a generous portion of your holiday messing about by, in or on the water. Local coarse fishing … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Gypsy Castle Camping?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gypsy Castle Camping? From $44.79 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.