Meathop Fell CAMC

Sat: The weather was attrocious, we picked up the caravan and headed off. The journey was straight forward, A69 > M6 along with a stop off at Southwaite services. A bit different to the France runs of years previous!

We arrived at the site and were shown where we could pitch. The site was quite full, so the section I had intended to head for was full, consequently we ended up at the bottom of the site, where we ended up on quite a quirky pitch. In order to avoid driving over the grass I decided to use the motor mover. This is where the motor mover decided to die on me and wouldn’t budge the ‘van. Indeed the rollers wouldn’t retract when instructed, resulting in me manually winding them off. All in the pouring rain. So the ‘van hitched back up to the car, I pitched it by a bit of driving over the grass. The rest of of the set-up went as usual, once finished, clothes changed and hung to dry!

Sun: Weather much improved, so we headed out for a walk around the site and part way into Grange-over-Sands.

Mon: Weather still looking promising, so we decided to visit the railway and Windermere Lake. This was accomplished via the Lakeland and Haverthwaite heritage line, which offers tickets which combine a cruise on the lake as well as the train journey. This was all ordered online, which is the norm now during the COVID-19 period. The whole trip is very worthwhile and can fill your whole day or just a few hours, times are flexible so plan as you see fit. Following this we headed for Grange-over-Sands to pick up a few supplies from the express supermarkets there.

Tue: Weather not good, so stayed in the ‘van all day. Managed to do some electronics and consequently managed to fry the microprocessor with the wrong voltage 🙁

Wed: Not raining, so we headed for Canal Foot in Ulverston. This is a walk alongside a disused canal totalling 2.5 miles. It’s a pleasant walk, with a pub if you want to complete the outing with a meal or drink. The canal also incorporates a rolling railway which crossed the canal, allowing boats to pass as the railway rolled back into the canal side. Extra pegs were put in the awning as we are expecting some high winds tonight. The BBQ was set-up with the new pipes and connectors to use the caravan gas, rather than a separate bottle, as Campingaz is getting harder to find, so time to change! TV reception is okay here but not great, so time to put the satellite up as well – if I can get a signal through the trees!

Thu: A nice morning, so an outdoor bacon sandwich was in order for breakfast. With the weather okay, we headed for Crooklands Canal. I thought this was a working canal route, but alas discovered it was disused and not worth walking. So we returned back to base and relaxed. A little research later, I discovered that the Lancaster canal stops north at Tewitfield. So we plan to take a trip there when the weather recovers!

Fri: A trip to Asda in Kendal to restock on certain requirements. Multiple showers weather-wise, so no further outings today.

Sat: Breakfast alfresco again and then a trip into Kendal, this time to look around. We parked at South Lakes Retail Park and then walked into the town itself. I’m pleased to say that the shops in Kendal seem to be holding their own during this economic downturn, most units were still active and open. We perused a few shops before heading back, along with picking up some more bacon for those outdoor breakfasts!

Sun: A trip into Grange-over-Sands in particular to walk the promenade there. There is a car park there for this which is handy and at a reasonable rate of £1.20 for the whole day. Over the railway line by bridge and you’re there. The promenade is bordered with lovely plantation to sheild you from the railway. There are cafes there, plenty of sports and kids parks. Benches all the way, so bring a picnic and enjoy the stunning views across the bay. There is a disused Lido there, which is in the process of being brought back to life – this will simply be stunning when it’s done. Overall, a great day out.

Mon: Rain stopped play today, so a ‘van day it was!

Tue: A trip to Penrith we chose for today. The trip there was a little longer than usual as the A590 was closed due to roadworks. There’s not much in Penrith to report, so we didn’t stay too long. We did visit St Andrew’s Church however, to light a candle for Stephanie.

Wed: We tried an expedition to Tewitfield , the northern point of the Lancaster canal. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t playing ball so we called this off. We returned back to base and did some cleaning of the ‘van.

Thu: We tried the Lancaster canal again and with better success today. We walked a good couple of miles down the canal, passed some moored boats, but alas no locks! Indeed there doesn’t seem to be any locks for quite a stretch. The canal apparently, is going to be extended further north, following it’s original route prior to it being closed due to the construction of the M6.

Fri: Relax day at the site – the final day, the final bacon & egg sandwich for breakfast! A power cut in the evening was entertaining, great everything works off gas & 12v 🙂

Sat: We packed up as normal, it’s not raining at least! Journey home was fine.