I'd definitely recommend Braids Caravan Park in Gretna. In my wife's words, "it has the cleanest facilities we've ever used at a site". High praise indeed! The site is a 10 min walk from the centre of town (and stumble back) and just a short drive to Gretna Green where the wedding service was - which by the way was short and sweet - nice!
The following weekend we stayed a little closer to home in a CL Site just outside Fenny Bentley. The weather was fab so we had a BBQ, but there are a couple of nice pubs within walking distance too. Also close by are the Tissington and High Peak trails, and Ashbourne, where we managed a quick burst of 5 geocaches.
That rounds up March.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Redruth and Llandovery
I realised I haven't posted about the last two trips.
During the last week of January I spent five days in Redruth. I stayed at Radnor Golf Club CL site and it is an ideal base for touring the area. You have access to the clubhouse (small but serves meals and has a licensed bar), and the shower block is fine - although it doesn't open until 8am. I was there to visit some of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Sites, and one of the best, Wheal Peevor, is a five minute walk from the site - well worth a visit.
Mid Feb I stayed at a CL site in Cilycwm, just north of Llandovery. It's a beautiful spot, or so the farmer assured me. I arrived after dark and a mist had gathered by morning. There was no phone or TV reception, so that hints at the remoteness. There is a also a really nice little Forestry Commission Wales site a mile up the road - Cwm Rhaeadr. It has short walks, plus a 4 mile mountain biking single track course. I had an early morning walk around it and saw a Buzzard drinking from a pond. I also came away with some nice wildlife recordings.
During the last week of January I spent five days in Redruth. I stayed at Radnor Golf Club CL site and it is an ideal base for touring the area. You have access to the clubhouse (small but serves meals and has a licensed bar), and the shower block is fine - although it doesn't open until 8am. I was there to visit some of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Sites, and one of the best, Wheal Peevor, is a five minute walk from the site - well worth a visit.
Mid Feb I stayed at a CL site in Cilycwm, just north of Llandovery. It's a beautiful spot, or so the farmer assured me. I arrived after dark and a mist had gathered by morning. There was no phone or TV reception, so that hints at the remoteness. There is a also a really nice little Forestry Commission Wales site a mile up the road - Cwm Rhaeadr. It has short walks, plus a 4 mile mountain biking single track course. I had an early morning walk around it and saw a Buzzard drinking from a pond. I also came away with some nice wildlife recordings.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Lee Valley Camping and Caravan
Having booked tickets for the Spurs v Wolves game Lee Valley Camping and Caravan site seemed the logical choice for a base. It was £12 (no elec hook up) for one night (me and soon to be 8 year old Benji) and the facilities are very good, especially when you compare it to many CL sites. There's a little shop on site with all the basics. It is also right next to a reservoir and had we had the time we would have had a walk round.
It was a cold night, but the eberspacher heater more than coped - in fact I woke up at midnight and had to turn it down because it was too hot!
In the morning we caught the train from Ponders End down to Tottenham Hale and then the underground (Victoria Line) into London for an all-to-short morning visit to the Science Museum and Hamleys.
It was Benji's first visit to White Hart Lane and we loved it. It was a shame we only drew, but you can't have everything. Wolves parked the bus and we didn't put enough pressure on their keeper.
The best bet for traveling back to the campsite from White Hart Lane is either the train from Northumberland Park to Ponders End (then a 10 minute walk back to Lee Valley) or catch the 279 Bus to Bounces Road and then the W8 service to Lee Valley.
It was a cold night, but the eberspacher heater more than coped - in fact I woke up at midnight and had to turn it down because it was too hot!
In the morning we caught the train from Ponders End down to Tottenham Hale and then the underground (Victoria Line) into London for an all-to-short morning visit to the Science Museum and Hamleys.
It was Benji's first visit to White Hart Lane and we loved it. It was a shame we only drew, but you can't have everything. Wolves parked the bus and we didn't put enough pressure on their keeper.
The best bet for traveling back to the campsite from White Hart Lane is either the train from Northumberland Park to Ponders End (then a 10 minute walk back to Lee Valley) or catch the 279 Bus to Bounces Road and then the W8 service to Lee Valley.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Start as we mean to go on
Although this post is almost a week late, we saw the new year in next to Spurn Head - the sandy spit at the mouth of the River Humber. The Crown and Anchor pub beside our CL site was perfect for a meal and few quiet beers.
In the morning we drove the 3 miles to the tip of Spurn Head and had a great walk along the shore and through the Marram Grass to circle the only full time lifeboat community in Britain. Luckily the weather was kind - I imagine it can get a bit wild! We didn't see many birds though (it's a nature reserve by the way).
What made this even more special was a) the amazing sunset we had on new year's eve and b) we didn't even know of Spurn Head 48 hours earlier. We just decided spending new year on the east coast was a good way to start the year, and through a process of elimination of available Caravan Club sites we found ourselves there. The site we stayed at was fine, but the toilets didn't pass my daughters stringent test i.e. she peered through the door and said "no!". I have to admire her standards. There are plenty of other sites to choose from when we no doubt return. Although it does make me wonder whether I need to revisit the idea of having our own loo on board.
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