Where to Stay

Very few of us are lucky enough to live near our lake, so we tend to stay in Chepstow on the Saturday night. This usually involves a decent meal at The Boat Inn. Chepstow's a very pretty, ancient town with a cool castle and very close to the Wye Valley, Tintern Abbey and the Forest of Dean. If you are bringing non-diving friends with you, they can easily make a weekend of it.

Your options include B&Bs, camping, hotels and Wigwam camping cabins onsite at NDAC.

Some good, reasonable priced Bed and Breakfast places nearby:

Jill Gore - Thorncroft, Alverton, Nr Lydney - next to the Blacksmiths Arms on the A48 north of Chepstow. £25 for a single, little bit more for two people. Clean, and right by a pub that does good food. About 5 minutes from the lake. Tel 01594 528105. Jill also has a small cottage that 4 people can rent together for the weekend.

Liz - St Ann's House, 27 Bridge Street, Chepstow 01291 625063. £30 for single room, £58 for double. Rooms are not ensuite but fairly cheap and very close to The Boat Inn, our usually Saturday night haunt. And apparently, the breakfast is great!

The First Hurdle, 9-10 Upper Church St, Chepstow. Tel: 01291 622189. Around £60 for a double, £40 if you're on your own. This is more of a guesthouse and does a good breakfast. Right next to a nightclub though and can be noisy.

Afon Gwy - 28 Bridge St, Chepstow. Hotel in the middle of Chepstow with 4 rooms en-suite, about £45 a night single, bit less if you share. 01291 620158

Millingbrook Lodge - Carole and Ian - High St, Aylburton, Lydney GL15 6DL Tel: 01291 845522. 14 bedroom hotel, en-suite. c 10 minutes from Chepstow and near the pool we use for teaching. Next to a nice pub. Some 4 poster beds!

Castle View Hotel - 13 rooms en-suite 01291 620349
Nice hotel in the middle of Chepstow with good food. About £50 a night for a room but you can share. Ask for a "family room" and fit 3 people in!

Beaufort Hotel - 18 rooms en-suite 01291 622497

There is also a Premier Inn and a Travel Lodge in Newport, about 15 minutes drive away.

For others, call Chepstow Tourist Information on 01291 623772 - they have a list of late availability

Camping options include:

Beeches Farm Campsite, Miss Graces Lane, Tidenham Chase, Chepstow, Gwent NP16 7LZ (01291 689 257- this is our favourite and has an amazing view but is quite remote. It's about £7.50 a night. Do call and book. To get there: head from NDAC towards Chepstow on the A48. Turn right signposted"Tutshill" and "Wye Valley Quad Bike Centre" (campsite is very near the Quad Centre). At 1st roundabout by the pub, turn right. Keep going for about 2 1/2 miles until you see a brown sign pointing left for the Wye Valley Quad Centre, it points to a road with a red post box at the end of it marked Dead End and "Miss Graces Lane". Take that road and keep going forever, just straight on. It turns from road to gravel track, cement track, back to gravel and eventually arrives at the campsite - in total about 3 1/2 miles from the A48. Enjoy it but don't try it in too posh a car!

Woodlands View Camping and Caravan Park, Sling, nr Coleford, Glos GL16 8JA Tel: 01594 835127. About 15 minutes from the lake. Approx £10 a night for a car, tent and two adults. Hot showers included.

Whitemead Forest Park, Parkend, Lydney, Glos. GL15 4LA. Tel: 0845 3453425. About 10 minutes from the lake