From the moment we arrived at the Delamere Forest Camping and Caravanning Club Site, we knew we were going to have a very enjoyable stay.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/cheshire/northwich/delamereforest

The site staff couldn’t have been friendlier on arrival, full of good wishes when they learnt we were newlyweds, and a good sense of humour.  Just one teeny weeny niggle, we were shown to an area of pitches but given a choice of only 3 apparently larger ones which looked the same size as several other empty pitches.  We were then told it would be preferable to them if we used a certain pitch as some people visited with other families and often preferred to be pitched next to each other.  We don’t think pitches should really be suggested in this manner.  Whether you travel alone or with friends, everyone has preferences.  Anyway, it was no problem when we instead selected a quieter corner pitch with good sunshine.

We sat out for a few hours after pitching up, enjoying the sunshine and a celebratory bottle of bubbly!

Late afternoon/early evening we unloaded the bikes and cycled a short distance (approx. mile) into Oakmere to the Vale Royal Abbey Arms.  A quite traditional pub, the building 200 years old and listed.

https://www.oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/the-vale-royal-abbey-arms-oakmere

We had already looked up and planned to eat at The Fishpool Inn, and so later we cycled a little further on to get there.  We had definitely made the right decision!  The interior is beautiful, cosy, and oozes class!  Even though we were in cycling gear, however, we felt totally at ease and welcome here.  According to the website the place underwent a multi-million pound renovation in 2012/13, and is now one of Cheshire’s most popular gastro inns and has been awarded the much sought after accolade of ‘Best New Pub’ in the UK at The Publican Awards.  We had to try a famous hearty, home-made, hand-crafted pie it sounded just too delicious to resist!

There is also a very good selection of Real Ales, as they serve permanent local ales and a variety of guest cask ales.  Even the toilets, wow! they do say a lot about a place though!  The Fishpool Inn is a must to visit if you stay at Delamere. It is clearly popular so maybe book to be on the safe side although we were seated no problem.

http://thefishpoolinn.co.uk/view-pictures/

The following day we spent cycling in and around Delamere Forest.  The campsite is surrounded by the forest and the visitor centre is just out of the gates, over the railway bridge and to the right.  You can travel to other places from here, including Chester and if we had been staying longer we might have used this service to explore further afield.  However, for our 2-night stay there was more than enough to keep us occupied.

All sorts of activities here for different abilities/interests:-

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/delamere

We opted for a 7 mile bike ride through the forest, making it more 8.5 miles as we took a slight detour from the forest route to call in at The Carriers Inn on the banks of Hatchmere lake for a spot of lunch.   The 17th-century original smithy building is believed to be haunted …

http://www.thecarriersinn.com/

Early evening we cycled back to site.  There is a fish n chip van that visits the site at 5pm on Saturdays, but we didn’t make use of this service as we had already eaten.  We sat out until sun down with cheese, biscuits and wine and playing cards until it became chilly.  Then we decided to cabin up in Jolly after another thoroughly enjoyable break.

Oh, and on our return Suzie had a quick lesson driving and maneuvering Jolly ready to start driving him a little more in preparation for longer journeys.  Exciting!!

Our next trip is back to an old favourite of ours, Ravenglass.  That’s just a few weeks off.

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri