Edisford

Edisford Farm Campsite, Clitheroe, Lancashire

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After too many weeks without a Jolly adventure, we finally got away again this weekend with a group of friends on a return trip to Clitheroe.

We stayed at Edisford Bridge Caravan and Camping, a private campsite conveniently located right next door to the Edisford Bridge Pub and just a stone’s throw from the River Ribble.

On site
On site
New facilities block

The site appeared more or less full and our camping party was made up of 6 adults (Mo, Lee, Anne, Laurie and us) and 1 child (Emma), with 2 tents and Jolly.  The weather was wet and dull, but the company was quite the opposite!

We had all come well prepared with plenty of food, nibbles and drink (definitely lots of drink) and basically from the word go on Friday afternoon things quickly turned lively and a really good time was had by all!  Chef Lee cooked delicious steak on Friday night, this was accompanied by a lovely potato salad and bread courtesy of Mo.  Lee used a Cadac Carri Chef portable gas bbq with hot plate to cook all the food, including the breakfasts over the two days.

On Saturday afternoon we all walked off our over-indulgences from the previous day, strolling up into Clitheroe town centre then dropping in at the Holmes Mill beer hall and the new local-produce food hall that has opened there.  Several ales were sampled as ‘thirds’, including Unicorn, Crafty Fox, Hen Harrier, Pheasant Plucker, Blueberry, Cherry Choc (this would be more aptly named ‘Knock Yer Socks Off’), Pennine Best, Mango Decker Dence, and Heart & Soul.

Bowland Brewery ales

The Beer Hall Bible
Studying the menu
Sampling the ales
Bowland Brewery ales
Bowland Food Hall
Bowland Food Hall
Bowland Food Hall

We later walked back to camp and freshened up before finishing the day off with a meal at the Edisford Bridge Pub.

Walk back to site
The River Ribble from Edisford Bridge

It’s usually necessary to pre-book a table in the restaurant as it does get busy especially at weekends.  Each of us made the mistake of having a starter before our main courses and we were all beaten by the meal as the portions are so generous we simply couldn’t eat it all.  Definitely a pub we’ll return to again and again though when over that way and we’d recommend it to anyone without hesitation.

Edisford Bridge pub – 2 mins from site
Walk to pub

Sunday seemed to come around in no time and as a group we gathered for breakfast and the rain finally stopped long enough for the tents to be taken down and packed up before we said our goodbyes after a great weekend.

Jolly providing shelter at breakfast
Jolly providing shelter at breakfast time
Muddy boots
Looks like Jolly has a new fan!
Looks like Jolly has a new fan!

Our next Jolly jaunt is just a couple of weeks away when we’ll be heading back up to the Lake District.

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Clitheroe Food Festival, Ribble Valley, Lancashire

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Sooo, a food festival.   What’s not to like?

We were back in Clitheroe a couple of weekends ago to experience the Clitheroe Food Festival  which we’d been meaning to visit several times but always seemed to have other trips planned.  We made sure that we made it there this year.

We stayed at Clitheroe Camping & Caravanning Club Site .  It’s situated in an idyllic location beside the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge just a mile or so outside the town centre.  We often stay at this site and this time noticed a big improvement in that the old plastic mesh matting pitches have now been replaced with gravel hard standings.  This is a big improvement as this site is so close to the River Ribble it’s prone to water logging and flooding.

Pitched up
Cuppa & angel slice
Fizz n strawberries

Our weekend had begun Friday lunchtime when our nephew, George, who had been staying with us for a couple of days helped us to collect Jolly from storage and joined us on board as we took him back home on the way.

George at Jolly’s storage
En route to Clitheroe

For Friday night, we’d pre-booked ourselves a table at The Red Pump Inn, Bashall Eaves So, after a chilled afternoon on Jolly (it was raining quite heavily outside) we rang for a taxi up to the Red Pump, which is about 2.5 miles outside Clitheroe.  It’s in a peaceful location with good views of the surrounding countryside.

We’d heard before going that the steaks here were top notch, and although there was plenty on the menu that could easily have turned our eyes, noses and taste buds, we both decided to go for a steak.  We ordered a fillet steak with garstang blue cheese sauce and a 90 day dry aged rib-eye steak with chimichurri sauce.  Both were cooked to medium rare perfection, served with tasty chunky hand cooked chips and a side salad. The food portions were just right too, comfortably filling.

In fact, the whole evening was pretty perfect – great staff, service and atmosphere.  We can recommend this one without hesitation.  It made an interesting change for us too as we usually go into Waddington which also has great pubs/restaurants – The Higher Buck, Waddington Arms, and The Lower Buck.

The next day the sun came out of hiding in time for the Food Festival and the town centre was buzzing with a large turnout of people who were treated to a festival offering an impressive display of different food/drink/produce stalls.  There was plenty of live street music, entertainment and food demos too.  This Festival is rated as one of the most successful of its kind in the North West of England and in the top 10 throughout the country, and this was its 7th year.

We enjoyed our afternoon wandering through the town centre then ventured down to another place that put on a great day – the Bowland Brewery at Holmes Mill just down from the town centre.  There were food stalls, their new food hall was open, live music, ice cream shop and of course some great ales to be enjoyed.  For us, this place is an absolute must to drop into whenever we’re over Clitheroe way.

The town’s festival was rounded off perfectly at approx. 4pm when the Red Arrows treated everyone to a fly-over display on their way across to the Blackpool Air Show.  It was a spectacular finish to the event.

clitheroefoodfestival

Clitheroe Main Street

redarrowsclitheroe

Red Arrows Flyover (photo by Zoie Carter-Ingham)

Afterwards, we cycled back down from town to the Edisford Bridge pub which is just over the bridge from the C&CC site.  We grabbed a pint and some tea (because we hadn’t actually eaten at the food festival!?) before heading back to our pitch to await the arrival of a couple of good friends and fellow campers, Mo & Lee, who were coming to see Jolly and have a few drinks with us.

Enjoying the last of the day’s sunshine
Bedtime Zzz …

We sat out for a couple of hours chatting, laughing and drinking before the evening chill finally beat us and we retreated inside Jolly for the remainder of the evening.  Our next outing will actually be back in Clitheroe but a group social gathering with Mo, Lee and another couple..  We’re really looking forward to that one.

Great weekend! 😊  Til next time ..

ONWARD!>>>>

Suzie & Bri

Clitheroe, Ribble Valley

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One of my own shots of Clitheroe Castle against the backdrop of Pendle Hill (c) Polka Shot Photography

One of my own shots of Clitheroe Castle against the backdrop of Pendle Hill
(c) Suzie Coulburn

Clitheroe town centre

Back from a 2-night stay in the beautiful market town of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.  It nestles between Pendle Hill (famous for its witches) and Waddington Fell.  In my totally unbiased opinion this is the most beautiful town in the world … although I was born there and only moved away in 2012!

We stayed at the Edisford Caravan site down by Edisford Bridge through which the River Ribble flows.   The site was clean, almost full yet quite quiet, and sloping in areas but we got a flat grass pitch (No.30) so no chocks required.  No choosing your own pitch though, the warden instructed us where to pitch up.

Edisford Bridge Campsite  Have wheels, will travel!

The site has a miniature steam railway and a 9-hole pitch n putt course but availability depends on whether or not the ice cream van is parked up(!) because that’s where you hire your clubs and balls, and he visits intermittently throughout the day.  Failing that, there is a swimming pool, gym and tennis courts across the main road at the top of the site.

Hungry/greedy ducks

Also, there are nice walks along the river bank or a steady 2 mile walk to the nearby village of Waddington.  We cycled there and sampled a few bevvies at The Lower Buck Inn & The Waddington Arms.  It’s a pretty village well worth a visit.

Warming our tootsies beside a log fire at Lower Buck Inn, Waddington

Clitheroe town centre is about a 25 minute walk from the campsite, and places of interest would include the Norman castle keep & museum, town centre shops particularly the award-winning Victorian Byrnes Wine Shop, Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop, coffee shops, wine bars, gift shops and designer clothing shops.

For us though, this weekend was about catching up with family and involved plenty of food and drink.  On Saturday night we took a taxi into the town centre for a meal with sister, brother-in-law, niece & nephew at La Vespa, an authentic family run Italian Restaurant.  Good food and service.

On Sunday afternoon we had four generations of my family drop in on us to have a look around Jolly.  Surprisingly, at one point all ten of us were inside Jolly, proving how spacious he is!  We then headed out to the Edisford Bridge Pub just a 5-10 minute walk from the campsite, for a late Sunday lunch.  Good pub grub.

Edisford Bridge Pub

Afterwards, the two of us just chilled out and played cards for the remainder of the day then cabined up as the rain set in.

We will return again and again to Clitheroe because of the personal connection, and Edisford Bridge Campsite is a perfectly good place to stay.  Great weekend!

Next stop Englethwaite, Cumbria next weekend.  Can’t wait.

ONWARD!

Suzie & Bri