Happy Jakes Touring Park

View prices & book 8.7 33 reviews
Lots of space and level pitches
Large pitches
Relaxing
Spacious pitches

  • Countryside park a few miles from the Glamorgan Heritage Coast
  • Three miles from Cowbridge and 15 from Cardiff
  • Immaculate shower block with disabled access
Smile, you’re at Happy Jakes Touring Park. And there are a few reasons for why. This lush little countryside park is deep in the Vale of Glamorgan – but is only a few miles from the Blue Flag beaches, cliffs and coves of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, including seaside resort Barry, of Gavin and Stacey fame: fans of Uncle Bryn, Nessa et al can book a Gavin and Stacey tour in the town to see the main tellyvisual sights. Around 15 miles to the east lies Cardiff, capital for days and nights out, or you could contentedly base the family at Happy Jakes to coast around the local castles, bike routes, gardens and activities on land and water. Owners Mandy, Mark and (famed) Jake have been honing and adding to Happy Jakes Touring Park since opening in 2011, with disabled access high on the agenda: the wetrooms in the smart heated shower and toilet block are big enough to take a wheelchair user and carer, or up to four family members. There’s also a launderette, washing-up area with hot water, tourist information room, and a dedicated walking/play area for dogs (who stay for free; happy woof). Looking for nosh and tipples to put an additional smile on your face? Pick up all sorts of fresh Welsh produce at the local farmers’ markets, farm shops and fruit farms. If cooking on holiday is a thing to be avoided at all costs, Happy Jakes is three miles from ancient market town Cowbridge and its dozen or so pubs and restaurants.

Site type

Motorhome pitches 22
Tent pitches 8
Touring caravan pitches 9
Open now
Opens 1 April

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The site caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • A cable measuring at least 20 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Tue, 1 Apr to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 60%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 18%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 12%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 3%
    4
  • 3%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1

85% would recommend this site to a friend

73% would stay here again

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

I would stay here again and would recommend.

Overall 9/10

Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
9
Mairi H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Happy Jake’s was very easy to find. On arrival clear instructions were there. The campsite was clean and tidy with good parking and a large play area for children.
The showers/toilets were clean and everyone did their bit to keep them so.

I am a solo traveler and used the campsite as a great location to start a run to Bridgend following the coastal path, which was stunning.

Disliked: No dislikes.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Than k you very much for your kind review.

We are pleased you found your stay with us enjoyable.

No hot water in the showers as someone had left the hot tap running

Overall 10/10

Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric optional grass touring pitch

Liked: Clean, quiet and friendly staff

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you :-)

Campsite was ok with Level large pitches Sorry, would not return

Overall 3/10

Location
4
Value for money
2
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
2
Customer service
4
Child friendliness
3
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
10
Ronnie A. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric optional grass touring pitch

Liked: Quit location, nice welcome from the owner taken to our pitch. Pitch was very large and flat.
Shower block, although very small was extremely clean with lovely hot water.
Kids park was okay I’ve nine year-old could play in it.

Disliked: Entrance to the site was not clearly signed and easily missed not good when towing a caravan. Also sadly the entrance to the site is a bit of a letdown very tired looking gates first thing you see is quite a large old rusty container and overflowing bins in our opinion not a very good first impression of your holiday campsite.
There is a dog walk but not signed at all. Only found the field by chance which was a bit overgrown and hard to walk on . A mowed path would’ve helped considerably, but the dog exercise field was a really good size and well fenced in.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your review. We are glad you found the shower facilities to your liking and the playpark.

There are brown tourism signs directing you to the campsite which if followed will bring you in accurately. It looks like you may have turned off the main road early and taken a very narrow country lane to get to us. We do not recommend using this lane.

Unfortunately our waste collection company let us down with our regular collection therefore leaving us with extremely full bins. We were unable to empty the bins until they revisited. We are sorry that this occurred and spoiled your visit.

The container is there for storage but we take on board your comment and will look to enhance the exterior of it to lessen the impact.

The dog field has now been cut and a path mowed to the entrance. Due to mechanical failure our tractor was out of action causing the field not to b e cut. We are extremely sorry for this.

The dog walking field is indicated on the site plan at the entrance to the campsite but again we will look at possibly adding extra signs.

Amazing 5 days away

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Emma N. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: We loved every second of being at happy Jake’s. All the facilities were clean and tidy. Pitched were spacious and the whole campsite was beautifully kept. Definitely would return

Disliked: None

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Than k you for your lovely review. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Happy Jakes :-)

Nice, clean peaceful…

Overall 8/10

Location
8
Value for money
6
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
4
Child friendliness
4
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Nice, clean peaceful

Disliked: No lights to get to toilet at night
It's pitch-black a bit scary

Cud do something with that play area there's so much space

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for you kind review. Glad you found the site clean and peaceful.

Unfortunately we have had an issue with the roadway lighting. The electrician has now been out and resolved.

We had an ant nest filling the whole of the post which was causing a problem.

Good, clean welcoming site

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Lins M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Lovely site and friendly welcome. Facilities were great and plenty of room on the pitch.

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your kind comments. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

Friendly welcome. Level pitches. Well tended grounds and amenities. Close to…

Overall 8/10

Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
8
Susan J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric optional grass touring pitch

Liked: Friendly welcome. Level pitches. Well tended grounds and amenities. Close to nearby places of interest. .

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean, tidy, everything was so easily accessible. Shower blocks and toilets were…

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Clean, tidy, everything was so easily accessible. Shower blocks and toilets were very clean and well kept! Plenty of electric hook ups. Everyone was respectful for each other's space. Check in was smooth and easy! Had a fab time!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Level pitches, nice site but too noisy and not a lot for the price.

Overall 6/10

Location
10
Value for money
4
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
6
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Lovely views, good pitches for the tent, nice people.

Disliked: Very noisy until 10:30pm, very difficult to get the kids to sleep at a decent time. There was screaming and shouting non stop until then. The play area for the kids is very run down, slide has been taken off. The toilets and showers were ok but could be cleaner. Would maybe return with friends but definitely not with kids because of the noise.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A couple of friends booked with our children - this is the…

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Laura K. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or campervan pitch

Liked: A couple of friends booked with our children - this is the second year in a row we have all stayed here, and yet again has been a lovely stay. The owners kindly ensured that our pitches were all together which we really liked. The site is clean and tidy, very safe for young kids and is nice and quiet. The kids all missed the slide from the park that used to be there, but that didn’t stop them playing in the park all day and evening (my youngest said the park was his favourite part of the trip!). They also loved being able to plane spot. It’s a lovely little site and we will be back again next summer for sure.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 pitches)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at pitch Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 30 inches/75cm) Disabled facilities Level site, no steep slopes Step-free or level access

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Surf school nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal pitches

Location

Happy Jakes Touring Park

1 New Barn Holdings

Flemingston

Barry

Glamorgan

Wales

CF62 4QL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.42309°N
-3.44384°W

Route directions

Please note satnavs or maps may take you down a narrow route exiting at Junction 34. Please follow the instructions below. From the east (Cardiff) Leave the M4 at Junction 33 and follow the signs towards Cardiff International Airport. Then join the B4265 towards Llantwit Major. Pass the petrol station on your left. Continue up a slight hill until you come to the junction for St Athan Village. Turn right at the monument and continue through St Athan passing the military base on your left (approximately 2.5 miles). You will see a brown tourism sign for Happy Jakes. Follow this sign and a further two before arriving at the site. From the west Leave the M4 at Junction 37 and follow the A48 towards Bridgend. At the traffic lights in Bridgend turn right signposted for Llantwit Major. Follow the road for almost seven miles, going through the villages of Ewenny, St Brides and Wick. Continue to the roundabout at Llantwit Major and go straight on. Go straight on at the next mini roundabout. Go through the first set of traffic lights. Turn left at the next set of traffic lights and under the railway bridge. Continue for approximately two miles. At the junction, turn left onto St Athan Road where you will see a brown tourist information sign for Happy Jakes. Follow the next two brown signs turning left. (Do not take a left into the narrow lane at New Barn as it's not suitable for caravans).

Nearest transport

Coach
9.4 mi Sarn Odeon
12 mi Castle Street
12 mi Bus Station
Rail
1.9 mi Llantwit Major Rail Station
4.8 mi Rhoose Rail Station
7.1 mi Barry Rail Station
Ferry
7.5 mi Barry Waterfront Ferry Terminal
11.7 mi Channel View Waterbus Stop
11.8 mi Taffs Mead Waterbus Stop
Airport
4.8 mi Cardiff International Airport
29.7 mi Swansea Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Surf, canter, paintball, go-kart or have a coastal path amble along the nearby Glamorgan Heritage Coast, running for 14 miles from Porthcawl to Aberthaw (paintballing and go-karting along clifftop paths not recommended). There’s so much to see on this part of coast: after the ruins of 12th-century Ogmore Castle, follow the pathway to the village of Merthyr Mawr, backed by a maze of spectacular sand dunes, over 300 species of flower and the Big Dipper, the biggest sand dune in Europe – bring a sledge (really). Fancy fossil hunting? The nearby town of Llantwit Major is so ancient you can pick up Jurassic fossils on its Collugh beach (which has an Iron Age hill fort too). If you’re a surfer, the Collugh waves are a popular place; also get on board with things by veering west outside the Vale of Glamorgan to Porthcawl in Bridgend. Have another couple of days in Cardiff to see sights such as Cardiff Castle and Llandaff Cathedral, the very fab open-air National History Museum at St Fagans and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Cold Knap Barry 6.7 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southerndown 7.2 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Whitmore Bay Barry Island 7.7 mi Sea GoodExcellentGoodExcellent
Jackson'S Bay Barry Island 8.1 mi Sea N/AGoodN/AGood
Trecco Bay Porthcawl 11 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

St Fagans: National History Museum 8.5 mi

Castell Coch 11.5 mi

Millennium Stadium 12 mi

Cardiff Castle 12 mi

The Cardiff Story (opens April 1st 2011) 12.1 mi

National Trust

Holnicote Estate 15.9 mi

Dunster Castle 16.7 mi

Dunster Working Watermill 16.7 mi

Watersmeet 20.7 mi

Coleridge Cottage 22.5 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Nash Point - St Donat's - Marcross 5.1 mi

Nash Point - Glamorgan Heritage Coast - Cwm Nash 5.2 mi

Porthkerry Country Park 5.9 mi

Ogmore Down - Dunraven Bay - St Bride's Major 8.2 mi

Ogmore - Candleston - Merthyr Mawr 8.2 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Glamorgan?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Happy Jakes Touring Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Happy Jakes Touring Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Happy Jakes Touring Park? Surf, canter, paintball, go-kart or have a coastal path amble along the nearby Glamorgan Heritage Coast, running for 14 miles from Porthcawl to Aberthaw (paintballing and go-karting along clifftop paths not recommended). … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Happy Jakes Touring Park?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Happy Jakes Touring Park? From £35 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.