Category: 2021

Weeks 15 and 16: North East England – North Yorkshire, Humberside, Lincolnshire and Norfolk

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Sunrise at Wells-next-the-Sea

We’ve tied together two weeks here, we’ve been in some really poor internet (WiFi and 4G) areas and are desperately trying to catch up. Despite being in some fairly affluent areas, proof that the internet is not as great in all the country.

Leaving the pretty village of Sedgefield, we headed into the Yorkshire Dales and the home of James Herriot, Thirsk. We were staying at another racecourse site, https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/yorkshire/north-yorkshire/thirsk-racecourse-caravan-club-site/ It’s right on the edge of the town and a short walk to the old practice of James Herriot, now the James Herriot Museum. James Herriot’s actual name was James Wright, but he was a real vet! Thirsk is also, birthplace to Thomas Lord, after whom, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London is named. As well as, the surgeon Thomas Eshelby who amputated Lord Nelson’s right arm when he was wounded landing at Santa Cruz. In addition, there is a great market square, with a selection of shops, cafes and bars and the remains of an ancient castle. There is so much to see and do here, we will definately be back.

Heading back to the east coast, we were going to stop at an off grid site, in the village of Helmsley, but the weather was so awful, we headed to our next stop, just outside Scarborough at Cayton. Cayton Village Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site, is a short walk to the village and the sea.

Leaving Cayton, we headed into the East Riding of Yorkshire a CMC Certified Location (CL) in the village of Patrington. Mill House CL is located walking distance from the town and the Meridian Marker. Patrington sits on the Greenwich Meridian Line, who knew there was such a marker? Indeed we didn’t and set off to find it! It actually cuts across the East of England from Peacehaven in Sussex, up through London (Greenwich) and onto the east coast where it disappears into the sea at Sand le Mere, East Yorkshire (the marker really did fall into the sea when the cliff collapsed)! http://www.thegreenwichmeridian.org/tgm/markers.php?marker_type=|%20all%20markers%20|

Heading over the Humber Bridge, and along the coast to Cleethorpes, where we found another Meridian Marker. Through the Lincolnshire Wolds and through the city of Lincoln, we arrived at Skybarn Farm. A CMC CL located a short drive from the city centre, but with a perfect dog walk (on lead) around the working farm. There are views across the countryside. This is another site we’ve added to our list to return to.

Leaving Mill Farm, we headed through the Lincolnshire countryside, passing a lot of past and present RAF bases. We weren’t lucky enough to have a display by the Red Arrows, though. We arrived in Boston (another on the Greenwich Meridian), but we didn’t find the marker! we had a quick drive through the town and found our overnight stop, at Boston Aerodrome, right on the edge of the runway!

Leaving Boston we headed along the coast to Wells-next-the-Sea and our site for the weekend. A short walk from the harbour and village centre, at a CMC CL Site, Mill Farm https://www.millfarmwells.co.uk/ We have stayed at some different places, but this one you can bring your horse with you! It’s a lovely peaceful site and the dog walk took us into the harbour as the sun rose and the mist began to clear.

We’re heading off again tomorrow, continuing our trip southwards. As always, thank you for reading, we hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll let you have an update of our next leg of the journey, very soon (fingers crossed and wifi willing)…

Week 13: #oneyearlate – the tour continues: The Road to the Isles, Roy Bridge, Bunree and Oban.

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Corran Ferry

Leaving our first UK off-grid stop, we continued along the A861 and the peninsula to the ferry port at Ardgour, where we chose to take the ferry to Corran and drive up to Fort William to fill up with diesel and groceries, rather than the longer return along the A830, before heading back along the A830, past the Glenfinnan Viaduct (a seen in Harry Potter) and the Locks at Banavie – Neptune’s Locks and on to Arisaig and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) The Small Isles CL Caravan Site https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/highlands/arisaig/small-isles-cl-caravan-site-arisaig/ I had been looking to find the campsite, we stayed at near here many years before and when I found it there was no availability! I looked on the CMC website and found this one, thinking it would be a good substitute! Well, on arrival, it was NEXT DOOR! What a find and perfect for Birthday Celebrations! Access to the white sandy beach is direct from the campsite and you can just see the steam of the Jacobite Train, a.k.a. Hogwarts Express. We did actually catch up with it on our journey back to the Mainland! This site is one we wouldn’t want to share but that is so unfair to the owners, who have made it lovely!

Returning back to the mainland, we saw the steam of the Jacobite Train (Hogwarts Express) https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip and managed to get some photos (and a video of the afternoon train). We headed back up to Ben Nevis and on to Roy Bridge, where we had opted to stop at Bunroy Park https://www.bunroypark.co.uk/. There is a perfect river walk right along the edge of the campsite.

After Bunroy, we headed back to Fort William and the CMC Club Site at Bunree. On our way we stopped for lunch alongside the Loch Leven, before joining the ever increasing queue for the campsite. The prime pitches are lochside and not bookable, so there is a scramble to get them, but in our usual manner, we were hopeful but not expectant…. We got a great one – home for three nights and with differing weather (including a big gust of wind one early morning, which saw us and others, putting away our wind-out canopies! Despite arriving in sunshine, we were lucky over the next two days to get a break in the rain, but the views were spectacular when there was a break.

Moving on, in persistent rain, we headed south along the coast to Oban and Oban Caravan Park https://obancaravanpark.com/. Oban is a lively town and ferry port, the ferries from here go to a lot of the smaller Isles as well as the Outer Hebrides. The town has a slightly more cosmopolitan feel than many of the others, we’ve visited, probably due to the number of visitors it gets each day, along with the number of shops, restaurants and bars. Oban Caravan Park is located on a slight hill, with views down over the Loch and the countryside.

We’re heading south again tomorrow, find out how we got on soon! As ever, thank you for reading. Hoping you and your families are safe and well…

Week 11: #oneyearlate – Scourie to the Isle of Skye…

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This week sees us finish our NC500 trip and we head over to the Isle of Skye. Although, there is still more NC500 to go, we didn’t want to carry on back to Inverness, but instead continue our #oneyearlate road trip onto the accessible Islands and explore areas, we’ve never visited before.

Leaving Scourie, we headed up along the Drumbeg Loop to (believe it or not) Drumbeg and on to Lochinver, where we stopped for lunch over looking the fishing port, before heading on to our overnight stop at Ardmair Point Caravan and Camping Park https://www.ardmair.com/, outside Ullapool. We had a brief trip into Ullapool as there is a service station Loch Broom Garage Services, who sell LPG and can refill our cylinders. http://www.lochbroomgarageservices.co.uk/index2.htm Ardmair Point is perfect for the NC500, however don’t be disappointed by the lack of space, the views does make up for it, but you might need to find it – if you book far enough in advance you can get a pitch with good view (we didn’t!) but be aware of the midges – people we had spoken to had great views but couldn’t enjoy it due to the midges!

From Ardmair Point we headed back along the NC500 to Ullapool for groceries and then on to Kinlochewe, driving along the coast and along Loch Maree. We stayed at the Kinlochewe Caravan and Motorhome Club Site, with its great wardens, for whom nothing appeared too much effort, and who were still trying to catch up with the chores left by a year long lockdown. The village and campsite are located on the edge of the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve, with lovely flat gentle walks and more adventurous ones. It’s a lovely place and we’re sure we’ll return.

From Kinlochewe, we headed up for lunch overlooking Loch Clair, and on to Lochcarron, avoiding the Bealach na Ba, Cattle Road, partly because the advice is not to in a large motorhome, partly because we’ve done it before and partly because the weather spoilt the views! Lochcarron is located on, the aptly named, Loch Carron and the campsite we choose the Wee Campsite https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/markerMobile.php?id=28971, which is located on the road behind the main road and there are some footpaths back down to the main road, with it’s award winning Spar, pub and restaurants, as well as access to the Loch.

Leaving Lochcarron, we got to the Isle of Skye, crossing the Bridge and into Kyleakin, where we stopped for very tasty fish and chips from the Sea Food Shop, https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/markerMobile.php?id=28971 literally just after the bridge and took it to eat over looking the bay. Kyleakin is home to the Gavin Maxwell Museum (Ring of Bright Water and Otter man), with it’s otter statue outside, hopefully we’ll get to see one… We made our way up to Broadford and Camping Skye Campsite, a relatively new campsite, outside the town, easy to walk into and along the shore to the pier.

Heading up to our next stop at Staffin, we chose to take the route to Uig and clockwise along the headland. We stopped for lunch at the Museum of Island Life (which is currently closed due to COVID) and took a short stroll up to the Flora MacDonald Memorial. Flora MacDonald assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart) to escape from the Government Troops after the Battle of Culloden from South Uist to Skye, disguised as her maid, Betty Burke. Her Memorial is at Kilmuir Cemetery, where the Designer, Lee Alexander McQueen is also laid to rest. We arrived at Staffin Campsite a little later in the day, but there is no phone signal, but the campsite does have free WiFi! A short walk from the campsite is An Corran Beach, where there are dinosaur footprints. We had been here before, but not seen them, this time though we were lucky and found one or two.

We’re heading off to the other side of Skye and we’ll keep you updated. Thank you for reading, we hope you and your families are safe and well, we’ll be back (WiFi permitting!) soon….

Week 9: #oneyearlate – Findhorn to Dornoch: Starting the NC500

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Highland Coo?

Continuing our tour northwards, we made our way along the Aberdeenshire and Moray Coastlines to Findhorn, where we had found an overnight stop, similar to the aires in Europe. Right on the edge of the dunes, with facilities to empty and fill, we booked in for two nights. Walking along the beach, Reg loved the sand and the sea water. We followed the coastline around to the marina and through to the village. There is a fish and chip stand and a restaurant, as well as a village store and pottery. Local attractions also include the Heritage Museum and Ice Cave. Dolphins can be seen here in the sea, but we didn’t manage to see any. https://www.findhornparking.com/

Next, we drove to Inverness, the start of the NC500 is actually at the Castle so we headed up to find it. Afterwards we headed up to a Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) at the Brahan Estate https://brahan.com/ Originally the home to the Seaforths, heads of the Clan of MacKenzie, one of the first clans to surrender their arms and swear allegiance to the English Crown, in the Jacobite Uprising. There is plenty to do and see here. The campsite is located in the trees along the main roadway to the Arboretum, which was started in the late 17th Century. We met a lovely couple, with their two Border Terriers, Stan and Ted, who were there for the Sheep Mart, in Dingwall.

A walk through the Arboretum, will bring you to the Dog Memorial, where thirteen dogs are buried including an elaborate grave for Cruiser, for faithful friend and companion of Col. Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth. He accompanied the 9th Lancers throughout the Afghan Campaign 1878 – 79 – 80, including the March from Kabul to Kandahar b.1878 d.1895.

Continuing to walk down towards the river, we saw people fly fishing with a Ghillie, all available to be booked from the Estate Office and following the River Walk, we met a lot of deer in the fields adjacent. Another route through the Estate, will take you to the village of Maryburgh. This is another little site we have on our list to return to.

Our next stop and Stage 2 of our NC500 route took us from Maryburgh to Dornoch. There is an actual marked NC500 route and although we will follow it as much as we can, we’re not planning to follow it exactly.

Following the Cromarty Firth, we travelled a route we had done many years before up to Tain and our camping site at Dornoch. Before we had stopped at the Royal Hotel Tain and the Dornoch Castle Hotel, and we drove up to find them! Nothing had changed they and the towns looked the same. The campsite at Dornoch, is located on the edge of the dunes and the Royal Dornoch Golf Course. Just behind you is the local airstrip and a short walk will take you to the town itself. We walked in to the town, before letting Reg have a run on another sandy beach, where again he chases and attacks the waves!

Stage 3 of our NC500 route took us from Dornoch to a CMC CL outside Helmsdale, at a small village called Berriedale Braes. The Kings Park, https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/highlands/helmsdale/the-kings-park/ Our drive up took us along the North Sea, and at times the cloud was below the road, and stopping us from seeing the sea. When we arrived at the CL, we were met by the owners and directed to the site, through the field with a Donkey and Sheep. The views were amazing with mountains, countryside and the sea and the sun came out and the clouds disappeared.

We headed up to Wick for a drive and to clean the very dirty Nortia, we had seen a jet wash on our first trip up for shopping, but when we arrived we couldn’t find it and thought we had dreamt it’s location! We turned around and headed back, but then discovered it – visible southbound but not northbound! Having coated Nortia in a lovely mix of sorbet pink, yellow and green hot foam, and then cold rinsed, she was looking lovely again. Apologies if we made it rain for you, we were still in lovely sunshine!

Dirty Nortia – sorbet hot wash – Clean Nortia! Yes, I did help too, can’t photo and scrub….!

We’re off on Stage 4 next… We’ll be back with another update, soon. Thank you for reading. We hope you’re safe and well and enjoying our tales.

Week 8: #oneyearlate – Scotland. Forfar to Gardenstown, we’re heading north.

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Heading up along the east coast, a part of Scotland we’ve not managed to visit before and we’re not sure why! We arrived at Forfar, but not before we had a quick stop at Arbroath, we were heading up to look at a smokery we’d seen on TV and get some Arbroath Smokies, but our fridge has had a little issue – it’s not cooling, and the freezer not freezing. We’re not too sure why, but it started when we weren’t completely level for a couple of days and followed by it completely defrosting. We asked a question on a web forum and these could be the reasons… so instead of Arbroath Smokies, we bought a 12v Cool Box! We headed to our stopover at Forfar, back through Carnoustie, where they were setting up for the Women’s Open Golf Tournament.

Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) Site – Forfar Lochside – is located on the edge of the town (about a five minute walk) and a Loch (about a three mile, one hour walk around, direct from the van door! The town is an unexpected gem, and no shortage of pubs! We walked up to the Balmashanner War Memorial at the top of the hill, 174 metres above sea level, and dedicated to those who died in the First World War from Forfar and the surrounding District.

From Forfar, we headed further north towards Banff and McDuff, staying at a little CAMC Certified Location – Gamrie Bay. Just uphill (about two miles) from the picturesque village and harbour of Gardenstown. We walked down the hill, along the coast to Crovie and back up an even steeper hill three and a half miles in total! The campsite is a perfect gem, with a lovely area to walk Reg. The Host Lyn is so welcoming, we WILL be back…https://gamriebay.co.uk/

We’re heading off further north and the next few nights we’ll be without electricity, rather more nights than ever before…Thank you as always for reading, we hope you’re safe and well and we’ll be back soon with more tales of our #oneyearlate trip….

Week 7: #oneyearlate – Scotland beckons.

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Finally Over the Border #oneyearlate

Apologies for the lateness of this update… we’ve been off-grid, not quite in the wilds, but without electricity and the laptop. Although we can update on the tablet, we can’t add in photos, so thought it best to wait…

Leaving the North York Moors, we headed further north to Northumberland and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site at Nunnykirk. Right in the middle of the countryside, but with a couple of towns nearby, but with plenty of footpaths to take advantage of. We stopped for two nights while heading up to the Scottish Border. https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/north-east-england/northumberland/nunnykirk-caravan-club-site/?utm_source=localsearch&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

Leaving Nunnykirk, we headed up to Berwick-on-Tweed, passing Craigside, which we visited in 2019. Having stopped for something to eat. we crossed the border – Reg’s first time in Scotland and country number three for him! We arrived in North Berwick and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site of Yellowcraig.

Yellowcraig CMC site is close to the beach and woodlands. The John Muir Way passes the site and you can follow it to the pretty town of Dirleton, with it’s castle ruins or back to North Berwick. THe beach is a lovely sandy beach and Reg loved playing in the gentle waves. The lighthouse here, on the Island of Fidra, in the bay was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island. After two nights here, we headed slightly inland to the town of Bonnybridge and a CMC Certified Location (CL) Underwood Caravan Park. We later found out that our friends, Sheila and John, who we’d met in Spain had arrived the night before we left…if only we’d known; to be fair the campsite is quite large and in separate areas.

Underwood Caravan Park, is located on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and was only opened in April this year. The site is a lovely well laid-out site, right on the canal path (and about ten minutes from the Motorway). We headed to the Falkirk Wheel on our way there and had a wander around, but you can cycle along the canal to both the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, with this in mind, we will be back… https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/stirlingshire/Stirling/underwood-caravan-park/

Our next destination was the Buffalo Farm, Kirkcaldy https://www.thebuffalofarm.co.uk/. We have wanted to visit this since hearing about the Farm on the BBC’s This Farming Life and had never quite been in the right place. Heading over the Forth Bridge (we did aim for it, but it is now closed to general vehicles) so had to head over the new Queensferry Bridge instead. In true Scottish tradition, it started to rain, but arriving at the Buffalo Farm, the sun came out and we were able to enjoy some lunch, al fresco!

Our next stop is the CMC Site at Balbirnie Park. Balbirnie Park Site, is located in the country park of the same name, with a golf course, walled gardens and footpaths. It is also close to the town of Markinch, which is located on the Fife Pilgrim Way. This trail runs from Culross to St. Andrews. St Andrews was one of the main pilgrimage destinations in Medieval Europe. People travelled to be near the bones of St Andrew, one of Jesus’ disciples. This was considered to be the next best thing to being in the Holy Land and walking in the footsteps of Jesus himself. St Andrews joined ranks in terms of importance with the popular disciple destinations of Rome (St Peter) and Santiago de Compostela (St James the Great).https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-pilgrim-way/

We’re heading further north now along the east coast… Thank you for reading and hopefully you’re enjoying our trip. We hope you and your families are safe and well, we’ll be back soon ;)…

Week 6: #oneyearlate – Heading North – Derbyshire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Moors.

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Summer in the Peak District!

Heading north towards Scotland, this week we chose to stop in the Peak District, at a Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) New Mills Marina, on the Peak Forest Canal. There are a lot more canals than we had heard of! This one, was built to transport Derbyshire Limestone to Manchester. The site at New Mills Marina, is a lovely location, on the edge of the town with access to the towpath, the Millenium Walkway, and through the Torrs Riverside Park. We walked along the towpath to Furnace Vale Marina (and back). Opposite the site is the Swizzels Factory and the smell of sweets lingers in the air! If you are going to go to this site, and you get the opportunity, book pitch 5, it’s got the best views and a bit of grass. We had to settle for Pitch 4! https://newmillsmarina.com/caravan-park/

Heading further north, we chose to to cross the Peak District on the scenic Woodhead Pass, but just as we got there, the weather changed and we were surrounded by cloud and mizzle. Heading into West Yorkshire and the Minster Town of Dewsbury. On arrival, the town looked scenic and picturesque. We found our CL at Savile Town Wharf, just outside the main town, behind the old industrial part of the town. Located on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, and part of the Marina, with easy access to the towpaths, cycle routes and footpaths. This we’re afraid to say is about as good as it gets. We were glad we’d only booked two nights, the town is unappealing, despite the architecture and promise. Apologies if we’ve offended anyone but this is our view.

After our stay at Savile Wharf Marina, we headed up into the North Yorkshire Moors and the CMC Club Site, the Howard, Rosedale Abbey. Just outside the pretty Market town of Pickering (be aware, Monday is Market Day and the town can be very busy). Rosedale Abbey is a small village with a couple of pubs, a village store and two campsites, but views to die for. There is no phone network coverage or WiFi, here! We arrived following Ditsy Daisy and over the Rosedale Chimney Route, a picturesque route over the moors, but with a 1:3 descent into the village, not for the faint-hearted (our hill assist, decided to send us warnings and the clutch and brakes were definitely glad of a rest on arrival. There are a lot of walks in this area, and although we tried a couple, there were many more…

We’re still heading north and the border is getting closer. As always thank you for reading, we continue to hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll be back with another update soon…

Weeks 4 and 5: #oneyearlate: Warwickshire, West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire

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Being watched – taking photos of the moon. Reg on patrol.

Another day, another racecourse. This one though, is at Stratford-upon-Avon and the birthplace of William Shakespeare. After Warwick we headed back on ourselves to Stratford-upon-Avon (the campsite was full when we had wanted to visit, as it was Race Day!) The Racecourse Campsite, is a short walk away from the centre of town but easily accessed across the course and along a Green Lane, via the River Severn. We had a leisurely stroll into the town and despite the heat and the number of visitors was a pleasant place to be. We walked up to Shakespeare’s Birthplace and back, through the historic streets. Also, close to the Racecourse was Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, so a morning dog walk took us up there too. There is a lot to see and do and we have already planned to return.

Next, our trip took us up to Solihull and the lovely Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) Certified Location (CL) of Blythe Waters. Mainly a set of fishing lakes, there are also five Motorhome / Caravan pitches set in the grounds. Fishing is available with day tickets to be purchased on the day. The fish however weren’t playing ball, as spawning and the weather wasn’t really favourable (it was very hot and the temperature was rising each day). Instead, we walked and cycled along the Grand Union Canal (care does need to be taken, though as in places the towpath is not very wide and speaking to a local, we learnt he had been in the canal a couple of times!) There are also a number of footpaths which pick up with the towpath and make a great circular dog walk. The town of Knowle is about a mile away and can be walked or cycled if you don’t want to take the motorhome out!

Leaving Blythe Waters, we headed north to Blackstone Meadow Holiday Park, Bewdley. Ric had been to Bewdley fishing on several occasions years ago, so while being in this neck of the woods, we thought it rude not to! On arrival at Blackstone Meadow, we were greeted by a herd of Alpacas, feeding in the middle of the campsite (as you do). Reg was a bit unsure, but we’re not sure he’s seen too many in his short life. He did calm down after a while though. The town is a short distance away and can be cycled along the Cycle Route, or walked along the River Severn banks. Bewdley is the birthplace of Sir Stanley Baldwin, one of the British Prime Ministers in the 1920’s and 30’s.

From Bewdley, we headed into Shropshire and the village of Highley, where we were staying at another CAMC CL, Little Netherton. It’s a lovely site, a short walk from the village with great views, but please use caution if you have a long rear overhang 😉 as the driveway is a little steep. We parked up in a neighbours driveway and were guided in by the Owner’s son and out by the owner, John. Unfortunately, we had to leave a little early as we had a poorly Reg.

A couple of days before, as the weather heated up, Reg began to be a little lethargic (well, we all were), but then he had a cut in his mouth, so we contacted a vet and were able to get him an appointment, but it was near our next site, which we were able to check in to early. In true dog fashion, as the weather cooled slightly, we noticed Reg started to perk up, but… it’s better to be safe. We arrived at the Vet in Alsager, Cheshire and he was seen by a lovely lady, who couldn’t see too much wrong. Probably a combination of heat and the stick he likes to chew up. We were advised to keep him on soft food for a couple of days and come back if he didn’t improve. We’re glad to say he’s made a full recovery and is back to being the cheeky pupster!

On the bright side, the reason we had booked the site – another CAMC CL, at Halmer End, Stoke on Trent – The Lodge, was it’s location to an Indian Restaurant, called Latif’s. Latif has a YouTube vlog and Ric follows his recipes online. The Restaurant also does take-away and is located a stones throw from the Vet! The CL is located alongside a bigger campsite, with its own fishing lake, free to fish with your booking. Nearby is Bateswood Nature Reserve and a memorial to the Minnie Pit Disaster, which occurred in 1915, killing 155 men and boys and 1 rescuer. In addition, it is about ten minutes from the M6, so an ideal stopover north or south.

We’re continuing our journey north, tomorrow, with our #oneyear late tour about to begin. Taking our time, has allowed us to head up to Scotland and check the Coronavirus restrictions lifting in each country as we go. We know we’re safe travelling in our motorhome – we don’t mingle too much with people, especially not indoors! But, that’s not really motorhome life anymore in these uncertain times. We can sit outdoors and enjoy the views, and with an extra jumper (or two) we can socialise!

Thank you as always for reading. We continue to hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll be back soon with more news on our trip to Scotland…

Week 3: #oneyearlate – Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire

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Reg at the Saltworkers’ Statue, Droitwich Spa

We’re just catching up on our posts, since leaving Sussex, our WiFi connection has been very slow, so you may be bombarded with updates! We’ve been heading north in a roundabout way through the Cotswolds.

Our first stop of the week was a Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) Certified Location (CL) just outside the village of Newent, Gloucestershire. It’s run by a lovely lady called Michelle and the site has some amazing views. It is close to the Newent Loop cycle route and had the weather been a little better, we would have been out for a ride. There are a lot of footpaths around and we were able to find a new one each day. This is one we’ll come back to.

After Porch House, we headed back to Tewkesbury Abbey CAMC Site, just to recharge and catch up on the laundry! It is such a lovely site that we were happy to return here. We also knew we could get a good curry here – if you’ve followed us for a while you know we like a curry! This site is centrally located in the town and with yet more walks to find but having just under 24 hours here, we knew what we needed to do!

Next, we headed up to Droitwich Spa Marina CAMC CL Site. It’s a little bit behind the Marina, but each time you leave the site, you have a great view of the canal marina and the Droitwich Junction Canal. Droitwich Spa is a place we had never been to before and it seemed to cause some confusion amongst people we mentioned it to as to wear it is exactly, apologies to all locals. Droitwich Spa is located at a junction of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and there is a towpath you can cycle along to Worcester. We walked along the Droitwich Junction Canal into the town itself and discovered that the town is built on the brine springs and there has been a history of salt extraction since Roman times, when the town was known as Salinae. The shop fronts in the High Street also appear very wonky!

After Droitwich Spa,we headed west to Warwick and the CAMC site at Warwick Racecourse. The Racecourse is on the edge of the town and the Grand Union Canal and we headed off on a walk up to the Stairway to Heaven – Hatton Locks, a flight of 21 locks carrying the canal two miles up a rise of 45 metres (148 feet). Having a walk around the town revealed a couple of Victorian post boxes and loads of historical buildings.

We’ve been enjoying our journey, through the places we normally just see on signposts in a desperate attempt to get to our holiday locations. The weather has been particularly nice (except for a drenching we got in Newent)! It seems like summer is on its way.

We hope you and your families are safe and well, we’ll be back with more updates soon. As always, thank you for reading, it means a lot to us.

Our British Adventure Begins…#oneyearlate…Weeks 1 and 2: Canals, Racecourses and the Cotswolds.

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Grand Union Canal

Having waited for the green light from Boris, we have been planning a trip around mainland England and hopefully up to Scotland. We planned to head north following some of the waterways that spread across the country.

After catching up with family, we set off, heading north to the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site at Wyatts Covert, Denham, Buckinghamshire. https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/south-east-england/buckinghamshire/wyatts-covert-caravan-club-site/

There are several footpaths to walk from here as well as a view of the HS2 rail link groundworks. The Grand Union Canal is also about a 15 minute walk away. From the campsite you can watch small planes and helicopters taking off and landing, or you can watch from the side of the runway about a five minute walk away.

From Denham, we travelled north to Leighton Buzzard and a CMC Certified Location (CL) on the Grand Union Canal at Grove Lock Marina, Bedfordshire. https://grovelockmarina.com/ It also has its own campsite in addition to the CL site. We walked along the canal to Leighton Buzzard (once navigating the narrow lock gates, with a very nervy Reg. You can go up river to the next lock at Church Lock and cross over the bridge if you wanted to cycle along the towpath.

After two nights at Grove Marina, we travelled north to Oxfordshire and another CL at Epwell Grounds Farm, outside Banbury. https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/england/oxfordshire/banbury/epwell-grounds-farm/ It was a shame the weather wasn’t more favourable, but the campsite is right on the edge of a Bridleway with routes into Epwell, Shutford and Balscote and despite getting very soggy, the views across the countryside were magnificent.

Heading into week two of our adventure we’re spending more time touring the Cotswolds.

Firstly, we arrived at Moreton-in-Marsh and the CMC site https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/cotswolds/gloucestershire/moreton-in-marsh-caravan-club-site/. We stayed here before, last year before the pandemic locked us down, but we were en route to Harrogate and we didn’t have time to explore, but this time we were able to. The town has a market on Tuesdays and it is a very typical Cotswold-style town. From the campsite you can walk to the Batsford Arboretum or right into the middle of the town.

We were reminded of how we assume that everyone who arrives on a campsite knows what they are doing. Our neighbours arrived in a newly bought VW California. They had been given some information by the seller, but not the correct power lead and as they looked puzzled, we asked if they were ok and they showed us the power lead they had but it was a domestic, 240V plug and not a Commando Plug. They were ok, we ran through a few basics with them and charged their mobile phones, before they headed off on their way the following morning.

Next, we headed west to Cheltenham Racecourse CMC site https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/cotswolds/gloucestershire/cheltenham-racecourse-caravan-club-site/. This site was a little confusing on arrival and with a slight level of disappointment we checked in. The campsite is the car park of the Best Mate Enclosure and on first impression, it looks like a big tarmac car park. However, don’t let first impressions fool you! We had a great pitch, with views over the racecourse (and with the torrential rainstorm we had on Sunday, we were grateful to have been on tarmac). The Wardens were so helpful during our pitch selection and throughout our stay. The weather again had its moments, including the rainstorm. The site itself is a short walk from the town centre, there is a park about five minutes walk away and a footpath runs around the edge of the racecourse.

Our tour will take us further into the Cotswolds tomorrow. As always, thank you for reading. We hope you and your families are well and we’ll be back in touch soon (internet permitting – we’ve been in some of the most wi-fi unfriendly places recently!).