Adventures at Penhein Farm

Adventure Playground

Our exciting natural children’s playground is one of our most popular adventures for our youger guests. They particularly love the balance bars, tunnel and bridge. It has been rigorously tested by our in-house design team (aka Bastie and Archie) and has been deemed ‘brilliant’. Nestled in the glampsite itself, this is the perfect way for children to while away some happy hours while you enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee.

Botanical Gin Foraging

In the most delightful and civilised foraging experience imaginable, our wonderful forager Adele Nozedar will take you into the heavenly wilds of Penhein for a short forage to find ingredients which might go nicely into a gin. You will then return to base where you’ll find out a great deal of weird and wonderful information about this elegant drink, whilst enjoying a cocktail (or maybe two) using Adele’s own gin blend, featuring foraged ingredients and distilled in very small batches by the Gower Gin Company. Adele will show you how to make your own unique blend of botanicals gin (or vodka) using foliage, petals, berries and bark from Penhein, supplemented by her own considerable collection of herbs and spices from all over the world. Finally, blend all your ingredients into a 300 ml jar to take home!

Botanical Perfumes Workshop

Join expert forager Adele Nozedar in a fascinating exploration of the sense of smell, culminating in you making your own unique signature perfume (or aftershave, or beard oil!). Plant-lover Adele, who also runs the Botanical Gin and Forest and Feast workshops here, is passionate about getting people out into nature to experience the sensual delights of the outdoors. Having realised that our best-loved commercial perfumes use plant fragrances as a key ingredient, she invented the ‘sensory forage’, designed to make you really start to use your sense of smell. Delight in a tour around the grounds of Penhein, followed by a lesson in how to make perfume – and then enjoy playing with over 30 different oils to make your own! Each participant will take home a 10ml bottle of his or her own fragrance, including the recipe for how to make it again.

Build a Den

Find the stacks of wood and coils of rope within the glampsite which are all you need to start building your Penhein den.

Bushcraft for Adults

Ever wanted to go wild and learn to live off the land? Fed up with hearing about Bear Grylls?  Then our bushcraft course is for you! Our ex-military instructors will help you make shelters, build fires (without matches!), forage and prep your wild food on our land.  Just remember that the sheep aren’t on the menu!

Bushcraft for Juniors

Our Junior Bushcraft course is specially aimed at the children – a fun way to learn survival skills and give mums and dads a few hours off! They will learn about – and have a go at – building different shelters and lighting fires without matches (multiple different ways) in the woods on our farm. A great way to experience what nature has to offer and one of our most popular courses at Penhein!

Bushcraft for the Family

If you are looking for something you can all do together, why not sign up for a Family Bushcraft session?  This wonderful course (ideal for families with younger children) means that both adults and children will learn how to build a shelter, light a fire multiple different ways (but without matches!) and make some campfire bread on a stick to be enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate, both made over your own fire. For three hours of fantastic family fun it can’t be beaten (and children who are 5 and under go free!).

Campfire Cookery Classes

Join the wonderful Chloé Newcomb Hodgetts for a brilliant time learning how to get the best out of your outdoor cooking adventures.  Chloé will arrive with a hamper full of fantastically fresh seasonal produce for you to turn into delicious dishes for you to cook together over your fire pit. Many of the ingredients are those that can be foraged on the farm. She will work with you in advance to decide on your ideal menu for your campfire meal, using a combination of traditional fire-cooking techniques. There are a variety of recipes which lend themselves to different methods of campfire cookery including grilling, boiling, searing and baking, over flames and embers, to produce a memorable and unique meal with that unrivalled open-fire taste!  All dietary requirements can be catered for.

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Clay Pigeon Shooting

Clay pigeon shooting is a wonderful way to have a great time at Penhein.   Starting with a safety talk, you will then have tuition with practise clays. The group will then be divided into teams (or if a smaller group, individuals) for an exciting competition to see who can shoot the most clays. The sessions are run by Nigel and Stuart Hart of Hart Events. They frequently represent Great Britain in European and International championships and are members of the Welsh Clay Target Shooting Association so you are in truly experienced hands!
*If less than 4 in your party are interested, contact us and we will see if other guests are interested in joining in.

Couples Stargazing with Dark Sky Wales - New for 2022

Ideal for an intimate evening with a loved one or even for a special occasion! The expert team from Dark Sky Wales will travel to Penhein to give you a tour of the night sky, viewing familiar and unfamiliar constellations of the northern hemisphere, finding various deep sky objects such as the Orion Nebula and learning the correct use of binoculars and navigation via star maps. You will also be shown how to set up a telescope correctly before viewing and then photographing some of the magnificent sights in the night sky. No prior knowledge or equipment needed, but feel free to bring both! Booking subject to availability.

Cupcake Decorating Party Boxes - New for 2022

We have teamed up with the wonderful Pocket Bakery to offer your very own Cupcake Decorating Party Box, delivered direct to Penhein Glamping!  In your Cupcake Decorating Party Box you will discover:

• Four individual, freshly baked vanilla cupcakes per person, ready for you to decorate
• Bowl of delicious homemade buttercream, made with the finest ingredients
• Selection of Cupcake Sprinkles
• Your own disposable piping bag to fill
• Hire of Icing tips, cupcake decorating moulds or cutters, bowls and spatulas
• Selection of coloured sugarpaste to make your own models and edible decorations
• Instruction leaflet with decorating tips on how to make the most of your Party Box, using both buttercream and sugarpaste

A fantastic treat for children and adults alike, you can spend some happy together time decorating these gorgeous cupcakes for yourself! Perfect for a birthday party or any other occasion all the cupcakes and buttercream are freshly handmade by The Pocket Bakery, using free-range eggs and no artificial colours or flavours.  Even better, the Party Boxes can be themed to your choice!

Discover the Lime Kilns

See if you can find the 18th Century lime kilns on the farm.

Explore our Nature Trails and Bluebell Walk

We’ve got 450 acres for you to explore from the top of Gray Hill to the Castroggi Stream 300 feet below with woodlands and meadows galore in between.  For the spring we have a trail featuring the very best of the garlic and bluebells which will be at their best in April and May.  Please leave the gates as you find them, open if open, closed if closed.

Family Stargazing with Dark Sky Wales - New for 2022

A unique opportunity for you and your family to take a tour of the night sky thanks to the expert team from Dark Sky Wales.  From the comfort of Penhein Dark Sky Wales instructors will help you view familiar and unfamiliar constellations of the northern hemisphere, discovering various deep sky objects such as the Orion Nebula. Hear the stories of the constellations before using binoculars to navigate the stars. No prior knowledge or equipment needed, but feel free to bring both! Bookings subject to availability.

Flower Crown Making

Enjoy a fabulous Flower Crown making session with the wonderful team from Wye Valley Flowers. They will teach you how to create a stunning flower crown, using locally grown flowers and foraged foliage. The price includes all materials and a range of fabulous blooms to complete your own crown. Wye Valley Flowers use no chemicals, plastic or air miles – just beautiful flowers grown with sun, rain and love. This relaxed and friendly workshop is suitable for all abilities and is the perfect way to spend happy time with friends and family.

Fruit Wine Tasting Challenge

Test your taste buds with the Fruit Wine Tasting Challenge at Penhein. We have teamed up with the wonderful VQ Country Wines to arrange a fun entertainment with a difference. This is all about learning with a competitive edge!  On arrival you will receive a welcome glass of VQ Fruit Wine. Once you have finished this warm up, and after a short introduction to VQ Country Wines from owner Debbie Attrill, there will be 6 different wines laid out for you to guess the flavour. Don’t worry there will be some clues and the wines are gorgeous so right or wrong you will have a great time trying! There will be prizes for the winner, but to win you will need to guess all six right. There will then be a follow up general wine quiz with more prizes on offer and you will finish with the chance to ask Debbie questions and find out more about how they make this delicious and unusual wine.

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Geocaching and Walking in Wentwood Forest

Our farm adjoins Wentwood Forest (which is over 1,000 acres, and the oldest forest in Wales) so you won’t even need to get in the car to enjoy this beautiful area for Geocaching or just walking.
Wentwood Forest comprises of some areas of ancient woodland (at least 400 years old) as well as some conifer plantations. It was once a hunting preserve of Chepstow Castle and stretched from the River Wye to the River Usk. It has a long recorded history and a number of heritage sites that give clues to the past uses of the forest, so while you’re looking for the caches there’s lots to see.

Hearn Hideaway for Children

A place to play, a place to dream, a place to relax – Penhein is a magical world made for children. Each year we like to add a little something and this season it’s an awesome new den in the woods – the Hearn Hideaway! Send your children off to find the hideaway, their own space where they can make up exciting games and adventures!

Japanese Themed Forest Bathing

Why not book a restorative Japanese themed Forest Bathing session in the beautiful private woodlands at Penhein?  Forest Bathing (also known as Shinrin Yoku which literally translated means Forest Bathing or taking in the Forest atmosphere) is a practice from Japan that is known to increase feelings of wellbeing, improve cognition and support the immune system amongst other potential benefits. It is the slow, sensory experience of walking and spending time deeply immersed amongst the trees in nature. It involves ‘bathing’ the senses in a forested or natural environment (and does not involve removing your clothes!). It is gentle and inclusive with some similarities to mindfulness.Our certified Forest Therapy Guide, the wonderful Carina Greenwood, has designed a structured, Japanese themed programme which includes:

• An introduction to basic principles and scientific research behind Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku)
• Sensory invitations to Forest Bathe, each invitation will last 5-20 minutes
• Slow walking/wondering and moments of stillness/reflection
• An opportunity to make your own chopsticks with which to eat a healthy, refreshing, soba noodle salad (suitable for vegans)
• Foraged tea

Nothing is compulsory and you can opt out of any one of these if you feel they are not for you. You can lie under a tree and sleep instead if you want!

Lambing Live at Penhein! New for 2022

We are so excited to announce our first ever Lambing Live, exclusive to Penhein guests. Anyone staying between the 4th April and the 9th May will have the chance to help with our lambing. You will join the team in the lambing sheds to help gather up newborn lambs, put them in pens, bottle feed (if required) and help feed the ewes. If you are really lucky you may even see a live birth! This is all at no extra cost to your stay. Book your stay now and as soon as you have made your booking contact us on enquiries@penhein.co.uk or 01633 400581 to reserve your spot as places are limited and are on a first come first served basis.

The sessions are as follows:

• Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from Tuesday 5^th April until Sunday 8^th May
• 2 sessions per day – 6.30am and 4pm
• Maximum of two families per session to ensure maximum opportunity to get involved

Mushroom Foraging - (Seasonal, August to November)

Join the wonderful Chloé Newcomb Hodgetts of Gourmet Gatherings for a marvellous mushroom hunt! Penhein is home to a remarkable variety of mushrooms in the height of the season and you will explore all the wonderful wild habitats Penhein has to offer to try and find the fungi! You will explore our ancient woodland, meadows, streams and copses on site for about an hour and a half to find and identify as many species as possible. You will learn about the incredible kingdom of mushrooms, how they grow, where they grow, how to find, identify and enjoy eating them, as well as how to recognise poisonous species. All being well you will find some edible wild mushrooms to enjoy over the campfire when you get back to your tent at the end of a day of happy hunting.

Paddle in Castrogi Stream

Head down to the stream at the bottom of the valley for paddling, poo sticks and dam building.

Penhein Treasure Hunt

We have two versions of this, both best suited for groups, one suitable for groups with children and the other just for adults.
Both are a classic blend of general knowledge clues and creative tasks and are designed to get you thinking out of the box and off the wall…the keyword here is fun! This is a true test of teamwork, creativity and problem solving skills, making it one of our most entertaining events for adventurous and determined teams. The adventure begins the moment the teams open their sealed envelopes and fire up their team’s collective brain power!
This is for a maximum of four teams, each team with a maximum of six team mates, and you get to explore the best of the Penhein estate.
We’ll start you off and be there at the end to judge who is the best team and present the prize!
*Don’t worry if you are just one team, you can have just as much fun working all the clues out amongst yourselves.

Penhein Wildlife Challenge

A wonderful way of seeing all that Penhein has to offer, the Penhein Wildlife Challenge is perfect for anyone of 9 or over to test their wildlife knowledge or learn more about the wildlife to be found on the farm. The pack that goes with the challenge contains a quiz based on what you will find on fact sheets called “Penhein Wildlife Wonders” which will be dotted throughout the glampsite and wildflower meadow. There will also be three wildlife spotter sheets to help you keep a track of what you see.  The whole pack will be presented in a plastic folder with a pack of crayons for when inspiration strikes!  A perfect adventure for all the family.

Play or picnic in our wildflower meadow

Just below our woodland glampsite is the 8 acre wildflower hay meadow that you can play around in, enjoy a picnic or simply lie back, watch and listen as nature goes by.

Printing at Penhein

Create your own unique magical memory of your stay at Penhein.  Design and create a momento from the inspirational setting of the farm, woodland and amazing views.  A view of the river on a tea towel?  One of the buzzards on a notebook? Or a postcard of your tent and campfire?  Under the expert tutelage of Rachel Cadman, an inspirational local artist and tutor, whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced in printmaking, you’ll come away from this session with newfound skills and a special souvenir of Penhein.

Talking Trees! New for 2022

Exclusive to Penhein, we are thrilled that well known author of ‘The Tree Forager’ and all round tree guru Adele Nozedar is offering fantastic tree walks to our Penhein guests. You know how we see trees every day, to the extent that we hardly notice them? Those trees are now big news, basking in the limelight at last. Walk with Adele around the stunning countryside of Penhein Farm and with a mix of fascinating facts and many magical stories, you will learn the enthralling history of trees as you go. Part nature trail, part mythological discovery tour, you will finish with a whole new appreciation of one of nature’s true heroes. Brilliant for families, this is suitable for all ages and includes activities (why not try some barking rubbing!) and ideas to inspire an appreciation of the trees that you might know at home, too!

Walk up Grey Hill

Grey Hill adjoins our farm and is a lovely walk, finishing up with magnificent panoramic views across South Wales from the summit.

Willow Weaving

Renowned willow weaver Amanda Rayner is bringing her wonderful willow weaving sessions to Penhein. Amanda has been creating natural products for homes and gardens for over 20 years and her passion is to share the skill of this ancient through a series of outstanding workshops which she runs all over the UK.  We are delighted that Amanda has agreed to offer her courses here at Penhein and she has personally selected six different willow weaving classes to choose from. If you are interested, let us know and we will check Amanda’s availability for you.

Weaving Workshop Options – all half a day except Frame Basket Weaving

• Willow dragonflies and butterflies
• Bird feeders and birds nests
• Willow hearts
• Willow stars
• Wooden  base mini basket
• Frame basket weaving – all day

*The minimum age is 10, but we do suggest that at this age they are joined by a parent/adult to help.

Wine Tasting

We are thrilled to have Tom Innes of Fingal-Rock Wine Merchants as our advisor/supplier/teacher and all round wine guru. Tom is something of a legend in the world of wine – as well known in London as he is here in his home county of Monmouthshire.  He offers an outstanding selection of first class wines, handpicked using his own inimitable personal style and in depth knowledge; as an article  in The Daily Telegraph (January 2020) pointed out if ‘(Tom) doesn’t like a wine, he won’t sell it’.

As well as ensuring our Pantry is stocked with glorious wines, Tom also runs wine tasting courses at Penhein. Tom’s wine tastings are all about discovering new wines to tickle your taste buds. Typically you will taste between 6 – 8 different wines during the session, and he can put together a bespoke choice for you on request (e.g. all Red, all Sparkling, all French etc). Tom knows the vineyards and producers of all his wines so the session will be packed full of interesting information.  There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and buy some of the wine you are trying. If you want to check out Fingal-Rock just go to www.pinotnoir.co.uk. Don’t be fooled by the website, the wines are spectacular!

Yoga Classes

The wonderful Miranda Shaw is Penhein’s yoga guru. Having trained as a classical hatha yoga teacher Miranda’s personal style has evolved, in particular influenced by her time in America practising vinyasa flow. Miranda is also trained to teach pre and postnatal yoga.

Our intention will always be to run the classes outdoors in our beautiful Wildflower Meadow. However, if the weather doesn’t allow this, Miranda will use Petro for groups of up to six (if a larger group have booked and the weather is inclement, Miranda will run consecutive sessions for groups of 6 in Petro and each group will be able to choose Gentle or Dynamic according to experience). Mats are included but you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.  If there are individuals who would like to book a session but want to share the cost, let us know and we are happy to contact other guests to see if they would like to join in. All classes are subject to availability – booking in advance is essential. To find out more about Miranda please see her website.

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Young Explorers Activity Pack

Let the children go off exploring around the site with this great fantastic Young Explorers Activity pack to help with the fun.  Filled with lots of things to do, see and collect there’s plenty to keep them occupied and interested. The pack includes a Scavenger hunt, Word search, Dot-to-dot, an Eye Spy chart and a Woodland Letter Search (spot the letters dotted around the glampsite and make the word). It is all based on nature, and it comes in a practical plastic folder with a set of crayons that they can use as their creative juices start to flow!