Does anyone remember staying at Nant Alyn Camp in Rhydymwyn, which was also known to many as Morris's Field? The farm and mill now a caravan park and has been in the family since the late 1920s.
The camp was used by people from Liverpool and Manchester who travelled by train to Rhydymwyn and walked up the narrow lane to Nant Alyn. Others travelled by bike or caught the F11 Crosville bus to Pantymwyn and walked down through the woods to Nant Alyn.
Many local people remember the shop run by old Mrs Morris, who also served teas in the garden. Have you got any happy memories or pictures you could share with us here?
Prior to 1960 when the camp was registered as a caravan park, there were three double deck buses, four single deck buses, one railway coach, one gypsy caravan which were converted into holiday accommodation, plus tents and two chalets.
Old Mr Morris used to collect payments in his horse and cart. Milk and eggs were sold in the shop as well as general provisions, sweets and cigarettes.
An old Chester Tram was used to store tents until holidaymakers returned.
Many people have happy memories of holidays past and some remember their way back but others cannot remember where they stayed on holiday. One lady came up the lane to Nant Alyn by chance and found us after 40 years.
The shop sold local postcards, which now can be found in car boot and antiques fairs. The postcards often refer to Nant Alyn as the "entrance to the leete", a path way through Loggerheads Country Park, near Mold. 
your comments
Allan Roberts, Connecticut
Hi again Ian. I have to add this last comment before it's too late. When your father, Jack, came home from the war, a banner was strung across from the bedroom window of the farm house to the "Hovis" sign across the road. It read "Welcome Home Jack". It was rehung a short time later for my father, also named Jack. It was a happy time for all of us. Good luck with your new project. Allan.
Wed May 13 08:30:11 2009
Ian Morris
Hi Sam. Good to hear from you. They were good times with the old fashioned sports day and barbecue to follow. We are always interested in yours and others memories and photos. We understand that this site is closing and we would like to publish a book about Nant Alyn Camp/Morris's field. We are are currently contributing our memories to a book "Liverpool to Loggerheads" and one on Rhydymwyn. If you wish to contribute your memories please log into leetevalleycaravanpark.co.uk
Fri May 1 07:51:31 2009
sam
I remember the sports days with the kids, the barbeques and the fireworks
Mon Jan 26 09:02:35 2009
Ian Morris from Nant Alyn
Hi Frank, good to hear from you. I am Jack's son and you are right you have found Morris's field! The river you talk about is the river Alyn and it still dries up during the summer months. My nain, Jack's mother - Mary Morris, used to serve in the shop 'til a very grand old age. Paul Fell's grandad had a caravan on the right hand side of the second field, which he used to visit. Paul Thomas used to live in the house across the river, from the caravans. We think the white washed farm house you refer to may have been Cefn Farm. Morris's field still exists as Leete Valley Caravan Park but if you were to visit you would find that little has changed - visit www.leetevalleycaravanpark.co.uk
Mon Dec 29 10:21:29 2008
Frank Fisher
Wow what great memories you all have stirred in me. My family owned a caravan on Jack Morris's site from about 1950 to 1966/7. We were tucked right up against the river in the 3rd field. What was the name of that river/stream? I remember one day the normally dry river suddenly found itself filling up quickly. And my sister falling in and me pulling her out by the hair! Laugh. Across the river and up the hill I remember a white washed stone farm house. I seem to recall a boy named Paul Fell (?) lived there. He was about my age so he would have been born in the mid 1950s. I also remember him showing me how to catch fish by 'tickling' them, though I never was able to do the same. Across the field was an old gypsy caravan with the traditional rounded roof. Also a boy my age would occasionally come and stay there. Jack's family ran the grocery store, a tiny little part of the farmhouse. My uncle, Sam Fisher, used to supply them with biscuits from Crawford's in Liverpool. Apparently that's how we settled on this site for the caravan. Jack's grandmother used to serve there. What a sweet old lady she was even to us unruly kids. And Polly the horse would wake us each morning for her carrot from my dad. A short walk across the river and through the trees got us to the quarry. An out of bounds place by my parents' orders, but the frequent start of adventures. Further down the trail that hugged the river took us to Loggerheads. There was a kiddies' park there I seem to recall. With the help of the information here I think I found the Morris field still looking like it's a caravan park. Did I get it right? I'd love to hear from any one who was around the camp during those days, Frank Fisher. Now in Temecula, California. Son of Tom Fisher 1919-1986.
Mon Dec 22 09:27:49 2008
Suzanne from Wallasey
Re three arrowes on Nant Alyn camp. I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I first visited the camp with my grandmother Hilda who was in her late 90s a couple of years ago. Sadly she died 4 years ago aged 103. Hilda loved the site and her and my late grandfather Lionel spent most weekends there with my mum Hazel and uncles James (Brian) and Vernon Williamson. My wonderful mum is the little girl in the photo of the three arrowes along with her dad and brother. She was thrilled to see this treasured photo especially her dad with his 'nutting stick' still in his hand! The people on this site have been there for years and all the caravans seem to have been passed down through the family. This year we have bought a caravan and have returned to Leete Valley in our modern static and love it...especially my children. They are 4th generation on this site...what a wonderful legacy.
Thu Oct 9 09:46:29 2008
Allan from Connecticut
Hi Ian, I am glad to see your site up and running. It certainly takes me back. I have a photo of a group including Ellis and Keith that I took. I am not on it as they didn't have time delays in those days.
Mon Aug 18 09:01:37 2008
Ian Morris
We are now online with more old photos of Nant Alyn Camp and some of its visitors/friends @ leetevalleycaravanpark.co.uk Do you remember anyone?
Thu Aug 14 08:37:01 2008
Ian Morris (Buster)
Great to hear from you James and Alan. We love to hear your memories. We have a picture of the "Three Arrows" and Polly which we hope to include on a picture gallery on our web site, to be launched soon. We have lots of old pictures and you might be on one of them. Will let you know when it is up and running. Herbie was Herbie Thomas, who used to live in the Friesland Cottages. Lots of people talk with fond memories of the shop. Much of what you remember remains the same today.
Mon Mar 31 10:12:56 2008
James Williamson, Canada
Hi Ian. What great times we had in the fifties and sixties at the "Three Arrows" which my dad owned. Remember well the double deckers and the gypsy caravan. The excitement after getting off the Crosville bus in Pantymywyn or the train in Rhydymwyn to see if the river was running. The horn when they were blasting in the quarry and getting as close as we could. Remember the old shop well and your gran whose eyesight was not the best always able to realise who you were. We used to cut the hay with your dad Jack and a Welsh friend "Hereby" who lived the other side of the river. Rember old Polly the horse who used to pull your grandad's trap when she was up to it. I could go on for ever but they're all very cherised memories.
Tue Mar 25 10:40:56 2008
Allan, Connecticut
Ian, while we are waiting for more comments about the camp site, I thought I would fill in with a recent satellite image I came across, of the humongous hole in the ground that the stone quarry has left in what used to be Trimiur? Farm, later Trim Rock. I used to go and pick mushrooms and hunt rabbits up there. Maybe a hundred years from now a boy will fish in the lake that is left and not dream that once someone picked mushrooms hundreds of feet over his head. I have mixed feeling about this hole in the ground. Has anyone any comments?
Mon Mar 3 08:24:07 2008
Ian Morris
A young man walked up the caravan site today, to look where his grandparents had a caravan, approximately 20 years ago. His grandparents were by the name of Cargill, does anyone remember them? They always used to win all the raffles in the village - dead lucky or what!
Mon Feb 4 10:15:38 2008
Ian Morris, Nant Alyn
The bungalows were built in 1938 and the one nearest the road was called Pine View with the adjoining bungalow called Ael y Bryn. Pine View was built on the footings of an old house, the wall of the old house can still be seen in the retaining wall at the back of the house. Ael y Bryn was built on an old tree stump according to Tom Parry, a 90 year old gentleman. We converted the two bungalows into one (Pine View) in 1986 where we lived until 2006, when we moved into Nant Alyn Mill, after refurbishing following the flood in 2000.
Mon Dec 24 09:52:52 2007
Allan, Connecticut
Hi Ian, I e-mailed a reply about a week ago but I must have done something wrong. Not unusual. I lived in the left hand side of the new bungalow. The one nearest the road. Your Grandfather told me once that the house was built over a mine shaft, which disturbed me until I reasoned that they must have filled it in first. Do you have any idea what year they were built? I am trying to date a photo.
Fri Dec 21 08:03:41 2007
Allan Roberts. Enfield.
Hi Ian, I lived in one of the "new" houses just above the Mill. It's the one on the left looking up. Your grandfather told me that it was built over a mine shaft, which scared me for a while until I reasoned that it must have been filled in first. There were a lot of questions like that that I should have asked, but... Anyway, it's good to hear from you. Have a Merry Christmas. Allan.
Mon Dec 17 08:50:50 2007
Ian Morris (Buster), Nant Alyn
Hello Allan, you have jogged my memory. I remember the sign saying 'All campers must be in by 11pm'. Jack and Mavis Burns used to come out into the tents, and Alec Stark, an evacuee to Pantymwyn, used to stay in one of the chalets, both of which still have caravans today, and are probably the longest camper/caravaners on the site. People still enjoy barbeques in the dry river bed during the summer months. I remember you coming back to visit my parents Jack & Peggy and I am trying to remember where you used to live.
Thu Dec 13 08:11:04 2007
Allan Roberts ex pat, from Nantalyn
Hello again Ean, You may remember me from a few years back when I came over for a visit. I remember well the years just after the war up until 1954. There were times that you could hardly find a spot to pitch your tent, the field was that popular. There used to be a sign above the cow shed at the entrance gate that read. "All campers in by 11pm and all lights out." We would play football and cricket using cow flop as bases. If someone stepped in it, so much the better. And the firelight singsongs in the dry river bed. I gave your grandfather a ride on the back of my motorcycle to the Sun Inn when there was something wrong with either the moke or the trap. And he was over 80 then. I was there when they delivered the railway carriage. How they manouvered it up the narrow road beats me. I do remember those days with gratitude that I was so fortunate to have lived there, and met your parents and grandparents.
Mon Dec 10 08:37:42 2007
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