Gypsy Castle Camping

View prices & book 9.2 85 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
1/67
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. If you want a site with a swish amenities block with modcons, this is not the place for you. What Gypsy Castle Camping does have, however, is two horsebox showers, two portable plastic toilets, two sinks with cold water and a chemical disposal point. 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 pitches 22
Motorhome pitches 22
Opens 12 June
Please note

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Occupancy

  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, 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.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 12 Jun to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

9.2

Overall rating from 85 Pitchup.com customers

  • 63%
    10
  • 13%
    9
  • 14%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 1%
    6
  • 1%
    5
  • 0%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 8
Peaceful

97% would recommend this site to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

Quiet, basic site near Hay-on-Wye and river. Friendly owner, great views. Clean portaloos & horsebox showers (hot water). Some found it pricey for basic facilities; one noted shower block condition. Rubbish instructions could be clearer. Good value for a peaceful, no-frills stay.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/08/25

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 9
Arrival date (latest first)

Basic, honest, does what it says on the tin.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 8
 Lisa E. 28 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Friendly welcome. Great location. Fabulous views.
It’s a field with portaloos! But can’t fault it. 15 mins walk into Hay. Beautiful walks down by the river and over to the Warren. Colin was there to welcome us and tell us where to and where not to go. It’s at the top of a hill so drainage for our big heavy van wasn’t a problem after a few days rain. The loos were kept spotless. If you’re looking for an all singing all dancing mod cons site then don’t go here. If you’re happy with the basics, amazing views, peace and quiet and a massive selection of really good pubs (and bookshops 😉) within a short stroll then give it a try. I’m glad we did 👍

Disliked People parking too close! You’ve got the whole field. Why do you need to come so close? £24 for electric seemed steep?

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your positive comments Colin 😀

great communication by the owner stunning scenery and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Terri D. 5 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked great communication by the owner
stunning scenery
and close to town

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments Colin 😊

Great location and friendly owner.…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 No rating
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Dawn C. 1 review

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Great location and friendly owner.

Disliked No shelter plus lack of hot water for washing up

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your comments hot water can be obtained from the nearby shower it is a grazing /hay field for the rest of the year so trees not really wanted sorry Colin 😐

Friendly host, with lots of useful…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Andy G. 5 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Friendly host, with lots of useful information about Hay on Wye (mainly Pub based, lol), and walking beside the river Wye, which is really beautiful.
The site is very uncomplicated, literally a field with hook up points, just how we like it. And the cleanest portaloos I've ever seen. Really quiet, no lights or noise pollution at night, so a great night sleep.
Thanks for the stay

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments and positive feedback Colin 😀

Basic amenities, great location, superb value.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Neil H. 15 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Budget site, so close to Hay-on-Wye it’s amazing. Open field, electric and water, portaloos and a horse box shower.
Beautiful town. Beautiful swimming in the Wye and site is just a short walk from pubs & shops. Perfect.
Good communication from Colin and a visit and a chat too.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments 😊 Colin

Very good value for money, Clive was exceptional and there if needed.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 cheryl S. 1 review

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Place was ideal, basic but clean and ideal location

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments and positive feedback Colin 😀 😊

Absolutely fantastic site. Great location, great…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Graeme M. 2 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Absolutely fantastic site. Great location, great facilities, love the horsebox showers.

Colin was super friendly and came round to check everything was ok and asked if anything I needed.

Great price, would absolutely stay there again.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments and positive feedback Colin 😀 😊

Absolutely fantastic site and location,What a…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Nigel B. 38 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Absolutely fantastic site and location,What a smashing fella Colin is that owns/runs it very informative and just a decent person.the village is a short walk away and well worth a visit can recommend this site 10/10

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your very generous review Colin 😊 ☺️

We were meet by a lovely gentleman who welcomed us to the campsite.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 8
 Matthew L. 1 review

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked Great location not far from the river wye and no far from the town . Amazing view of the mountains and great for star gazing on a clear night . If you love river walks then it’s a great budget location for you .
We will definitely be going back again for a cheap weekend away

Disliked No dislike really . It’s a budget camp site so it’s goid value for what you pay for .

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Many thanks for your positive review Colin 🙂

We had a lovely stay at…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Evie M. 2 reviews

Electric optional grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked We had a lovely stay at gypsy castle camping, colin was very lovely and welcoming. It has great walks into the town of hay and not far from the river. Would definitely recommend for a cheap easy camping trip :)

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your lovely comments glad you enjoyed your stay Colin

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 pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette 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 Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Small (11-25 pitches)

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.

Food and drink

  • The Swan At Hay Pub 1 km
  • Blue Boar Pub 1,1 km
  • Red Indigo Restaurant 1,1 km
  • Rose & Crown Pub 1,3 km
  • Kilvert's Pub 1,3 km
  • Three Tuns Pub 1,3 km
  • Tomatitos Restaurant 1,3 km
  • Chapters Restaurant 1,4 km
  • The Famous Old Black Lion Pub 1,5 km
  • Baskerville Arms Pub 2,1 km

Groceries

  • Hay Distillery Off-licence 1,4 km
  • Co-op Food Supermarket 1,8 km
  • Co-op Food Supermarket 10 km

Parks and play

  • Site of Hay Festival 0,4 km
  • Brook Street Secret Walled Garden 1,4 km
  • The Pound Field 6,2 km

Family days out

  • Hay Castle 1,2 km
  • Broad Street Clocktower Visitor attraction 1,3 km
  • Llanthomas Castle Mound 1,7 km
  • Llanthomas Castle Mound 1,7 km
  • Cusop Castle 2,2 km
  • Llowes Castle Tump 2,9 km
  • Clifford Castle 4,6 km
  • Tregoyd Mountain Riders Visitor attraction 6,8 km
  • Bryngwyn Riding Centre Visitor attraction 8,3 km
  • Bronllys Castle 10 km

Public transport

  • Hay Fire Station 0,7 km
  • Hay-on-Wye Fire Station 0,7 km
  • Hay-on-Wye Hay Castle 1,2 km
  • Hay Castle 1,3 km
  • Lower Mead 1,7 km
  • Little Ffordd-Fawr 1,8 km
  • Nantyglasdwr Lane 1,9 km
  • Radnor Arms 2,6 km
  • Opp. Radnor Arms 2,6 km
  • Upper Moor Lodge 3,2 km

What’s nearby

  • Country Supplies General shop 1,1 km
  • The Stables General shop 1,2 km
  • Summerhill Golf Club Golf course 2,9 km
  • Rhosgoch Golf & Leisure Club Golf course 6,4 km

Local services

  • Hay on Wye Medical Centre Hospital 1,2 km
  • R M Jones Pharmacy 1,3 km
  • Valero Fuel station 1,7 km
  • Gulf Fuel station 4,5 km
  • Whitney Garage Fuel station 7,5 km
  • Asda Express Fuel station 9,4 km
  • Oil4Wales Fuel station 9,9 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

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

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 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 touring
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gypsy Castle Camping? From R437,78 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.