Month: April 2015

Bay View Caravan Park, Bolton-le-Sands

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Early March, we had a relaxing 2 night break at this all year round site.

https://www.holgates.co.uk/bay-view/tents-and-touring-caravans

All sorts of accommodation on offer here.  Tourers, camping pods and statics.  There were lots of touring caravans parked up on seasonal pitches so although the site looked full, there were few people milling around this time of year.  Our pitch was a good size and fully serviced (electric/water/waste).  The higher pitches with views across Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland hills seemed to have been occupied by caravans parked up on a seasonal pitch basis.

We had some relaxing time on site, sitting out in the sunshine (with coats on) playing cards, visiting the site bar and restaurant which served good grub, and having an amble along the coastline, accessed through a gate at the bottom of the site.  We walked to Archers Cafe at Red Bank Farm, approx. a mile and half away, which serves excellent homemade food.  We were also fortunate to see new born lambs in the lambing shed behind the cafe at the time of our visit.

Nice chilled cider and lunch after our walk

Nice chilled cider and lunch after our walk

New born lamb at Red Bank Farm

New born lamb at Red Bank Farm

http://www.redbankfarm.co.uk/index.php/archers-cafe

We walked from there up into the village of Bolton-le-Sands – http://www.boltonlesands.co.uk/

Although we didn’t call in this time, we’ve heard that – http://pottspies.co.uk/ are worth a visit.

All in all an enjoyable couple of days.  Next stop, Bronte Country, Haworth.

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Game of Phase 10 in the sunshine on site

Game of Phase 10 in the sunshine on site

Coastal path walk

Walk along the coastal path

Walk along the coastal path

Park Coppice, Coniston

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Our first trip of 2015 was in early February, back to the Coniston Park Coppice Caravan Club Site.  It is open all year round, but in winter time only the top part of the site remains open.  This was the site we made our maiden trip to in Jolly last March.  See last year’s blog post.    Special memories 😊.

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/caravanclubapps/applications/uk-caravan-sites-and-parks/SiteDetails.aspx?csid=21956

We stopped a couple of times en route.  Once at the Lakeland Motor Museum and again just outside Coniston to enjoy the scenery and take a few photos.

We got some sunny, if chilly, weather during our stay, and again got on our bikes to cycle the local area.  The first evening we cycled to nearby Torver to enjoy some good food and ale at The Wilson Arms.  We’d visited last year and it was nice to return.  We sat outside until it became too cold.  There’s an unusual telephone kiosk aquarium at the front of the pub.  We could hear water, but it took us a while to figure out what it was (and that’s before we’d had a drink!).

The next day we cycled into Coniston and spent time having a look around the area and shops.  Last time we’d visited Donald Campbell’s grave, this time we saw the poet John Ruskin’s final resting place (a much larger and ornate affair!).  We also made a point of trekking up a steep hill to the 16th Century Sun Pub which we’d missed last time.  There are a good selection of ales on draft there.  Bri wasn’t disappointed!

After a full day in Coniston we cycled back to the site via the main road and had tea at The Ship Inn.  It’s a warm and friendly pub and we enjoyed our meal before making our way along a track in the dark back to the site.

We always enjoy Coniston and will return here many times no doubt.  Next stop though, Bolton-le-Sands in March.

ONWARD!>>>>>>

Suzie & Bri

En route up the M6 🚐. Perfect travelling weather.

En route up the M6 🚐. Perfect travelling weather.

Refreshment stop at Cafe Ambio at the Lakeland Motor Museum http://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/cafe.php

Refreshment stop at Cafe Ambio at the Lakeland Motor Museum http://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/cafe.php

Few bites and it's scone. Yum!

Few bites and it’s scone. Yum!

Old AA telephone box at the Lakeland Motor Museum

Old AA telephone box at the Lakeland Motor Museum

Had a look around a 1935-1940 Burlingham Special Langdale Caravan at the museum

Had a look around a 1935-1940 Burlingham Special Langdale Caravan at the museum

Suzie relaxing on site

The Wilson's Arms, Torver ~ telephone kiosk aquarium 🐠

The Wilson’s Arms, Torver ~ telephone kiosk aquarium 🐠

Best seat in the house by an open fire

Best seat in the house by an open fire

16th Century Sun Hotel, Coniston

16th Century Sun Hotel, Coniston

Poet John Ruskin's grave at Coniston. Marked with a large cross made from green slate from the local quarry at Tilberthwaite

Poet John Ruskin’s grave at Coniston. Marked with a large carved cross made from green slate from the local quarry at Tilberthwaite

Our stop on the way back to camp

Our stop on the way back to camp

 

Christmas in Clitheroe

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We spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Jolly, visiting family in Clitheroe.  We stayed at a little gem of a site, the private Edisford Bridge Farm site.  As you can imagine it was pretty empty when we arrived early afternoon on Christmas Day!  It’s located just up the hill from the Camping & Caravanning Club Site at Edisford, which was closed for the season, and right next door to the Edisford Bridge pub which served good pub grub and decent beer 🍻🍴

http://www.edisfordbridgecaravanandcamping.co.uk

On Boxing Day it was Bri’s birthday and we decided to walk to the nearby village of Waddington, approx. 2 miles away (but 4 miles when we took Suzie’s ‘shortcut’).  It was a lovely walk along the back country lanes on a dry, frosty day.   Obviously we ate and drank while out and had a damn good day, visiting the Waddington Arms, Lower Buck Inn, and the Higher Buck.  All quite different pubs but all with warm, friendly atmospheres.

Big thumbs up to this site.  It was our second stay and we’ll be back.

ONWARD!>>>>>>

Suzie & Bri

 

Met this friendly horse on our walk along the back lane from Clitheroe to Waddington

Met this friendly horse on our walk along the back lane from Clitheroe to Waddington

Our first stop, the traditional Lower Buck Inn

Our first stop, the traditional Lower Buck Inn

Birthday bubbles for Bri at the Higher Buck

Birthday bubbles for Bri at the Higher Buck

 

A Dickensian weekend in Grassington, North Yorkshire

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Just before Christmas we returned for a stay at the beautifully scenic Wharfedale Caravan Club Site for the Grassington Dickensian Festival.  This is an annual event held on 3 Saturdays leading up to Christmas, when the village transports you back to Victorian times.  We were glad we visited, it was a full and fun day out.  The atmosphere and entertainment was so enjoyable, with no shortage of food and liquid refreshment too!

More information on this festival can be found at:

http://www.grassington.uk.com/dickensian-festival/4564274306 – check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Grassington is about a 40 minute walk from the site.  There is also a park and ride service (£10 per car) operating from Threshfield Quarry near the site, to prevent traffic difficulties in the village.  The event is very well organised.

I’ve attached some photos that have hopefully captured the spirit of the festival.

We also paid a return visit to the Gamekeeper’s Inn, accessed through the site, during our stay.   Grassington remains a firm favourite with us and somewhere we will return to again and again.  A full list of events throughout the year can be found at:

http://www.grassington.uk.com

Our next trip is back to Clitheroe, this time staying at the private Edisford Farm campsite, because the club site is closed for the season.    We’re staying Christmas Day (visiting family) and Boxing Day (Bri’s birthday).

ONWARD!>>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Arriving into Grassington for the Dickensian day

Arriving into Grassington for the Dickensian day

Bri trying his luck on the very entertaining 'Human Vegetable Machine'!

Bri trying his luck on the very entertaining ‘Human Vegetable Machine’!

The very funny Human Vegetable Machine

The very funny Human Vegetable Machine

Refreshments

Refreshments

Street urchins singing for their supper

Street urchins singing for their supper

Street urchins

Street urchins

Start of the evening procession

Start of the evening procession

Evening procession

The arrival of Joseph and Mary on their donkey

The arrival of Joseph and Mary on their donkey

Visitors can purchase torches and join the procession through the cobbled village streets

Visitors can purchase torches and join the procession through the cobbled village streets

Locals and visitors joining the procession

Locals and visitors joining the procession

Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire

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In mid-November we stayed at the Camping & Caravan Club Site in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. The 85 pitch site wasn’t busy this time of year.  It was clean with good space on pitches.  Some people have commented on the noise from a local refrigeration plant but we weren’t particularly bothered by this.

We had originally booked this site as there was fishing available on the River Ure which runs alongside the site. Unfortunately the fishing pegs and river access were in disrepair and we were informed that this was the last year fishing would be offered at the site.  That said, we still managed a day’s fishing, finding space for our chairs amongst the overgrown river bank.  Didn’t catch much though, just a tiddler (caught by Suzie – yay!).

We didn’t do a great deal.  Spent some time chilling on site but one foggy afternoon/early evening we cycled into Boroughbridge for a look around.  There were a few shops and pubs.  We had a couple of drinks in the Crown Hotel, a traditional coaching inn.  It was clean & well furbished. We then nipped across the road to The Three Horseshoes which was more like your traditional local pub and was bouncing with music, had a good friendly atmosphere and served local ales.  We decided to pick fish n chips up from the Battered Friar on the High Street on the way home and ate them back in Jolly.   No complaints with the food – yum!

Although we enjoyed our stay, its not a site we will be rushing back to for any particular reason, however, it would be an ideal night stop over location when travelling further afield due to it being situated just off the A1 and we might use it for that.

Looking forward to the next outing, returning to Grassington in December for a Dickensian weekend.

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Chair set up - check Line cast in - check Gin & Tonic - check!

Chair set up – check
Line cast in – check
Gin & Tonic – check!

(only) Catch of the Day! We're not sure but think it's a Ruff

(only) Catch of the Day!
We’re not sure but think it’s a Ruff

A skein of geese flying overhead heading South to warmer climes

A skein of geese flying overhead heading South to warmer climes