Couple swap London life for Welsh luxury glamping venture

Daniel Bevan - Editor

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A husband-and-wife team has swapped life in London for rural West Wales as they prepare to launch a new luxury glamping venture aimed at families and couples.

Barney and Heather Barc are set to officially open Pont Tyweli Glamping this April, following four years of investment and development at the 11-acre site in south west Wales.

The business is a career shift for the pair, who previously worked as an electrician and an employment lawyer..

The site features three geodesic domes, each equipped with hot tubs, and has been designed as a family-friendly destination with further plans to expand its outdoor play offering.

Located within reach of popular visitor spots including New Quay beach and Cardigan Castle, the venture is targeting the growing UK staycation market.

The move to Wales was driven by a desire for a better work-life balance, with Heather continuing her legal career remotely while Barney focused full-time on developing the site.

“When we were living in the city, we dropped the kids at 7.30am and then didn’t get to pick them up until 6pm from nursery and that was 5 days a week.

“We wanted to change that so thought what better way than to try to do something on our own,” explained Heather, who was able to continue her legal job remotely.

“Our search for a new place to live and work took us all over the UK, yet our introduction to Pont Tyweli was a bit of an accident.

“We were down in Wales to view three other sites, and it came online overnight, so we thought we’d try to fit in a viewing after breakfast – I’m glad we did as we immediately fell in love.”

The site’s three domes, named Ash, Oak and Fern, have been sourced from UK manufacturer Trudomes and designed to cater for both families and couples.

She continued: “There’s eleven acres in total and where we’ve put the three domes in is the top field, giving you stunning sunsets.

“You can also quite easily walk into Llandysul, whilst we have so many fantastic beaches, castles, places to eat and long walks that couples and families can enjoy in the local area.

“Barney gave up his job and has been using his electrical and trade skills to help build the domes and get the site ready for opening in April.

“It’s all very exciting, but also a bit daunting – especially when we released the website for bookings.”

Heather continued: “We wanted an interior layout that gave you everything you needed to be warm and comfortable yet also allows you to completely switch off and enjoy the beautiful views and outside space.

“It was also important for us to ensure that the sleeping areas were separate, so parents could have their own space, and the domes could also double up for couples.

“There’s lots of nice treats you can hire as well, including a pizza oven and, shortly, a projector for watching your favourite film.”

Barney concluded: “There have been plenty of challenges in turning the vision into reality, from two years of planning applications and everything taking a lot longer to complete than we first expected.

“It has been a real rollercoaster, but we both believe we’ve created something that is very special and will hopefully become a place people return to time and time again for the relaxation, the views, the places to visit and the unique setting of the domes.”