Touring

Fri: We began our summer 2 week holiday after work, we picked up the ‘van and headed South for York, namely Beechwood. We’ve been here once before, it’s a nice site with good transport access into the centre of York itself. We arrived around 5pm in the rain, following weeks of dry sunny weather and were given the choice of around 5 pitches. We chose our pitch, which was next to where we pitched last trip and began setting up, in the rain! Never mind, once done we relaxed with a bite to eat and settled into the evening.

Sat: The night had some interesting wildlife cries, what with ducks and crows, I think it’s the first time I’ve ever been disturbed and awoken in the caravan. We were enjoying some nice weather again though after yesterday’s blip, so we deployed the new BBQ and cooked bacon and eggs. A quick wash of the ‘van following this and then I headed for Tesco, to pick up an order, mainly of BBQ requirements. Some signes in the car park would be useful – Tesco’s. Simply marking two parking bays as click & collect on the ground is not helpful, when you have a whole car park to navigate with no signs! A little rain finished the evening off.

Sun: A nice lie in and another cooked breakfast. Quite relaxing, a bit of a change from the days of France, where Father’s Day would be spent doing the last leg of the France route, driving for around 6-8 hours! The site got a lot quieter today, with many departures. Weather doing okay but a little cooler.

Mon: Weather a bit miserable, spent the day on-site in the ‘van.

Tue: Glorious weather, BBQ breakfast, then off to York city centre. We took the bus via the park and ride at Monks Cross, very handy. We strolled around but didn’t visit any attractions as most are still pre-booking only. And to be honest, we still felt a little cautious being in the crowds again, so in the heat with our masks on, we called it a day after walking around most of what’s on offer. Returning to the site we enjoyed a paella tea on the Cadac and soaked up the sun for the rest of the evening.

Wed: Superb weather again, in fact a little too hot for me. Stayed on-site all day.

Thu: More relaxing, more good weather.

Fri: Weather a little cooler today but a welcome break for me. Took a trip to Asda to replenish stocks of skin care products, as I’ve done my lobster special again and burnt my legs 🙁

Sat: Picked up the shopping for the second half of our trip to Bridlington tomorrow. Weather glorious again. Site has been full most of the week. It’s a nice site, good facilities and lots to do. We will be back.

• Date: 18th June 2021
• Nights: 9
• Pitch #: 86
• GPS: 53.995806, -1.027584

Approach: A64 > A1237

Another 3 night weekend escape. Back to the lovely site that is White Water Park. We like it here, it has plenty to offer: great walks from the site, Beefeater and supermarket within walking distance from the site, good access to the coast, shops nearby and a marshalling yard for doing some trainspotting! We didn’t venture far this time, simply relaxed.

• Date: 21st May 2021
• Nights: 3
• Pitch #: 27
• GPS: 54.568506, -1.286260

Another 3 night weekend away – still impressed by the extra time, arriving Friday is making such a difference. Weather not brilliant, site the same as always, although the band system has changed for Covid – it’s now 4 in a bucket of Milton, rather than individual bands, as it was on our last trip here.

No time for BBQ breakfasts this time, but the next trip should sort that out. What was different this time however was the fact that we had changed storage sites over the weekend, so would be returning to a new but old place. We are in fact returning to our first storage site, now under a different company however.

• Date: 7th May 2021
• Nights: 3
• Pitch #: 36
• GPS: 54.795747, -1.530499

Mon:
Departed at 7am, a little slower than usual when hitching up, as it has been 7 months since our last outing! A nice simple drive arriving at our inevitable M6 service station, southwaite. We took a break and enjoyed a Greggs bacon buttie and coffee before continuing on our way to the the site. We arrived at the site soon after and were soon setting up as we have done some many times before, although this seems a little bit of a distant memory presently!

The site was open from 9am due to the lockdown, so we arrived suitably at 10.30am, and just as well, as the queues of campers continued to build thereafter! We found our pitch and enjoyed setting up on such a beautiful day. It was a real joy to be back caravanning after such a long break. Everything went well and we were soon enjoying tea, drinks and night time routines!

Tue:
A bit cloudier today, but we still managed a cooked breakfast outdoors whilst enjoying the stunning views of Blencathra. TV signal is practically non-existent, so I put the satellite dish up and enjoyed the numerous Freesat channels.

Wed:
Another beautiful day, breakfast outside again and a walk around the site, following the dog walk and then back along the A5091 returning to the site. A modest walk of about a mile, but enough for today!

Thu:
Stunning weather, breakfast outdoors again – the egg rings are working well! We went for a walk around Derwent Water, simply beautiful, views to die for. This was a good 3 mile hike, thoroughly enjoyable. we returned to base following this and lapped up the sunshine, well Cath did at least.

Fri:
Sounding a bit like France this – but another glorious day! Before the sun became too strong I decided to clean the van on the outside, whilst Cath did the inside. Following this we had our bacon and eggs again, perfection has now been achieved with the egg rings! We did the dog walk again as a bit of exercise and then relaxed for the rest of the final day.

Sat:
We managed to find our ‘pack-up’ routine and proceeded to do a good job of getting ready for the return journey home. Only one little mistake made, we forgot to put on the towing cover! Realising this as we were just exiting the site, I pulled back in to reception to put it on. Then kindly asked the wardens to let us do a farewell drive back through the site – then we were on the way. Southwaite again, this time a Costa breakfast. Very nice, but bloody expensive :-O

The site itself is one of the most beautiful on the network I would say. The views and tranquility make it a perfect getaway. with the weather we had as well, it made it almost feel France like. The toilet blocks are bang up to date, plenty of service points, friendly wardens, good access to Derwent water, Ullswater, Penrith, Keswick – perfect. A great and most welcome start to 2021.

• Date: 12th April 2021
• Nights: 5
• Pitch #: 135
• GPS: 54.616943, -2.956263

Approach: A66 > A5091

The first 3 night weekend getaway, hopefully the start of many more. Weather not good this weekend, so we stayed in the ‘van all weekend, bar doing the All Souls service. BBQ breakfast was had as well, even in the rain and wind!

• Date: 30th October 2020
• Nights: 3
• Pitch #: 36
• GPS: 54.795747, -1.530499

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.

• Date: 3rd October 2020
• Nights: 14
• Pitch #: 70
• GPS: 54.216490, -2.863488

Our fourth visit to Barnard Castle, but to a different campsite as has always been the case here. This time we chose the CAMC site, which is the closest site to the town itself.

We left as usual on Saturday morning, had a pleasant journey down despite all of the roadworks on the A19 and A1. We arrived and set-up on our pitch, this time a serviced pitch, as all standard pitches were booked for this weekend. So, not far to go with the aquaroll! The site is quite small, as a result the COVID-19 restrictions on the toilet block were 2 in at a time. So queues for this weekend were plentiful.

Sunday, we took ourselves out on a walk into Barnard Castle itself. We took the public footpath which runs from the campsite itself, along the beck and directly into the town, where you can cross the river and arrive at the castle. This is a lovely walk and avoids walking the main road, which doesn’t have the best access for pedestrians.

It was a bit windy this weekend, but overall the weather played ball. The rest of Sunday was food and films. Monday, glorious morning, tea and toast outside! Then time to pack up and head home.

A very friendly site, lots of people were happy to speak and the wardens were extremely friendly too. The site is hardstanding pitches only, which is good. There is a playground and dog walk along with all the other usual amenities.

• Date: 12th September 2020
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 27
• GPS: 54.546167, -1.941226

Approach: A66 > B6277

Saturday:
A relaxed start as we’re only a short drive away from the site, where the arrival time is >1pm.

We picked up the ‘van and headed north to the A1 as the A19 was closed due to ongoing roadworks for Testo’s roundabout. A short detour, but it avoided the congestion that would surely be there at the A19.

We arrived prompt at 1pm and checked in. We took pitch 29 and set-up, after a little drama with the motor mover. Keys and bands for the toilet block were given, we are now up to 6 persons allowed in at any one time, an improvement from 3 from the last couple of outings.

We enjoyed the first evening of our first long holiday for quite a while.

Sunday:
Weather not too good so I decided we would visit the ‘Head of Steam’ railway museum in Darlington, which was on the agenda for this trip. Here you can see and learn about the beginnings of the railway in the UK and indeed the world. Covid restrictions are in place so you have to pre-book before going, but that was straight forward. After perusing the museum we walked to Skerne Bridge, the first railway bridge in the world.

Monday:
Humid weather, so a walk along the river Tees was in order. We walked from the site down to Newport Bridge, very pleasant, spotting a few seals along the way. I had planned to cross over the bridge here and return on the other side, but vertigo got me on the stairs and we stayed on the same side!

Weather turning lovely at the evening, following a trip to Asda just up the road, we had ourselves a BBQ – very much reminded us of being in France. The site is very nice, good sized pitches with nice small hedging and lots of flowers. Wardens are very friendly too.

Tuesday:
Weather terrible, so we stayed in the ‘van – did a bit of cleaning and just relaxed.

Wednesday:
Weather improved, we headed out for another walk. This time it was on the south side of the Tees. There are lots of walking opportunities from the site, so scores highly in that respect. Indeed, with cycling, walking, canoeing and access to the seaside for beach and other water activities, this site has a lot going for it.

Thursday:
The best of the waether was to be had today, so we headed out for the coast to Staithes and Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Staithes was very bust, but we managed to get parked and headed down (steeply down) the the harbour. It’s a picturequsque place with a few shops and eating opportunities. We relaxed here for a good hour and then returned to the car (steeply uphill).

The next stop was due to be Saltburn-by-the-Sea. We got there but it has heaving and coudn’t find a place to park. Not surprising as the weather was so good, it’s the summer holidays and it’s a seaside resort! We accepted our fate and returned back to the site, where we walked through the site and took some photos.

Friday:
A relax day as it was our last day, weather not good anyhow, rain and strong winds!

Rant time:
The site doesn’t have a dog walk and states so specifically. However, we encountered numerous dog owners who paraded their dogs around the site, allowing them to defecate/urinate on any available stretch of grass, which are all basically pitch related. This I find annoying and should be something that is reinforced better. Indeed, our pitch had dog excrement on it during our stay.

During COVID-19, as we all know toilet blocks are accessed via wrist bands. Place on entry and collect on exit. The number of times I have been to the block and there are bands outside and nobody inside is unreal. This reduces the capacity of the block no end and causes frustration with campers. The procedure is simple, be more aware and helpful to your fellow campers and use the system correctly!

Site Report:
Very clean well maintained site. Although it’s in an urban environment, you could be anywhere when on site and indeed the nature environments around.

• 97 Pitches
• 16A EHU
• Hardstanding pitches, some fully serviced
• Washblock usual high standard
• Information hut
• Games room (closed COVID-19)
• Children’s playground
• Plenty of service points
• Good non vehicular access to Beefeater, retail park and Asda
• Friendly, hard working wardens
• Easy access from A19

• Date: 15th August 2020
• Nights: 7
• Pitch #: 29
• GPS: 54.568506, -1.286260

Another weekend away, and although we’ve just been here, it was the only option for this weekend as pretty much everything else was booked up! We like the site though, and anywhere is better than nowhere. Weather was actually glorious for the weekend, although we had to pack up on Monday in the rain, but what the heck!

• Date: 25th July 2020
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 36
• GPS: 54.795747, -1.530499

This trip is in memory of our daughter:

Stephanie Ridgwick

7th July 1994 – 2nd February 2020

This was the first day of campsites opening following the COVID-19 outbreak. We were the first to arrive on site at 9am, consequently we received a gift of a bottle of Buck’s Fizz! We bagged our favourite pitch and ran with the emotions of what this trip would bring. Sunday, we went to Durham Cathedral to light a candle for Stephanie.

• Date: 4th July 2020
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 36
• GPS: 54.795747, -1.530499

Approach Video:

• A1 > A690 > Meadow Lane