‘Our gamble paid off ’
Sarah Heyworth and her partner John spoke to Prima back in June 2018 to say how they took a leap of faith after travelling around Europe and fell in love with the freedom of the outdoors. Despite having no experience in the tourist market, they quit their jobs, sold up and bought Graig Wen, a beautiful former slate mill in Arthog, Snowdonia, spending £700,000 to buy and renovate the site. As well as the slate mill, they also found themselves with camping grounds, a B&B (The Slate Shed), eight motorhome pitches and managing four self-catered cottages.
Sarah studied dry-stone walling to save money on repairs and, after opening in 2008, they went on to expand the
business by offering ‘wild’ camping – pitches set in the meadows, further out from the main site – and built a yurt. With the business turning over £115,000 a year, Sarah explained how she and
John were loving their new life, surrounded by the breathtaking mountains of Snowdonia.
12 MONTHS ON…
Sarah, 51, tells us, ‘We’ve been busy! We’ve redecorated the B&B, invested in a portable shower for our wild campers and I’m now also trained in emergency first aid. Our proudest achievement has been our new shepherd’s hut. Glamping is a growing but competitive market, so we wanted something that would stand out. There’s lots of demand for winter accommodation, but we needed something that could withstand Snowdonian weather.’
She and John sketched their dream hut at the kitchen table with local craftspeople who helped fit it all together. They spent £15,000 on the build, using reclaimed wood from an old chapel. ‘As always, family helped out and Mum made all the cushions for the furnishings inside,’ adds Sarah. ‘The shepherd’s hut is big enough to accommodate a family, and it’s movable, to make the most of the best locations during different seasons. We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved. We’ve got lots more exciting projects in the pipeline, such as appearing in a book about the coolest places to visit in Wales. Taking on a campsite was a wild decision, but it’s paid off!’ • graigwen.co.uk; slateshed.co.uk