HIt’s a delicate balance to strike when you are a single mother or father. You’ll want to reserve the extended time with your child that is difficult to get during school hours, but you don’t want to go overboard. Children need each other, and adults could use some company as well. You also require a break. It’s a nice idea to pack the car with camping gear and head out into the wilderness, but it can be a lot of work – and you end up in a field, attempting to put up a tent, alone.
My friends suggested that I consider holiday parks. They have bars, restaurants, and even a schedule of daily kids’ activities. This all sounds a little too stimulating. I had dreamed of settling into a tranquil landscape. Was there enough to do?
One Cat Farm in Ceredigion is a small, nature reserve in a remote part of west Wales. This place may have just the right balance. Jessie & Lyndon, who moved to Ceredigion from London in 2013, bought the old farm. Setting up a glamping site, running and raising it with three young children, a barely functioning bathroom and no internet was “not quite as fun” as they’d intended, they tell me, but they persevered, and after years of hard work it is – I soon discover – an incredibly special place.
The couple designed and built the four cabins that sleep up to three adults and two children. They are discreetly placed throughout the site. There is a growing forest (Jessie, Lyndon and their children have planted over 300 new trees since moving to the area), a wild swimming pond and a third where nature can do what it wants. To the east are the Cambrian Mountains; to the west, the hidden beaches of Cardigan Bay – not that we see much of this when we first arrive, in the dark, having driven straight from school pickup. Jessie meets us and shows us our cabin. It is warm, with double glazing and heating. My six-year old daughter is ecstatic. She loves the pillows, the lights and the luxurious bedding. She calls it “paradise” when she discovers the chocolate bar left in the room as a gift.
One Cat Farm has been well thought out. Each detail is carefully thought out without feeling overwhelming. We head to the water on our first morning. We find the pond-dipping gear in the shed. The discoveries are plentiful. We have dipped our nets before, without much success. The newts, the caddisfly larve cases, the damselfly Nymphs and even water boatmen are all there. Red kites fly overhead. It is a bitingly cold and glorious water. I slip in my swimsuit and strip off. My daughter whoops. She’s holding a towel at the reeds, and I realize, to my surprise, that she’s also caring for me.
The next few days, we will explore the nearby beaches where resident dolphins, seals, and miles of sand are present. We eat street foods from the Manuka The food van in Aberaeron and the fresh pizzas and gelatos at Tafell a Tân We comb the high-tide line and look into caves. On rocky outcrops we find mussels and gaze up at sheer cliff faces. We forage wild garlic, garlic mustard and pennywort in abundance while walking the hedgerows. (Lyndon says to return in the autumn when the mushrooms are at their best.
Ceredigion is a great place to visit, but it faces many challenges. 30% of children living in poverty. Jessie knows this and talks passionately about how One Cat Farm can make a difference to the local economy. “Our family and two employees are supported by our existence.” Because we are small, there is no cafe or pub on site, so our customers go to local businesses. She compares the model of this small holiday site to larger sites run from afar, often by big companies: “The comparison between us and them is like comparing an enormous wealthy farm with a tiny subsistence farm.” Jessie and Lyndon are clearly passionate about their work and want to make sure that it is beneficial for the local community and wildlife.
I can’t believe how much has changed in the past decade since the project started. We see an otter, a heron and polecats by the pond. There are also rumours about a peregrine and a polecat. Crouching in the grass, a network of small tunnels becomes visible – evidence of voles and shrews, now permanent inhabitants.
I’m not always good at slowing down, but here it’s possible to do just that – even with a small person in tow. We spent hours soaking (and splashing) in the outdoor wood-fired baths, while watching the stars. It has been years since I felt so relaxed and free to enjoy my time with her.
While community is encouraged – there’s a communal kitchen and fire pit – it’s not enforced, and if you’ve come for quiet it is easy to be secluded. Soon, my daughter was chatting with the boys who live in the cabin below the slope. They were all here with their dad. They’re soon moving as a group, playing on our rope swing, creating clay models at the picnic table and drawing maps of the forest. While they are off, I read a book and stare at the hills. It is indeed a paradise. Now I can see that this is exactly what we needed. Not crowds, endless choices, or constant stimulation. But a little time to reconnect, recoup and immerse ourselves in the world.
Accommodation is provided by One Cat Farm. Cabin rates start from £134 A night (sleeps up to two adults Up to three children), minimum two nights.
