River Deep, Mountain High

Snowdon, Welsh Highland Railway and Llangollen Canal, 4 to 8 September

On Wednesday 4th September we decided to celebrate our 37^th wedding anniversary

by ascending Snowdon.  Motorcaravanners note: there is good parking right in front of the station (£7 per day).  The plan was to go up by train and walk down.  However, “the best laid plans of mice and men....” - despite arriving before 10 am, the earliest available train was 3 pm, and, if you walk up, there is no guarantee of a seat on the train to come back down.  So instead we decided to see how far we could get under our own steam (!) and managed two thirds of the 4.5 mile / 1085 metres ascent.  The weather was glorious, the views spectacular and we passed people of all ages on the path (from a baby just a few months old in a sling to a sprightly lady who must have been nudging 70!)

The next day we moved on to our final site, stopping off at the small town of Beddgelert.  We had parked close to the station for the Welsh Highland Railway and noted on the timetable that we could get an 11:30 train down to Porthmadog.  It didn't seem right to leave North Wales without travelling on at least one of the railways, so I twisted John's arm (not difficult) to make the trip.  But there was still time for a cup of coffee and we would recommend Beddgelert Antiques and Tea Rooms (also a B&B and a licensed evening bistro).  Beware! Beddgelert also has a tempting fudge shop! 

The train journey to Porthmadog was very picturesque.  Interesting manoeuvres are necessary at Porthmadog station, as the Festiniog Railway also uses the station, the line coming in from a different direction.  The guard warned us that the train would go beyond the station to the spit of land called The Cob to enable the train to be hauled back into the station by a diesel engine.  On departure, this process had to be reversed.  All very interesting to “my other half”! 

On the return journey,  as it was not too cold, we opted to sit in one of the open carriages and unsurprisingly got covered in flecks of soot!  On passing through one long tunnel the air became hot and thick with smoke, causing spectacles to steam up.  

On arrival back at Beddgelert we had a snack lunch in the 'van we continued our journey to the Caravan Club Site, Lady Margaret’s Park, at Chirk.

This site is highly recommended, although many of the pitches are in shady dells.   It has all the excellent facilities you would expect and is only a 10 to 15 minute walk into the small town, where there is everything else you might need.  The mainline railway station, with trains to Chester and Wrexham, for example, is even closer.  The site is located next to the National Trust property, Chirk Castle, with wonderfully ornate gates, although it is a 1.5 mile walk to the entrance. 

On Friday 6^th we paid a quick visit into Chirk before joining the path by the Llangollen Canal (5 minutes from the site) for a most enjoyable walk to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, built between 1795 and 1805 by Thomas Telford.  It is an amazing structure, which we even summoned up courage to walk across, looking down on the valley 126 feet below!

  http://www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk/en-gb/discover-world-heritage/pontcysyllte-aqueduct/

Having had quite an energetic eight days, Saturday 7^th was designated a “day of rest” but it was also lovely to see Chris and Marie, who stopped by to visit during the morning, as they were in the area. 

To sum up, we found some excellent sites and wonderful places and will do our best to make a follow-up visit.

Castle(s) in the Air

The Great Orme and Caernarfon, 1 to 2 September

The next day (Sunday 1^st) we planned to drive to the western side of Llandudno and climb the Great Orme.    As John was a bit concerned about where we would park Theodora (the UK is not the most friendly place for motorcaravans) we made an early start, but needn't have worried.  There was loads of free parking along the promenade.  We took the “steep, zig-zag route” to the top (and indeed it was just that on both counts!) but reached the top in about an hour and a quarter, contrary to the signpost's allowance of two hours.  At the summit there is an interesting visitor centre and a large cafe / restaurant where we had lunch.  Feeling refreshed, we then walked around the edge of the headland to view the limestone pavement, which is one of the largest examples in the world. 

We descended via the Great Orme Tramway, now in its 111^th year, which is the only cable-hauled tramway operating in Britain and still using the original tramcars.  It was certainly a very interesting place; full details at  http://www.greatorme.org.uk/ 

We then travelled on to the next stop on our itinerary south of Caernarfon, Bryn Gloch Caravan and Camping Park, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, with splendid views. 

This is a lovely site and although it is rather large including some statics and seasonal caravan pitches, it is broken up into separate fields so each area feels quite separate.   The facilities are excellent and very clean.  One point to note is that although it advertises free WiFi, this was so slow it was useless.  The site does not appear to have its own website but is included in many other links.  The Welsh Highland Railway passes through the site (guess who chose this one then!) and the next afternoon we got on the bikes and cycled to the nearest station (Rhyd Ddu) to take some photographs as two steam trains passed through.  This will sound boring to non-enthusiasts, but even I will admit there is something rather special about steam trains!

There is a bus stop right outside the site so on Tuesday 3^rd Theodora had another rest day while we travelled in to Caernarfon.  We found a lovely little tea room run by a Dutch lady (can't remember the name but look for the sign advertising Dutch pancakes!) and enjoyed our coffee in the tiny garden.  Then on to the well-maintained castle, one of Edward I's chain of castles built to maintain control over Wales, which we thought was good value at £6 per person.  http://www.caernarfon-castle.co.uk/ The 25 minute audio visual presentation giving the history of the castle was very informative, as was the exhibition about Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.  Before returning to base we wandered across the river to view the castle from the other side.

North by Northwest

Chester and Bodnant Gardens, 29 to 31 August

Children are now on their way back to school so it must be time to have another break in Theodora.  We had a fairly unremarkable journey up to Chester Fairoaks Caravan Club Site, ignoring the inevitable delay on the A14 and the half-price trip on the M6 toll (courtesy of membership to the Caravan Club).

Despite the site being only minutes walk away from Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet, we managed to steer clear and head for Chester on the bus; the nearest stop is about 15 minutes walk.  Our last visit was probably about 40 years ago!  To refresh our memories, we walked around the city walls, starting at Eastgate, recognisable by its famous clock.

There was racing at the Roodee Racecourse and you get a good (free!) view from the walls.  A few people were installed with folding chairs and picnics.  You will be intrigued to learn that its curious name comes from the old English words, rood, or cross, and eye, or island – meaning literally 'the island of the cross' – and that in the middle of the circuit there is the stump of a medieval cross.  You never know, could be useful in a quiz sometime!  It was also interesting to learn from our leaflet how Chester was, at one time, the second largest port on the west of England and its decline was largely due to the silting up of the River Dee.  A brief walk by the river and a peek into the cathedral filled the rest of our time.

After a second night at Chester, we moved on to a Camping and Caravanning Club Certified Site close to Llandudno, calling at the National Trust Bodnant Gardens on the way.  The house is not open to the public but the gardens (80 acres with spectacular views across Snowdonia) are stunning, “with expansive lawns and intimate corners, grand ponds and impressive terraces, a steep wooded valley and stream”.

Walk on the Wild Side

West Sussex, 18 to 21 July

We have just returned from a long weekend in West Sussex, which was centred around a photography shoot at the British Wildlife Centre at Lingfield, organised by Experience Seminars (Canon specialists).

http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/

Our journey south was uneventful, but we did pity the thousands of poor souls who were trapped in a huge jam on the M25 in the opposite direction in the blazing heat. The National Trust conveniently provided a lunch stop at Ightam Mote. “A picture-perfect, timber-framed house, sitting on its own little island surrounded by water.” Another property requiring a second, longer visit, perhaps to see the ancient bluebell woodland.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/things-to-see-and-do/

We stayed at the Camping and Caravanning Club Site in Crowborough, which we had visited before, albeit twenty odd years ago in a trailer tent! The site was up to the usual CCC standard, although the shop was only open for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, which was a source of disappointment at the time I wanted to buy an ice cream!

On arriving at the British Wildlife Centre on Friday it was a nice surprise to find that the venue was closed to the public, so the twelve photographers in our group plus Brian from Experience Seminars had the place to ourselves, apart from a few staff. As we moved around the various enclosures, the assistant who was accompanying us would provide appropriate titbits for the animals to tempt them out to be photographed. It was a scorching hot day and they were somewhat reluctant at times, preferring to hide in the cooler shade. Nonetheless we saw red squirrels, foxes, barn and tawny owls, stoats, weasels, otters, badgers, marsh frogs, Scottish wildcats, a polecat and deer, all at very close quarters as we were allowed inside many of the enclosures. John did not get off to a good start when his telephoto lens suddenly “died”; the advantage of being part of the Experience Seminars group was that Brian had a selection of lenses which could be tried out, so John was able to borrow one of these (a professional lens) and is currently trying to

convince me that he needs one of his own! It was an enjoyable experience and we have hundreds of photographs to wade through, but we both came away feeling that wildlife photography is probably not our forte, lacking the patience and dedicated lenses to get the really good shots you dream of.  

The weekend also gave us the opportunity to see our friends Richard and Marion from Battle. Another National Trust property, Sheffield Park Gardens, provided a meeting point and restaurant, and it was lovely to catch up with all their news in such pleasant surroundings, even if the good weather did a nose-dive.

Sheffield Park Gardens is a "magnificent informal landscape garden which was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown".  Four lakes form the centrepiece.  As we walked around, it was interesting to read about the regeneration work which was taking place.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden/

We departed early on Sunday morning to avoid the heat of the day and holiday traffic.

"On the Border"

Northumberland, 14 to 17 June

We have just spent a long weekend in Northumberland.  For a lunch stop on Friday, we detoured off to a National Trust property, Nostell Priory, which is well worth a visit.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nostell-priory/

Apart from the house and gardens, which we didn't have time to see, there is a lovely walk around two lakes and the vista from the  house is most impressive.  And we can recommend the cafe!  The weather was a bit mixed in the short time we were there, but that didn't dampen our enthusiasm for a return visit sometime.

We stayed at the Camping and Caravanning site in Bellingham, which is situated about ten miles from Kielder Water, having rejected the idea of using the Caravan Club site on the edge of the reservoir, to avoid the midges.  The site at Bellingham is superb, nestling among the surrounding hills.  There are 70 pitches, mostly fairly level, with plenty of hardstandings and the facilities are first class.  It seems that a lot of people use it to break their journey to Scotland, but it is certainly worth a visit in its own right as there is plenty to do in the vicinity including Kielder Water, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham.  There is also a bus service from outside the site.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/siteseekerlite/aspx/details.aspx?id=9025

On Saturday morning we walked into the village of Bellingham (pronounced Bellingjam), about 1 mile away, on the road for part of the way, and then along a footpath beside the river.  The village has just about everything you need: newsagent/PO, butchers, bakers, Co-op, chemist, garage with some caravan and camping supplies and a second hand bookshop.  No Penguins, John N, sorry.  At the far end of the village the old railway station has become the Heritage Centre, which houses an exhibition about the area and the Tourist Information Office, and adjacent to which is Carriages, a coffee shop converted from a railway carriage.

Having purchased the Saturday Times, for the crossword more than for the news, we got back to the 'van just before Louise arrived, for a day visit.  We headed off to Kielder Water and while having lunch in the cafe overlooking the reservoir, the weather took a turn for the worse, with heavy rain, wind and poor visibility, but it passed quite quickly and we were able to walk along part of the shoreline.

Dotted around the reservoir are various “installations” and on our walk we came across the Wave Chamber.  This could best be described as a brick igloo.  Once inside with the door closed, it was very dark and really focussed your sense of hearing on the noise of the water lapping the banks outside.

From Bellingham there is a mile and half walk to a waterfall, Hareshaw Linn, which we decided to do on Sunday.  It was a very pleasant, gradual climb through the woodland by the river and the waterfall provided a photographic opportunity.  Then back to the site for a relaxing afternoon and evening before returning home on Monday.

The green, green grass of home (ie the lawn needs mowing!)

John exchanged a few words with another motor-homer this morning and apparently the UK is having good weather with more to come this week. We look forward to it. It was a bit indifferent here - we could just make out the White Cliffs of Dover on the other side of the Channel. 

As predicted the site owner made an appearance in his reception shed to collect his dues.

There was time for a final coffee and croissant at Le Shuttle prior to boarding and then we were really on the way home.

The journey was straightforward, calling at Ashford to visit Jane and family and Mum. We really knew we were back in the UK when we hit the mile and a half queue at the Dartford Tunnel, the only major hold up we had had during the whole holiday. It's been a busy afternoon with all the post holiday chores, tempered with restocking Theodora ready for the next trip away.

Homeward Bound

We were away by 10:00 this morning on our route northwards, aiming for a lunch stop in St Valerie-sur-Somme, as recommended by the Scots couple we met yesterday. This was our first attempt at parking in a town centre and we had unfortunately passed the entrance to one carpark, before realising it would have been suitable for us. We found a spot on the roadside, which appeared to be allowed at no charge, but checked with one of the locals to be sure.

After lunch we moved on and found directions to the local “aire du camping car” which was not just an overnight stop, but also allowed daytime parking at reasonable cost. The “aire” was spacious with lots of level hardstandings so we parked there for a couple of hours and noted it for future reference. It was a good 15 to 20 minute walk back into St Valerie, which comprises the port area, town centre and medieval town. We didn't have time to see much, but the old town looked very interesting.

Time was getting on, so we decided to speed up the journey to Escalles by using the toll motorway.

Memo to selves: at the payment area, always check which booths have height barriers! We noticed our mistake in good time, but then had to worm our way back into the queue. Despite a longer journey than last time, the toll was a little more, so we have no idea how the charge is calculated.

We are now pitched on our last site, which is only 8 miles from the Channel Tunnel, and overlooks the English Channel. I was a bit dubious about the “barn” which houses the facilities, but, in fact, they are some of the best we have encountered. We have seen no sign of the owner as yet – another couple who arrived just behind us and had been here before said it was the done thing to pitch anywhere and the owner would turn up sometime to collect payment. As has happened several days in a row, the evening has turned out to be the best part of the day.