Pytingwyn Woods

There’s been an informal campsite of sorts in this grassy dell, bordering the Brecon Beacons, for five or six years now but it’s wild enough not to feature on any maps and (until now) it has been largely untraceable online. In fact, even to call it a campsite can feel like a bit of a stretch. It's really just a small field. Albeit a small field with a fantastic location. That all explains why, much of the year, you can have the place almost to yourself, particularly if you pitch in the light woodland, which covers around half of the four-acre space.

The River Honddu forms the boundary along one edge – it’s great for splashing but, in summer, only deep enough in a handful of places to swim – and you can try fishing for trout, if you’ve brought your tackle. George the horse nibbles at the other side of the campsite, always of interest to young children.

Things remain pretty much wild and unchanged here since the day the place first opened. Don’t expect showers or electricity and, if you’re not alone, you might have to wait to use the one composting loo provided – with only five or six pitches at any one time, it won’t take long.

Though the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons is less than 10 miles from your doorstep, one of the best walks is an easy five-mile circular loop straight from the campsite. Follow the lane and a bridleway up to the top of Pen-y-crug, an Iron-Age hill fort overlooking the Usk Valley with striking views of Pen-y-fan to the south and the Black Mountains away to the east. Then tumble down into the charming town of Brecon, busy with fellow walkers and outdoorsy types, and back along the riverside footpath to your tent.