Tal-y-mignedd Campsite, North Wales: Campsite, Walks & Things to do

Tal-y-mignedd Campsite in the Nantlle Valley is a campsite that is made for the word nestling. Tucked away between steep hills on the edge of the Eryri National Park [Snowdonia] in North Wales, this is a place to find tranquility, fabulous hiking and, maybe surprisingly, good coffee.

The Campsite

Pitches – At Tal-y-mignedd, the camping is divided over a number of fields from large to small enough for just a few tents. These are all either totally level or mostly level and all have open views. For campervans there are a few hardstanding pitches with electric hook up and some grass pitches with electric too. There is also plenty of room for non-electric pitches for tents and ‘vans on grass.

Facilities – There is one facilities block with male and female showers and toilets, an accessible bathroom and a kitchen with sinks for washing up, a microwave, hob, kettle and fridge/freezer and washing machine and dryer. There is also a second campers kitchen which wasn’t open when we were there. There is a chemical toilet disposal point and fresh water taps. Everything was kept clean and tidy. A pleasant surprise in a valley that has little in the way of phone signal was good and free wi-fi.

Access – The B4418 between Rhyd-Ddu and Nantlle is single-track in places. You either have to drive three miles on this quiet narrow road from the Beddgelert to Caernarfon road or around two miles from the village of Nantlle.

The campsite wasn’t busy when we were staying there. It was mid-week and May and only three or four other pitches were in use. This didn’t put any strain on the facilities but a stay here would be a livelier experience during a busy summer weekend.

Reception is in the farmhouse and the family were always friendly and helpful. This is still a working farm and their vehicles drive up and down the track but this was never intrusive. Sheep sometimes find themselves on the camping field and the sound of birdsong is interupted by cattle!

We paid £27/night with electric hook up and it is £20/night without. This seemed good value for hot showers and fabulous views.

Things to do

The campsite sits on the Snowdonia Slate Trail. This 83-mile long circular route starts and ends in Bangor and visits sites associated with the slate industry of North Wales and takes walkers through forests, by lakes and into villages. The section along the Nantlle Valley is fairly level and reasonably well signed. From Tal-y-Mignedd we picked the trail up in both directions.

Walking East – Heading towards the peak of Yr Wyddfa [Snowdon], we joined the narrow lane for a short distance, through the hamlet of Drws y Coed where we left the road and followed an increasingly damp path past an unused dam towards woods.  A cuckoo called from across the valley and making our way around the craggy Clogwyn Y Garreg we had views of Yr Wyddfa. You could extend this walk and make a day of it with a rest at the pub in Rhyd-Ddu.  

Amazing sunsets – The valley is aligned pretty much east-west and watching the light soften as the sun goes down is special.

Walking West – We also followed the Snowdonia Slate Trail along the valley bottom into Nantlle village and walked back along the lane, making a circular walk. The farm track passes a lake, Llyn Nantlle Uchaf, before reaching the village. At one time there were 40 slate quarries in the Nantlle valley and the village developed at the end of the 18th century to serve this industry, many of the quarrymen coming from Ynys Môn [Anglesey] and Arfon [the mainland of Wales facing Ynys Môn. For more about the history of Nantlle see the Dyffryn Nantlle website.

Drinking good coffee – In Nantlle we visited Poblado Coffi. In a unit in the old quarrymen’s barracks, coffee experts roast and blend beans. All the beans are sourced from sustainable coffee growers and they have strong relationships with these growers and pay a fair price for the coffee. We sat in the courtyard tasting the delicious coffee of the day, along with a slice of ginger flapjack and left with a couple of bags of coffee in the rucksack. If you find yourself anywhere near this gem, take the time to visit.

Walking up – We couldn’t resist climbing the hill that the farm shares its name with. This is a relentless steep climb but worth it for the views over the mountains, including Yr Wyddfa and to the sea. The first section is on a zig-zag track that climbs through sweet-smelling bluebells in May. The hill is only 653m high but punches above its weight and the rocky summit has a tall obelisk that you can see from the valley. Once at the top, fit and experienced walkers will continue along the stunning Nantlle Ridge for a longer walk and in warmer weather we would probably have done the same.