Austria 1: On the way

4 to 7 June

Autobahn 

After a three and half year lull in travels in Europe we are off on a five week trip to Austria, which was always on our "must visit" list but was escalated as a result of the high praise of our friends Hazel and John.

We had an overnight stop at Bearsted CMC (if there was a loyalty card, we would surely qualify for a free night here!) before an early morning shuttle and we hope we are compliant with any requirements now we are no longer a member of the EU. Our passports have a long validity, we are proudly bearing a UK sticker and are not carrying any meat or dairy products. The fridge is very bare. 

Waiting to be called for the shuttle

The call for our shuttle was delayed by 15 minutes and we were hauled over for "security". Apart from swabbing the steering wheel and asking if the gas was turned off we were oblivious to what the purpose was. There were certainly no questions about foodstuffs! And no delays at British or French passport control. Once in France we stopped at a Leclerc supermarket to stock up the fridge, ate a sandwich in the car park and carried on, getting back into the groove with the foibles of the peage.  And it made me smile (again) when I was reminded that the A26 motorway is called L'autoroute des Anglais.

We arrived at Camping Chalons en Champagne at around 6 pm. It was very full and we were offered one of two disabled pitches. Probably the closest we have ever been to a facility block. We have been here before (2016) - it is a convenient overnight stop, but not a site we would recommend. John suĝgested we had dinner at the so called restaurant but it seemed to be a one man band and several people were waiting so we catered for ourselves. We recently purchased a Remoska, (low wattage cooking device) and have been very pleased with it so far. On this occasion it produced a very good risotto.

Camping Chalons en Champagne

We got away early next day (6 June) and drove a short distance through rural France with fields of poppies (I was itching to take a photo but there was nowhere to pull over) to rejoin the A4 motorway heading east. As we passed through the Foret d'Argonne the temperature was already 20 deg C. I was a little confused as the junctions have been renumbered since our road atlas of France was published in 2019.

We commented on the good quality of the road surface on the motorways (perhaps there is no word for pothole in French!). And France is so much better prepared for EV charging than we are. At services there were banks of charging points for 16 vehicles.

EV charging facilities on a French motorway

We stopped at a convenient service area for lunch, taking our picnic to a table in the shade of the trees. Lovely. 

Lunch in the shade

However we were later to pay for this little pleasure, when we got snarled up in a two hour twenty minute delay on the A8 near Karlsruhe. However, discipline seems to be much better in Germany than in the UK in these circumstances. Lanes 2 and 3 automatically pulled as far apart from each other as possible creating a way through for emergency vehicles. And hardly anyone attempted to change lane.

The final straw was to find that the junction we needed to exit was closed as a section of the eastbound mototway is being rebuilt. So we were rather late arriving at the site (7pm) but within half our hour we were on our way to the Italian restaurant three minutes walk away. The pasta dishes and beers were very welcome.

A welcome beer

Camping Aichelberg was otherwise a good choice; although the camping area is not very pretty, the facilities are first class and freshly baked rolls and croissants are available from 8 am.

Camping Aichelberg

After breakfast outside we set off on the final stage of the journey to Austria. Sadly we had to head back towards Stuttgart to get onto the motorway and it was slow through the roadworks.

Towards Munich we passed a solar farm, but instead of being installed in a level field, they followed the contours of the land. It looked strange, but I suppose it increased the overall efficiency.

Finally we crossed the Austrian border, drove around the edge of Salzburg and arrived at Campingblick Wolfgangsee. It's a beautiful spot, nestled among the mountains by the  lakeside. We look forward to exploring over the next few days.

Bearsted and Henley on Thames

20 to 26 March 2023

A Farewell to Kings

The van had been serviced and the tyres, which were beginning to show signs of age, had been replaced so we needed to plan a "shake-down" trip prior to starting the motorcaravan season. It was also time to visit Mum in Kent, and how about meeting up with Barbara and Clive? Seeds were being sown ....

Sadly the weather forecast was not looking great, but as we know, there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing!  I was dropped off at Mum's in Charing and John took the van to Bearsted CMC to spend the night there. Next morning Mum and I used my sister's car to drive up to Bearsted to have coffee in the van (a change of scene for Mum) then all three of us went to Lenham in the car for a fish and chip lunch at The Square Fish Cafe, a favourite. We spent the afternoon at Mum's and John returned to Bearsted that evening by bus. After collecting John next morning we took Mum shopping and had lunch at her cottage. Later that afternoon both John and I boarded the trusty 10X to get back to the van.

In the meantime we had had a message from Barbara to say that Clive had Covid so they would not be going to Tenby as planned and not meeting up with us either. Disappointing, but that's the way life continues to be.

On Thursday morning we left early as we wanted to stop off at NT Ightam Mote, a 14th century moated manor house, on our way to Henley. We managed a brief walk around the gardens before the rain started and then went inside the house. It has had numerous owners over the years, each making changes to suit the current fashion or their needs. So the house has 700 years of history, architecture and stories under one roof.

We arrived at the CMC site at Henley around 4 pm and it was fairly full, with remaining pitches being close to the road, which means it is very noisy. But it is not a big site and other pitches are probably not any quieter.

We had booked tickets online for Windsor Castle for Friday and parked at Alexandra Gardens in the overflow coach park for the staggering sum of £14.50 for five hours or more. Could we still afford a cup of coffee before going into the castle?  

A ten minute walk took us to the castle and the sun shone for a while to put blue skies into our photos. Draped with cameras and audio guides (free!) we went into St George's chapel first. The roof of the nave, the stained glass windows, and the carved wood of the Quire were all beautiful and I found it moving as we slowly filed past the vault where George VI, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II lie together. The services at the chapel are open to the public and I thought it would be good to visit again to do that and experience the organ and choirboys in full flow.

The State Apartments were many and splendid and the audio guide gave a brief summary for each room, which was very useful, as it had been in the chapel.

After lunch in the undercroft (coronation chicken sandwiches seemed appropriate!) the final item to see was Queen Mary's dolls house, which was a gift to her from George V on behalf of the nation to showcase British craftsmanship.

On the way back to the van we had to shelter from hailstones beneath The Arches, under the railway line largely turned into industrial units.  And it was a very wet drive back to the site. But we had escaped other showers during the day by being inside so we had not done too badly.

Saturday was sunny and quite warm and we walked into town to find The Chocolate Cafe by the river for coffee and hot chocolate, both excellent. 

We deserve many brownie points for resisting all the delicious cakes in the chiller! Our walk along the river was cut short at Marsh Lock, where the bridge was closed for repair, but we enjoyed watching and taking photos of the white water canoeists battling in the water gushing through the sluice.

Lunch at Cafe Rouge set us up for the walk back to the site, where we relaxed reading the newspaper.  The weather of Sunday morning was exactly as forecast, wet. We didn't have far to travel home and had missed out on an hour's sleep last night due to putting the clocks forward, so we didn't rush up but were still home soon after midday.

Cropredy

 August 11 - 14 2022

Meet on the ledge

It was a spur of the moment decision, back in January; we saw an advert for the Cropredy Festival in the Saturday paper, and decided to book. We’d been to the Cambridge folk festival a couple of times, but only day visits, so this would be our first full-on festival experience. As a bonus, it is held only about 40 minutes away from Stratford, just north of Banbury.

The festival has been run since 1979 by the legendary folk-rock band Fairport Convention, growing over the years to encompass a lot of genres other than folk music. As the weekend drew closer, we could see it was going to be one of the hottest of the year – unusually for a festival, we didn’t pack our wellies!

On arrival at 11.00am, we were directed to pitch in field 7a; there being about 10 camping fields, some for tents and small campervans, others for larger units. The initial impressions were good; it was well organised, volunteers were friendly and helpful, and there seemed to be plenty of (clean and smart) toilets in the field. The music didn’t start until 4pm on the first day, so we had plenty of time to get organised before taking the 10-minute walk to the arena, which was visible and audible from our pitch. After a long, but swiftly moving, queue for our wristbands (for entrance/exit over the 3 days), we were in the arena in time for the first act.

All set up in the field

The stage and arena were visible from our van

The field was sloping, so even further back (as we were) there was a good view of the stage and screens. Both sides were lined with every manner of food stall, from Nepalese, through Jamaican, Mexican, and Chinese, to yer basic fish’n’chips, and the huge beer tent run by Hook Norton brewery. The rear of the field was full of children’s activities, for this is very much a family festival. It was not uncommon to see 3 generations of a family together. Although we were sharing the field with about 20,000 others, everyone was very respectful of other people’s space, and we never felt hemmed in. With the afternoon heat now over 30 degrees, Ruth retreated to the van for a while, returning after sunset; the ageing hippy of the family felt that there was too much good music to miss…

The first evening gave a good indication of the mix of music; Fairport Convention opened the show with a short acoustic set; we had reggae from Edward II, ethereal Celtic music from Clannad, with the beautiful voice of Moya Brennan, and rounded off by the veteran record producer Trevor Horn and his band recreating a string of 80’s hits with which he had been involved.

The next morning, we walked along the Oxford canal, which cuts through the festival grounds, into the village of Cropredy. The canal was lined with boats, many of which were the homes of craftspeople; John entered into the festival spirit by buying a leather wristband. 

Along the Oxford canal

The village embraces the festival; houses were decorated with scarecrows for the village scarecrow festival, the school and community centre were selling breakfasts, the two pubs were busy, with live music, and there was generally a welcoming feeling. Over the years the festival has raised money for many local charities, including the purchase of a new bell for the village church – appropriately named The Festival Bell.

Turin Brakes on stage

Over the next two days the temperature was due to hit 35 degrees, so on both days we went to the arena about 2pm, even though the music started at midday. Again, Ruth retreated to the van during the heat of the late afternoon. The variety of music was incredible; the passionate singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, Irish jigs from the great accordion player Sharon Shannon and her band, bawdy humour from The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican, 70s prog-rock from Steve Hackett and Genesis Revisited, indie rock from Turin Brakes, and the American hippy rockers The Slambovian Circus of Dreams. As is normal, Fairport Convention closed the festival on Saturday night. At the end of the rousing set, the thousands in the arena joined in with the traditional closing number “Meet on the ledge”, the sound carrying over the moonlit fields.

Anticipating a rush, we were up and away early on Sunday, and home by 9.30am! Would we do it again? Definitely.

 

Meet on the ledge, we’re gonna meet on the ledge,

When my time is up, I’m gonna see all my friends….

Somerset (2)

 June 28 - July 3 2022

Strawberry fields forever

Tuesday 24 June, time to move on!  But only 7 miles up the road to the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Cheddar.  John had agreed to a quick trip into Wells before we left so that I could buy a pair of shoes I had seen in a wonderful, independent shoe shop, Basil Powell Shoes.  Then we drove to the Cheddar Reservoir, just beyond the site, for lunch in the van and a walk beside the reservoir as far as the sailing club.  By this time we were well beyond the 1 pm check in time so proceeded to the site to get settled.  There was just time to walk into the town to get our bearings and suss out the various restaurants for a future evening (evenings?) before returning to the van for dinner and the onset of rain.

As lovely as most Club sites are, this one doesn’t quite match the Wells Touring Park.  The layout on the side where we are pitched seems rather like a car park, whereas the Wells site was much more open and greener with a view over the surrounding countryside.  But on the plus side, the Cheddar site is closer to town.

The weather has definitely taken a turn for the worse.  We planned to have a cycle ride this morning (Wednesday), along the nearby former railway known locally as the Strawberry Line. but just as we were ready to leave, the heavens opened.  Not to be thwarted we waited until the rain had passed then cycled along the Strawberry Line (access is about half a mile from the site) as far as Axbridge, just a couple of miles away.  We had read about a good tea-room there, The Almshouse Tearoom, which was located on the High Street and hard to miss.  It turned out to be not only a tearoom, but a second hand bookshop too, although it was difficult to have a good browse in the rather cramped space.  There was seating downstairs, upstairs and in a courtyard.  Another heavy shower was just coming to an end as we left, to head back to the site.  More rain fell as we deliberated over lunch how to spend the afternoon.  We decided on a short walk to Cheddar Ales, where John and I had flights (3 x one third pints) of ales and ciders respectively.  We sat chatting outside to a couple who were also on the CMC site, comparing notes on trips to New Zealand.  Suddenly it was four fifteen and we had missed the opportunity to buy any ale or cider as the bar closed at four o’clock.  Very sad.  We’ll just have to pop back sometime in the next few days.

What a lovely surprise to wake up to a blue sky and sunshine this morning (Thursday).  As it was forecast to stay dry all morning, we decided to have a walk to view Cheddar Gorge from above.  It was a fairly steep hike, partly through woods, but the 180 degree views over the gorge itself, Glastonbury Tor, Brent Knoll, Cheddar Reservoir, Bridgewater Bay and Hinkley Point power station under construction, were magnificent. 

Panoramic view from the top of the Gorge

Looking along the Gorge

The gathering storm...

Trouble was, we could see dark clouds and heavy rain looming.  It might just miss us, but best head back.  Two thirds of the way down the weather arrived, not just rain, but hail stones too (it’s June for heaven’s sake!) and despite sheltering under trees, we got soaked.  Back in the van we dried off, changed clothes and warmed up with cup-a-soup and didn’t venture out again until the evening when we walked into town to the Indian restaurant, Spice Village.  And it stayed dry all the way there and back!

Friday 1 July: time to give the cycles another outing.  We drove through Wedmore, which looked a delightful village with lots of amenities, to the Avelon Marshes Visitor Centre, where there was plenty of parking and no height barrier, and picked up various leaflets about the nature reserves.  A two mile cycle ride passed along the Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve to RSPB Ham Wall, where the parking would have been even better for a motor home (but refreshments more limited – take your choice!)  After a picnic lunch we sought shelter from a heavy shower beneath the canopy of the RSPB hut and chatted to one of the volunteers.  I have always wanted to come to Ham Wall in the winter to see the starling murmurations and the volunteer reminded us how busy it gets then and that it’s necessary to bag a parking space at about 2 pm.  

Ham Wall

From Ham Wall we walked along part of the Ham Wall loop and to various bird hides.  Throughout the time we spent on the marshes we saw great white and little egrets, herons, cormorants and two juvenile marsh harriers (confession: we had those pointed out to us!) as well as coots, swans and numerous female ducks of indeterminate type.  Unfortunately we didn’t spot the bitterns which three people said they had seen.  A really enjoyable day rounded off with a barbecue, courtesy of John, back at the site.

Today, Saturday, was always forecast to be grim so it was a conscious decision to spend much of the day in the van.  But we did manage a quick walk to Sainsbury’s to stock up supplies before the rain set in.  Then we enjoyed reading the paper over hot chocolate / coffee and croissants and later on a full English brunch.  Sorry about all the washing up John!  The weather gave me a good reason to watch more Wimbledon matches in the afternoon.  By 4.30 the rain seemed to have stopped so we went out for a walk through Cheddar Gorge, identifying where we had stood on Thursday to take photographs looking down into the chasm.  This time the photos were looking up and I think you appreciate the size of the gorge more from down below.  

While we were out we bought some Cheddar cheese to sample when we get home, just as the shop was closing.  As delighted as we were to see a clear blue sky at about 8 pm, it was also very annoying.  A bit of sunshine earlier in the day would have been much appreciated.

We spent our final day on the bikes, cycling on the Strawberry Line again but further this time, although we did stop in Axbridge for coffee.  Not at The Almshouse Tearoom, which was closed, but at Ripleys Antiques, which also provided a tasty bacon toastie.  Apologies, I am beginning to sound like a guide book for tearooms!  The beginning of the cycle trail is narrow, windy and not well maintained in places but gradually improves, then uses the road on each side of Axbridge, after which if broadens and is a much more pleasant ride.  It proved to be very popular with both cyclists and walkers, many with dogs. You just need to take care in a couple of places where it crosses busy roads.  We passed by Winscombe before arriving at Sandford, where there is a Railway Heritage Museum comprising a restored station building with an array of railway artefacts and several pieces of rolling stock outside, including a locomotive which had worked at the nearby quarry. 

On the return leg we were enticed by a sign to leave the trail to cycle into Winscombe and find The Pantry for another coffee.  Further delights were on offer; different flavoured Victoria sponges and mini quiches, all home-made. It seems our current philosophy is to support local businesses, so we came away with a quiche to supplement our picnic.  Just before rejoining the trail, we came across a tiny garden, which had been designed and made by local boys as part of a Duke of Edinburgh project, funded by the Parish Council.   It was a good spot to demolish our lunch before getting on the bikes again.  There is a 200 yard (or so) tunnel between Winscombe and Axbridge and on the return leg we remembered to switch on our rear lights and use our phones’ flashlights as illumination at the front.  Axbridge was having Open Gardens this weekend but we resisted the temptation to stop; there was also a large gathering of people in the centre of the town and a band had just started to play, but we weren’t sure what that was all about.  Once back at the site it was lovely and sunny so out came the chairs for the first time at Cheddar, although I admit I had a catch up on Wimbledon first of all.  Home tomorrow, with a probable stop at Gloucester Services for a comfort break and change of driver.

Somerset (1)

June 22 - 27 2022

 Oh Well(s)

Life had been rather hectic prior to 22 June.  Mum had been to stay, involving two return trips to Kent, Louise and Connie had visited as bookends to their Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire trip and Chris and Ben came across for one night too, so that Chris and Louise could have a bit of time together. So we really did feel in need of a break.

We broke the journey to Wells with a stop at Gloucester Services, which rather impressed us.  It’s under the same ownership as Tebay, but was considerably quieter and the hot lunch was good.  So no cooking was required on arrival at the site.  On arrival at Wells Touring Park we received a friendly welcome and were directed to an elevated pitch at the back of the site.  It was hot and sunny and we anticipated setting up camp quickly and then relaxing in the sunshine.  However, things went awry pretty quickly.  The pitch had a fair slope to it, so out came the ramps and John prepared to ascend; I was certain we needed the top step.  We didn’t fully appreciate the effect that the downward slope of the pitch and thick gravel would have; after reaching the top step, the weight of the van was too much for the edge of the ramps and they catapulted, creating a sort of spring between the rear of the front tyres and the underneath of the ‘van.  The ramps and van were locked solid.  We were very lucky that the site warden had a scissor jack and he valiantly jacked up first one side of the van, then the other, so that we could remove the ramps, which had remarkably suffered no permanent damage.  From that point on we settled for the middle step of the ramps and put up with the fact that we still weren’t level.

Once that little hiccup was behind us, Wells Touring Park proved to be the relaxing place we needed.  It’s an adults only site and is also designated a Tranquil Park and indeed it is.  There is a bus stop right outside the entrance for easy travelling in either direction.  Site facilities include a bar, The Lounge, and a grill barrow, from which the warden produces a limited menu on Friday and Saturday evenings and bacon baps on a Sunday morning.  We appreciated having the bar and patio as a meeting space to chat to other campers, but not the beat of Heart FM transmitted to the toilet block, morning, noon and night!  In view of the age profile of the campers, Classic FM would probably have been more appropriate!

We made several trips into Wells, which is only 30 minutes walk away or ten minutes on the bus.  It is the smallest city in England and has many individual shops, such as Absolute Cards, and cafes to tempt you.  On the first occasion we walked in, having looked at an old timetable on the internet and arriving at the bus stop at the wrong time. As a reward for this we had coffee at the Bishop’s Palace Cafe, and then walked around the perimeter of the Palace Gardens beside the moat, admiring Vicars’ Close, believed to be the only complete medieval street left in England. It was designed to provide communal accommodation for the Vicars’ Choral, who sang daily worship within the Cathedral and this tradition continues today.  The current occupants still include all twelve men of the Vicars’ Choral, recognised as a world-class choir, plus the organists and vergers.  We learnt on a subsequent visit to the Cathedral that “vicar” actually means “substitute”.

Vicar's Close

A ploughman’s lunch at Kitty Banks on Market Place revived us before getting our two for one tickets (courtesy of Gardeners World) to visit the interesting Bishops Palace Gardens.  These include the ruins of the Great Hall, formal gardens, and the wells, from which the town gets its name.  We had an interesting guided tour of the Palace and Chapel before returning to the camp site by bus, having picked up an accurate hard-copy timetable at the bus station.

Cathedral from the Palace gardens

Palace Interior

Walls and moat around the Palace

The site is very close to Wookey Hole Caves, which we had intended to visit, but on reflection we decided that it was more of a day out for families and instead opted for a relaxing morning on the site, with an afternoon trip back to Wells on the bus to visit the Cathedral.  Unfortunately, the bus was late which meant we had missed the last Cathedral tour of the day, but we picked out the main sights ourselves, including the coffee shop!  The nave, with its scissor arches and ornate ceiling, was most impressive.  

Wells Cathedral

Likewise, the stained-glass windows and the beautiful, octagonal Chapter House, where clergy used to meet to transact Cathedral business and which, in fact, was used again during the Covid 19 pandemic, because its size facilitated social distancing.  Our cathedral visit ended by attending Choral Evensong before hailing a taxi to take us back to base (well, it was raining, the last bus had gone and it would have been most unpleasant to walk!

The East Somerset Railway beckoned on Saturday.  We rode on the first train out at 11 am, covering the 5 mile return trip in about 35 minutes.  There is no spectacular scenery to delight you; you must just sit back and enjoy the smell of the smoke and the clickety-clack noise from the rails.  

Our train...

...and the old ticket office

There was plenty to see at the station, such as an original W H Smith kiosk, museum, old ticket office and waiting room and engine shed.  Many photos were taken before heading back to the site, via Morrisons, and then enjoying a pre-dinner drink outside The Lounge, dinner being provided from the Grill Barrow.

We had noticed Milton Lodge Gardens on the WellsSomerset website and set out to find them on Sunday afternoon.  They are reached via a narrow road and an even narrower track once on the property.  Anything wider than a van conversion would not have got between the concrete pillars.  Parking is on the grass on either side of the track.  We were delighted to find out that the gardens are part of the Gardeners World two for one offer, so our card was used for a second time.  There is usually tea and cake on offer, but sadly not on our visit, due to other family commitments.  The first delight was the spectacular view from the terrace over the Vale of Avalon and Wells Cathedral.  

Paths meander through the beautiful terraced flower beds, woodland garden and arboretum.  Certainly worth a visit.  

From the garden we drove into Wells to double check the quality of the coffee and cake at the Bishops Palace cafe!  After that it was our intention to do a short walk but we were distracted by the Midsomer Norton and Radstock Silver Band who were playing in the gardens so we decided to listen to their wonderful concert instead.

We spent another enjoyable day in and around Wells on Monday, taking an interesting guided tour around the cathedral in the morning before a delicious lunch at ASK (sea bass and chocolate brownie for me, risotto and cheesecake for John).  Feeling in need of some exercise, we did the two mile walk put off from yesterday which led us away from Wells, up to Tor Hill quarry, down through Tor Woods and back to the Palace.  The herd of cows grazing on our route were a little worrying, but we sidled past them without mishap.

Staffordshire/Cheshire Border

 March 9 - 11 2022

 Living in the past

 Having introduced our grandson to the idea of camping last year, we thought it time to make some proper arrangements for accommodating grandchildren in the van. We had been aware of the Cabbunk system for a number of years, and decided to get one fitted by the business itself, rather than do it at home. As we were taking the van up to the Stoke on Trent area for the fitting, it seemed like a good idea to add a couple of days on and make a trip of it.

We arrived at the home of Richard, the designer/vendor of the system late morning, and he quickly had the uprights measured and in position. He is a very knowledgeable and friendly chap, and a motorhomer himself, so we spent an enjoyable hour over a cup of coffee, nattering about trips and places to stay. The system looks simple to put up and take down, and stows neatly in a bag.

We had booked a site at Mow Cop, Castle Camping, intending to check in and then go for an explore. However, a series of road closures meant we ended up driving past the car park for Mow Cop Castle, so decided to stop for lunch and see the castle. The building is actually a folly, dating back to 1754, and now managed by the National Trust. Although fairly bright, it was incredibly windy when we reached the top of the hill; we had to shelter behind a wall to be able to take photos.

Not just the castle, but the campsite a short distance away, are high on a ridge at the western end of the Staffordshire moorlands, meaning an exposed and windy location. Castle Camping is a C&CC certified site, with a small number of grass pitches, but an excellent facilities block. 

The next morning we headed to the National Trust gardens at Biddulph Grange, where the sheltered location gave a respite from the wind. Created by James Bateman in the middle of the 19^th century, it was a home for the many plant species he brought from around the world. Sadly, we weren’t visiting at the best time to see the floral displays, but the different garden areas still provided plenty of interest, including a Chinese Garden and a Himalayan Glen. A novel facet was the NT volunteers stationed at various points around the gardens; we are used to that inside a stately home, but not outside.

Chinese Garden

Himalayan Glen

The wind was still strong that evening (enough to blow the large rear doors of the van closed) and the forecast for the next day was rain in the afternoon and evening. Therefore, we decided to shorten the trip by a night, but still use the morning for a further visit in the area. Just 4 miles away is another National Trust property, Little Moreton Hall. Near enough, if fact, that we were sitting in the car park the next morning waiting for the building to open.

Little Moreton Hall was built as a statement of wealth by the Moreton family in Tudor times. Never modernised, and slightly crooked due to the marshy ground on which it sits, the hall is slightly different to most NT properties. The ever-helpful and knowledgeable staff gave us a good insight into life 500 years ago. The clouds were gathering as we finished our tasty bowl of soup in the café, meaning a wet journey back to Warwickshire that afternoon.

The Welsh Marches (2)

Sep 8 - 11

How green was my valley

Wednesday, the day to move sites.  We had heard or read somewhere that there was a good farm shop quite close to the site, so we headed there for some provisions (and coffee/hot chocolate of course!).  A red teapot was also purchased and John almost bought a cap, right size, wrong colour.  We stopped off at Eardisley, village number four, to have a wander along the main street and to poke our nose inside the church to see its 12^th century font. 

Eardisley

Eardisley Church...

...and font

More local friendliness came our way – a gentleman asked if we realised the road was being closed imminently for resurfacing – and so we beat a hasty retreat to the van.  And as we drove away, we did indeed see many contractor’s vehicles heading into the village.  Lucky escape!

Kington should have been our final port (village) of call, but we didn’t find anywhere to park so continued on our way.  In our path was a single decker bus with hazards flashing, which we assumed had broken down, but a policeman appeared out of nowhere to explain that a wide load (turbines) was travelling in the opposite direction and we needed to wait until it had pulled into a field up ahead.  His five minute estimate was rather optimistic but then we were on our way again, looking for somewhere to stop for lunch.  We found a picnic spot off the A44 just beyond New Radnor and then drove on to the Wyeside site at Rhayader.

First impressions of this site were good; open, level, well-maintained, good facilities, with red kites flying overhead.  Just a shame the good weather was about to come to an end.  The site is just a six minute walk from the town so we paid a quick visit to get our bearings

As forecast, there was some heavy rain on Wednesday evening and first thing on Thursday, but then it dried up so we spent a couple of hours on the riverside walks by the Wye.  We had lunch at the van, while the heavens opened, then pottered about during the brighter afternoon.  That is unfair to John who, as well as doing the usual “blue” jobs, spent a bit of time with a couple on the pitch next door but one.  They were in a hired a van conversion and were having trouble with their gas supply and TV aerial.  A bit of research on my part found a nice pub just outside the town centre, The Triangle Inn, where we were able to book a table for an early dinner.  It was a temporary menu due to staff shortages, but we both found something to our liking and enjoyed our meals.  There was quite a bit of distraction from two little boys aged about four and two who were with their Mum, two other young ladies (aunties?) and Grandma.  John commented that “at least they’re not wasps!” but my response was that at least you can swat wasps!  It was dry on the way to the pub, but oh boy, did we get wet on the way back!  Inevitably the rain stopped almost as soon as we got inside the van.   Grrrrr…..

Friday’s forecast was a bit mixed, but we headed off in the van to Gilfach Nature Reserve, just two miles up the A470.  There was time for a short walk before lunch part way up Wyloer Hill, from which we had some lovely views across the Marteg Valley.  After lunch we were just about to set off on one of the suggested walks when a couple stopped by to say hello.  They also had an Autotrail V-Line like ours and wondered if we were part of the V-Line Facebook Group.  Apparently it is a great source of information.  The male half of the couple has made countless modifications to their van, some of which sounded worth implementing.  Over to you, John!

The Marteg Valley

Falls on the Afon Marteg

We opted to walk the Marteg Valley Nature Trail, half of which follows the River Marteg.  Sadly we didn’t see any Dippers from the hide, but John stopped to photograph a small waterfall and at the mid point there is an ancient farmhouse.  The byre has been turned into a display area, which was quite interesting.  The walk then took us back along the other side of the river, higher up, through woodland, finally following the track bed of the old Cambrian Railways Mid Wales Line.  All very pleasant, and nothing more than a few spots of rain.

The purpose of the stay at Rhayader was to cycle along the reservoirs of the Elan Valley and Saturday’s forecast had always looked best for that.  We drove to the visitor centre, where there is plenty of parking even for motorhomes (£2.50 all day) and then watched an informative film and had a look around the display panels in the shop area, before completing a 30 minute circular walk including a strenuous climb to the top of the first of the four dams. 

While I prepared lunch, John got the cycles off the back of the van and ready to go.  From the car park there is a steady incline towards the second dam.  This part of the trail is tarmacked.  After that it becomes ground chippings, which was a bit more taxing.  The trail runs to the east of the reservoirs all the way to the fourth dam, a total of 8 miles.  However, we could only get as far as the third dam (about 5 miles), as there had been a landslide so you had to divert onto the road. Anyway that was as far as our time would allow.  We were surprised by how low the water level was in the second reservoir and disappointed not to see water cascading over any of the dams, as depicted in the film we had seen.

John and I agreed that it would be good to come back to this area.  We could have explored the Elan Valley a bit more, paid a visit to the red kite feeding station at Gigrin Farm and our neighbours at Wyeside said they had had an interesting visit to the Bryntail Lead Mine near Llanidloes, to the north of Rhayader.  They also sang the praises of its café!  And there are walks galore.  A little bit further away is the Vale of Rheidol Railway from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge which could be a second stopover.  We bought a book of walks at the visitor centre shop so let’s hope we do come back to use it.