A Temporary Pause on Campfires

It has been a truly beautiful summer at Heart of the Wye, our glamping site near Hay on Wye, on the border of Herefordshire and Wales. Long sunny days have meant plenty of time relaxing by the river, warm evenings outside and some spectacular clear, starry nights.

But the prolonged dry weather has also brought an increased wildfire risk across Herefordshire, the Welsh Borders and South Wales, and with that comes a responsibility to take a little extra care of the countryside around us.

Wildfire risk and our temporary pause on campfires.

The exceptionally dry conditions this summer have been felt across the wider area, with wildfires around Kington, the Brecon Beacons and parts of South Wales serving as a reminder of just how dry the countryside has become.

We have also had several firefighters come to stay at Heart of the Wye recently for a very well earned break. They have been working incredibly hard in challenging conditions, and it has made us all the more conscious that we each have a part to play in protecting our countryside.

For that reason, during the current exceptionally dry conditions we have temporarily suspended campfires and open fires at Heart of the Wye.

For guests with an upcoming stay, we will keep this under review as conditions change, but while the surrounding grassland and countryside remain so dry, we feel it is the sensible precaution to take.

Keeping the glamping experience

We know that sitting around a campfire as dusk falls is a lovely part of a camping or glamping holiday. It creates a natural place to gather, talk, toast marshmallows and watch the stars come out.

So while the campfire itself is temporarily on hold, we have added fairy lights around our communal campfire area to keep a little of that evening glow and create a focal point where everyone can still gather.

There are still plenty of cooking options too. We have a large gas barbecue for guests to use, each yurt has its own hot plate, and our communal kitchen has hobs and a microwave. And importantly, marshmallows can still be toasted on the barbecue!

We are also looking at safe campfire alternatives for the future, particularly for periods of unusually dry weather. We are always thinking about ways we can adapt while keeping the atmosphere and experience that make a glamping stay special.

Looking after the countryside together

During periods of high wildfire risk, small things matter. We are asking everyone staying with us to be particularly mindful of anything that could potentially start a fire.

That includes making sure cigarettes are fully extinguished and disposed of safely, not leaving glass bottles in the grass, and simply taking a little extra care while the surrounding vegetation is so dry.

Thankfully, the dry weather has also given us a rather wonderful summer for glamping in Herefordshire and the Wye Valley. Guests have been enjoying sunny days by the river, escaping to the cooler games room when the heat builds, relaxing outside in the evenings and making the most of some wonderfully clear, star filled skies.

For now, there may be fairy lights glowing where our campfire would normally be, but there is still something rather special about gathering outside as dusk falls.

We are enormously grateful to the firefighters and emergency services working so hard across the region. By making a few small changes during this exceptionally dry spell, we can all do our bit to look after the countryside while continuing to enjoy everything a summer stay at Heart of the Wye has to offer.