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Hi All

Following good recommendations and reviews on this site we have booked Aberafon Campsite for a few days from Monday 22 October.  We're both teachers so we have to go away during school hols - we would go earlier but have some things which we are involved in at our Church on Saturday and Sunday.

One small concern I have is access to the site.  We have a Bailey Arizona (7.2 metres long and with a body width of 2.28 metres (7.5 feet).  Will be alright accessing this site as I read it quite a steep and narrow entrance road.  We do have a Vauxhall Monterey 4x4 3.2L V6 as our tow car so plenty of umph there.

We really just want a few days to chill out and we love sea views so this site sounds ideal.  What is there to visit local to the site?

Is anyone else going to this site next week.  Say hello if you see us - maroony red Vauxhall - S reg.

Happy 'vanning

Tim

Thanks Belinda, Meltonsuk and Pippy.

When you say the entrance is tricky - can you expand on that?  I'm a reasonably experienced 'vanner and have towed all over the Continent but ours is quite a wide and long van.  Have you taken your Senator Wyoming to this site Pippy214?

Is the entrance signed?

Which area of the site would you recommend at this time of year?

We're not sure if we'll take our awning - probably not as it will be a pain to dry out if it rains.

Anymore advice info welcome.

Entrance is narrow and a bit twisty - it is easy to miss you need to keep your eyes open, we drove past it when we went there a couple of years ago. I would avoid the large field that is exposed to the sea as this will be very windy - our friends lost their gazebo into the goat field following a big gust of wind.

Hi Tim & Cary,

No we have never taken the Wyopming to this site.  We had a smaller van when we went.  If you met someone coming the other way I think it could be tricky,. We love Meathop Fell near to Grange over Sands although the sea is a bit thin on the ground! Grassed over to be honest. Great chill out site.

Hi, Your unit is similar to ours maybe a 2 ft longer, Agree with the above about the entrance as you think that cant be it, but if coming from Caernarfon you have a couple of the brown caravan signs so its easy to spot, If turning right into the entrance dont just turn in take it past and turn as the entrance swings to the right when through, Then you have a tight 'dogleg' with a low wall this is proably the worst bit as it's low and easy to miss in the mirror, From then on there are some bends but you can swing out wide to get round them. The other tight bit is the final turn as you come up to reception. It's a short steep hill then a tight turn to the left, My frontend was up to the flowerbed outside reception but it's perfectly manageable if you watch the mirrors and i would advise dropping to low and letting it crawl in first as it's much more manageable. The bottom field just by the beach access is really nice, Fantastic views and the bottom row of pitches are nice and flat (38-42) and are sheltered by trees behind them,  On departure you will need someone to go to the top of the lane to stop others coming in because if you do meet another unit it would be very very tricky, Have fun ! !

Thanks everyone for the information and advice.

I've printed it out  and will be taking it with us on Monday.  Looking forward to a good "chill-out" over  Half term.  19 year old son is probably coming too but one can't have everything.  LOL.

Thanks again

Tim

Thanks Belinda, Meltonsuk, Pippy and Rabb

I printed out your advice and took it with me.  Youngest son,(19) decided not to come and I think that was probably best.

We travelled down on Monday afternoon and arrived at c4.15pm. 

As you warned me the site access is very tight.  We had a container lorry and trail of traffic on our tails when we arrived at the site gate.  The signs and the red shed helped tremendously.  It was breath holding time turning in and on the way down the lane.  Cary walked alongside the car and it was very tight at one place - caravan wall literally only 2 or 3 inches from the left hand wall.  The worst access I have ever negotiated in all my wanderings in the UK and Continental Europe.  I now understand what people meant the problem if you met any one coming the other way fortunately we didn't!!!  Very tight getting round by the house.  I had made the mistake of pulling forward to pay.  After attempting to reverse enough to get round with help of Hugh the owner unhitched 'van and then drove around it and hitched up again. 

Chose pitch 55 overlooking beach because of the stupedous views.  Pushed van in so that front windows were pointing out towards in the beach.  What views, What sunsets W-O-W!!!. 

Enjoyed a few quiet days including a walking on the beach at Morfa Nefyn to Port Dinalen (??) - a previous family favourite, at Trefor and near the campsite.  Did some reading and watched some TV - a bit tricky setting up Status 530 aerial and digibox.  Found we could get some stations on analogue from transmitter on Mountain and some on digibox from Anglesey transmitter. 

Weather calm and sunny until Thursday.  Friday rather cloudy and went on a drive around Snowdon - Bedgellert, Penypass, Llanberis (excuse my spellings) -  had thought of trying Snowdon Railway - getting a bit old for walking up nowadays.  However, too cloudy and 50 mile wind gusts at Clogwen station where train was terminating.  That was the day that poor 11 year old fell from Crib Goch and was killed.  Really not the weather for Crib Goch - I did it twice in my youth but that was scarey enough in bright sunshine.  We saw the rescue helicopter trying to fly in. 

Friday evening our eldest son (27) drove down from Manchester to join us for the weekend.  Unfortunately weather turned wet and misty.  We had hoped to walk on Snowdon or similar but had to limit ourselves to a mooch around Pwhelli and a walk on the prom there.  Saturday it became increasingly windy and at 11.00pm !!! decided that it was a bit risky to stay where we were and so moved to adjacent field where the seasonal pitches are - and more sheltered pitch.

This morning beautiful sunny morning to pack up.  After a lot of heart searching opted to pay Hugh to tow us out.to the main road.  I had mixed feelings about this as one only learns by experience but on the other hand didn't want to risk scratching the 'van as we only got it this year and it's newest we've ever had.

All-in-all a good holiday but don't know if we'd return because of the access problems.  Otherwise an IDEAL site.

Thanks again for all the advice, directions, etc.

Rushing now to get ready for work tomorrow - back to school -we're both teachers.

Best wishes

Tim and Cary