At first site the campsite looked very unappealing. Rain falling from a darkened sky being whipped across the field by strong winds combined with the muddied scars of the improvements done in the close season presented a bleak picture.

Four earlier arrivals on the field did at least make it look like a campsite and a cheery greeting from Liz (the owner) further improved things.

An attempt to drive to the allocated pitch ended almost before it began when car totally lost traction on the plastic matting that had been laid to try and counteract the ravages of three months constant rain. However, with assistance from a helpful 4x4 owner (Thanks Marc!) the caravan eventually reached its chosen spot.

The pitch itself was relatively even, but oh so muddy!! We looked enviously at the hard standing service pitches on the opposite side of the field as we levelled the van and tried to decide which awning (if any) to attempt to erect in the wet and windy conditions. Before that though, time to connect up the power and get the water on.

Water was available from a combined water/electric point at the lower end of the field, which seemed a potentially hazardous combination to me but presumably meets the required safety standards. Power was a available from a variety of newly fitted outlets around the site, although we found we needed to join two leads together as one 25m lead wouldn?t reach the nearest unused point!

After deciding to erect the smaller porch awning we spent a futile hour fighting the wind and rain before giving up and stuffing the now soaking wet and muddy awning in the back of the car before retiring to the caravan for a hot drink and some shelter from the elements. However after an hour or two the rain relented and the sky cleared leaving blue sky and sunshine, although the wind still whipped across the hilltop site. It did give us a chance to explore the site and its facilities.

A rather basic unheated toilet block can best be described as adequate although there was always hot water and loo roll and they were cleaned regularly. The showers were a little cramped with no outer changing area but were again adequate although some improvement would be useful, especially for those people staying at the site for more than a few days.

The waste water and chemical disposal facilities were adjacent to the toilet block. Bins were provided at various locations around the field, with the separation of types of waste for recycling purposes, which was good to see. These bins were emptied on a regular basis and the rubbish never seemed to pile up.

The children?s play area, though small was well equipped and was much used during the stay. Not being dog owners we didn?t investigate the (small) dog exercise area but the fact that there is one at all is good news for those that caravan with their canine companions. The leisure room was basic, with a table football game, a small ball pit, some chairs and tables and a bookshelf stocked with a variety of books available for loan or swap. There is also a TV in there and Liz would put on DVDs if requested to do so, very useful for the kids if the weather is unkind.

Further afield, the nearest supermarket was in Cardigan (9 miles away) and there were no pubs within an easy walk. The area is well worth a visit though for the stunning coastal scenery, local towns New Quay and Aberaeron as well as a multitude of small villages are all worthy destinations for trips out. Fuel was never a problem, as well as the supermarket there were several garages in the area, some of which doubled as general stores.

We did manage to put up our porch awning the next morning when the wind relented for a while. As the days passed the ground dried out well and didn?t deteriorate into the quagmire we had feared as the pitches were filled. The sea could be seen from the site when visibility was good as it occupies a hilltop position. Terrestrial TV reception was acceptable from most areas of the field

All in all this is a site that shows some real promise. It?s obvious that much had work has already been done improving the caravanning experience here and that things will improve further as time goes on. I will be very interested to see how Brynawelon looks 3, 6 and 12 months from now.