A holiday park on the Welsh-English border is tapping into the growing appeal of astrotourism, offering visitors a chance to experience dark skies free from light pollution.
Rockbridge Country Holiday Park, located near Presteigne, has launched “The Retreat,” a new development of holiday lodges and caravans aimed at travelers seeking immersive stargazing experiences in an unspoiled rural setting.
The park is situated in a valley on the Herefordshire and Powys border, surrounded by the Radnorshire hills. It benefits from its proximity to Presteigne, which in 2024 became the first community in Wales to receive the International Dark Sky Community designation from DarkSky International.
The status recognizes the area’s commitment to reducing light pollution and preserving natural nightscapes.
According to Leigh-Harling Bowen, Dark Skies community leader for the Presteigne & Norton area, achieving the dark sky designation took six years of dedicated work.
“The Presteigne & Norton community has worked tenaciously over the last six years to highlight the benefits of becoming a dark sky community. ‘The Retreat’ at Rockbridge will now be able to offer visitors the opportunity to see unparalleled views of the dark, clear, unpolluted skies of Mid Wales,” she said.
Owners Glenn and Hannah Jones of Discover Parks, which operates Rockbridge, have invested in measures to minimize sky-glow on-site.
These include low-level lighting throughout the park and a purpose-built transparent viewing dome equipped with a professional telescope. Plans are also in place to collaborate with the local Marches Astronomy Group to host educational sessions on stargazing.
“We’ve been extremely careful not to create light pollution in an area that’s been awarded for its dedication to maintaining unpolluted night skies, and that, we feel, is being greatly appreciated,” said Glenn Jones.
The astrotourism offering has drawn attention from public officials and tourism advocates. James Evans, member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnorshire, praised the investment as a positive step amid a challenging economic climate.
“Astrotourism is a huge part of the economy now. Businesses being forward thinking and innovative and reinvesting in their sites here is really important to bringing that tourism in,” he said.
However, Evans raised concerns about the potential impact of a proposed tourism tax in Wales, especially in border communities.
“If it’s £30 a week more expensive to stay in Wales when you could stay just across the border in England… we do need to make sure people can make those choices and come here to Wales,” he said, adding that any tax revenue should be reinvested into tourism infrastructure.
Dafydd Wyn Morgan, operator of the stargazing business Serydda, supports the park’s focus on dark sky tourism.
“It was so dark. I have travelled the world to visit dark places like Tenerife and Namibia. This was very close to the experiences I’ve had in these countries,” he said in a report by Brecon & Radnor Express, noting the benefit to the local economy as well.
“I’ve already spent over £100 in Presteigne, and I haven’t even been here yet 24 hours.”
For outdoor hospitality businesses, Rockbridge’s approach illustrates a growing trend in visitor preferences.
By aligning accommodation offerings with niche tourism experiences like stargazing, operators can add unique value to their sites while also contributing to environmental preservation.
The integration of educational programming and low-impact infrastructure further supports sustainable tourism practices—an increasingly important consideration for prospective guests and industry stakeholders alike.