Panpwnton Farm Camping Knighton: Camping on the Wales-England Border

James
Jun 30
5 min read

Updated: Jul 24

Panpwnton farm camping setup

Panpwnton Farm Campsite Quick Summary

Panpwnton Farm Campsite in Knighton sits right on Offa's Dyke in the Shropshire Hills, with non-electric grass pitches from £12 a night, an on-site café, and Knighton town just ten minutes' walk away.

Campsite Scorecard

Location: ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Setting & Views: ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Facilities: ⛺⛺⛺⛺

Value for Money: ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Food & Drink Nearby: ⛺⛺⛺⛺

Peace & Quiet: ⛺⛺⛺⛺⛺

Price per night: £12 per adult (17+), £6 for children (2–16) [Infants 0–1: Free]
Bank Holiday Note: Additional £2 per adult during bank holidays and selected August weekends
Vehicle & Extras: Cars: £4, Dogs: £2 per dog, Gazebo/Awning: £3 per item
Check-in/out: Check-in from 12pm, check-out by 12pm
Hook up: No
Dogs welcome: Yes
Campfires: Yes
Nearest town: 10 to 15 mins walk
Best for: Campervan / Tent / Motorbike / Solo / Couples / Groups
Campsite Rules: Quiet countryside site; no loud music after 9pm and noise kept to a minimum overnight. Excessive noise/disruption may result in a £50 fine and being asked to leave without a refund.

The Adventure Starts

Another in the week in the city and I was getting twitchy. I was going to head back to Cocos wild camp, one of my go-to spots, but decided to try somewhere new this time. Panpwnton Farm Camping in Knighton caught my eye, only about 25 minutes from Cocos wild camp, reviews were excellent, and the location close to town sealed it. In the campervan I went this time around.

Because it was another scorching weekend, I made sure the fridge freezer was loaded up with cold beer and cider drinks and the canopy was packed to give me some decent shade.

Getting to Panpwnton Farm:

The drive from Birmingham takes around an hour and fifty through some lovely countryside over Clee Hill, one of those routes where you don't mind it taking a bit longer. This time I went direct, knowing Knighton town was only around ten to fifteen minutes walk from the site with good pubs, cafés and shops on the doorstep.

Arriving & Setting Up at Panpwnton

Panpwnton is a proper family-run farm campsite sitting right on the Offa's Dyke footpath, out in the Shropshire Hills. It's been going since the 60s and is run by Will, Roxy, and their family, who also keep a flock of about 300 Texel cross breeding ewes on the land. Because it’s a proper working farm, it has a brilliant agricultural feel to the place, which I really like.

After looking around, I decided to set up camp on the far side of the site by the railway line. I always prefer to be away from other campers if possible to get some proper peace and quiet, and this spot was ideal. The views from where I am set up, looking back across the farm, are genuinely fantastic, classic Welsh countryside with big hills in the background, totally quiet, with plenty of wildlife about.

The Heart of Wales train line runs right through the farm, with the station only half a mile walk away, a nice bit of character that adds to the whole feel of the place. The River Teme runs through the farm too, where you can dip your feet after a long day walking up the hills.

The railway runing by Panpwnton Farm
A train running by my campervan
great view from campervan of the Welsh hills

Knighton Town & Campfire Cooking:

One of the big draws of this site is how close it is to Knighton, just a ten to 15-minute walk. It's a proper old market town with an iconic clock tower, friendly pubs and cafés etc, and the Offa's Dyke Centre to check out.

After setting up and chilling out for a bit, I got the e-bike out and headed into town for a couple of pints at the Horse and Jockey. I sat out in the courtyard, it’s a great little setup, hanging plants everywhere, good staff, and the menu also looked good.

I then headed straight to the local butcher in Knighton, my absolute go-to spot whenever I’m camping out in this area, and picked up some incredible Barnsley Welsh lamb chops and some more Welsh dragon sausages.

Back at the van, I had two or three cold beers, just sitting back and waiting until the coals were glowing and perfectly ready to cook on.

I marinated the chops with a good hit of olive oil, garlic, lemon, fresh chili, and a special rub I brought along from Legges in Bromyard. Cooked directly over those open coals, they came out with a perfect crust, pink in the middle, done exactly the way I like them. Absolute perfection.

BBQ bransley lamb chops
Lamb chops
View across from the other side to the mail buildings

Sitting there watching the trains go by, it was the perfect evening before hitting the sack after a long day.

Best Breakfast in Knighton: Mad Hatters Café

In the morning, I decided to go back into Knighton for breakfast at a place that was recommended to me by someone on the campsite called Mad Hatters Café. Obviously, I ordered the full English. It came with two good sausages, two eggs, two rashers of bacon, two hash browns, black pudding, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast. It tasted a lot better than it looked in the photos, it was also good value for money.

Mad hatter full English breakfast

After that, I got back to the camp had a quick coffee, packed up, and headed off home after a great stay.

making at coffee on my Stitches and steel cooker

Campsite Facilities, Amenities and Info:

Panpwnton farm gets the balance just right, it has pretty much everything you need without ever feeling overly commercial. All pitches are non-electric grass, making them ideal for tents, campervans, motor-homes, and caravans alike.

cafe at Panpwnton farm
The railway track running by the farm
Great view of The Welsh hills from the other side of the campsite
English , Welsh border sign by the campsite at Knighton
The river Teme runing though the camp site
the river Teme Walk into Knighton from the campsite

The Essentials at a Glance:

Location & Setting: Knighton, Powys, sitting right on the Wales-England border. It’s a working sheep farm in the Shropshire Hills, right on the Offa's Dyke footpath.
Toilets & Showers: Recently refurbished, open 24/7, and kept spotlessly clean.
Shared Camper Kitchen: Well equipped with a fridge, freezer, microwave, kettle, washing-up stations, and drinking water points.
On-Site Food & Drink: Offa's Treats Café (run by Mark and Lenka) is right on site, serving up proper hot meals on-the-go, fresh cakes, and great coffees.
Campfires: Permitted on raised fires only. Logs and fire pits are available to buy or hire on arrival. A great touch is the owner coming around on her quad bike in the evening to see if you need a top-up on wood etc.
Location Perks: A brilliant 10 to 15 minute walk (or a quick e-bike ride) into Knighton town for the local butcher, cafés, takeaways and pubs like the Horse and Jockey.
Public Transport: The Heart of Wales railway line runs right through the farm, and Knighton station is only half a mile away.
Dog Friendly: Yes, but because it's a working farm with livestock around, dogs need to be kept under control.
Owners and staff: are really nice and friendly.
Great walks: all round the area.
Teepees & Bell tents: can be rent.

Verdict on Panpwnton Farm Camping:

Panpwnton Farm is a brilliant, uncommercial site that gets the balance just right. You get the peace, quiet, and proper scenery of a working farm and hills in the background, but with clean facilities and the massive bonus of being able to stroll into Knighton along the river Teme for a pint or a takeaway if you don't feel like cooking. If you want a chilled-out weekend away on the border, this place is spot on.

Overall 9/10

I can't wait to go back.