Hereford and Tewkesbury

May 8 - 13 2019

The History Boys (and Girls)

Post from John

Time for our first “proper” trip of the year – and like 2018, it was to be a short break with our friends Barbara and Clive. Our rendezvous was at Brockhampton Estate, a National Trust property west of Worcester. This medieval manor house, later a more humble farmhouse, provided an interesting and enlightening few hours (after the obligatory visit to the tearoom).

Our base for the next couple of days was the Caravan Club affiliated site of Lucksall, about 4 miles outside Hereford. This proved to a an immaculately kept site, nestled alongside the River Wye, with some of the largest pitches we’ve ever seen. The next morning saw us catching the bus from outside the site entrance, bound for Hereford. The day was dull and rainy, so inside activities were in order. First up was the wonderful “Brick History” exhibition in the city library, with significant events from the past (the Big Bang, the destruction of Pompeii, the Boston Tea Party…) recreated in Lego.

Then on to the Cathedral, not just to admire the wonderful architecture, but to visit the Mappa Mundi. Dating from around 1300, this is the largest medieval map believed still to exist. Amazingly detailed, it served as both a geographic and theological document. 

Part of the Mappa Mundi

Friday was better weather, so we all donned our walking boots and set off on a circular walk that Clive had researched. The route took us through the nearby village of Mordiford, then alongside the river before heading up into the wooded hills. After a picnic lunch in the woods, we ended up back at the pub in Mordiford for a welcome drink.

The next morning, we had a leisurely start before driving the short distance to Tewkesbury Caravan and Motorhome Club site. This is situated in the heart of the town, close to the abbey. It was to the abbey we headed in the afternoon, and were intrigued to watch rehearsals taking place for an operatic performance that evening. The sounds of strings and voices were a fitting backdrop as we explored the building, reckoned to be one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in England. A short wander around the town completed the day.

Clive was out and about early with his camera on Sunday morning, to photograph the Tewkesbury marathon, the route of which passed close to the site. The rest of us joined him a little later, and walked to short distance to the Avon, watching narrowboats manoeuvring on the river, before crossing onto the Severn Ham. This is a large area bounded by the Rivers Severn and Avon, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and home to many varieties of flora and fauna. As we walked around the area, Clive and Barbara improved our wildlife knowledge by identifying the various birds we could hear and see.

After lunch we had a stroll around the area known as the vineyards, south of the abbey, site of some of the final fighting in the Battle of Tewkesbury, a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses. The Yorkists heavily defeated the Lancastrians, some survivors of whom fled to seek sanctuary in the Abbey, only to be dragged out and summarily executed.

On Monday we packed up and made the short (1 hour) journey home, once again having had an enjoyable time more or less on our doorstep.

A slightly longer trip coming up next….

Broadway

16 - 18 April 2019

All shook up

Post from John

Boat owners will be familiar with the concept of the “shakedown cruise” – the first trip after the winter lay-up, checking all systems are working correctly. With a spell of good weather forecast in the run-up to Easter, we thought we’d take the opportunity for a short trip in Amelia to check all was well, before longer trips later in the year. One complication – Ruth’s mum was staying with us. So, we decided that we’d take the van the short distance down to the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Broadway, and use it as a base for a couple of days. I’d stay in the van, and Ruth and Mum would come down each day.

Broadway is the archetypal Cotswold village; all honey-coloured stone buildings, boutique shops and tea rooms. Whilst the ladies spent the morning in the village, I followed on in the van a little later and went straight to the site. This is on the edge of Broadway, right next to the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway. As the picture below shows, if you pick the right pitch, you have a great view through the window…..

We spent the afternoon in the van, checking everything worked, (which it did) and relaxing outside in the sunshine.

The next day we headed across the road to the station for a trip on the railway. The beautifully rebuilt Broadway station opened in early 2018, as part of the extension of the GWSR from Toddington in Gloucestershire. The 4 miles of new line is the result of over £1.1 million fund raising efforts, and a huge amount of work from the volunteers. We had an enjoyable few hours riding down to Cheltenham and back, followed by another spell of sitting in the sunshine. The relaxation was punctuated by the occasional rush up to the fence to photograph the passing trains.

After another quiet night in the van, on Thursday I drove Amelia the 40 minutes back home, where we emptied and restocked ready for the next trip. All in all, a successful few days, and proof that you don’t have to journey too far from home to have an enjoyable break.

Derbyshire

27 September – 2 October 2018

Happy Trails

Post from John

The summer sort of ran away from us….

As mentioned in the last blog, we had another chunk of house rebuilding coming up (new kitchen). Add to that moving mother-in-law from Bedfordshire to Kent, and it was all a bit much. Anyway, by mid-September we were in in a “Dammit, we’re going to get away for a few days” frame of mind. A spell of good weather was forecast for the end of the month, so we hitched the bikes to the back of Amelia, and headed off to Derbyshire.

Our base was Beech Croft Farm, a campsite a few miles east of Buxton. This proved to be a lovely site, built on terraces in the side of a hill. 

On our first day, we headed off on the bikes to the Monsal Trail. The first half mile or so from the site was along a bridleway and then down a steep hill – not ideal for bikes. However, once on the trail (the track-bed of an old railway) the going was fine. The route took us over the Millers Dale and Monsal viaducts, both very impressive.

We cycled about 7 miles along the trail to the old Hassop Station, where we had lunch in the popular café there. Suitably fortified, we retraced our steps along the trail.

On Saturday we took the bus into the pretty market town of Bakewell. We walked around in the sunshine, along the riverbank with its’ historic bridge and up to the church, passing the old alms houses along the way.

The weather was a bit less promising on Sunday, so we opted to walk over the nearby hill to Chelmorton, where the Church Inn has a good reputation for food. It was rather more exertion than a typical stroll for Sunday lunch, but thankfully the Inn’s reputation proved well deserved.

Another day, another old railway to cycle. We left Beech Croft farm, and parked the van at Parsley Hay, on the Tissington Trail. We cycled off in the direction of Ashbourne, but our objective was Tissington itself, about 10 miles away. Once again we felt we’d earned lunch, so after some tasty soup at the rather nice Herbert’s Tea Rooms, we headed back to the van.

We had phoned ahead and booked a pitch at the Camping and Caravan Club site at Ashbourne (where we stayed back in 2012 on our first trip in a motorhome). It was clearly near the end of the season, as there were only four other units on site! So, a very quiet night before driving back home the next morning.

And that concludes our trips in Amelia for the year - only 18 nights away, the fewest since we started. However, we are determined to rectify that in 2019…

Pembrokeshire

14 - 24 July 2018

We’ll keep a welcome in the hillsides

Post from John

The required rest (see last blog entry) did not materialise. The end of May saw the arrival of our granddaughter Jocelyn, so June and early July meant that we (particularly Ruth) made several trips up to Scotland to be with Louise and the baby, especially when Steve’s paternity leave finished. Therefore it wasn’t until late July that we were able to load up Amelia for another trip.

Keen readers of this blog (you all are, aren’t you???) will remember that we aborted a trip to Pembrokeshire in 2015. With the forecast looking good, and now living 2 hours nearer, we decided to give it another try. We left in the middle of the heatwave, but arriving in St Davids we found the temperature to be several degrees cooler. Still nicely warm and sunny, though.

Our base was the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Lleithyr Meadow, a few miles outside St Davids. The site is on the route of the Celtic Coaster bus, which, over the next four days, we used frequently. We spent one cloudy and slightly damp day in St Davids, the smallest city in the UK. The beautiful cathedral is the main draw, but it is discretely tucked in a hollow on the edge of town, not dominating the skyline.

The warm and sunny weather returned, and we enjoyed several walks along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. We walked from the site out to Saint Davids Head, then back to Whitesands bay. We took the bus out to the lifeboat station, and walked round the coast to arrive back at Whitesands from the other direction. Finally we took the bus out to Porthclais, then walked along the coast, past St Nons Chapel, to Caerfai Bay, and back to St Davids.

 

Saint Davids Head

Whitesands Bay

Having explored that area, it was time to move on to the southern part of Pembrokeshire. For the next three days we stayed at Tudor Lodge campsite, at Jameston, between Tenby and Pembroke. Whilst a pleasant enough site, we are rather spoiled by the high-quality facilities at Club sites.

Our first trip was to Pembroke, where after a pleasant wander along Main Street, we walked back alongside the Mill pond for a delicious meal in the Watermans Arms. After lunch we headed for the main attraction – Pembroke Castle. Birthplace of Henry Tudor, later Henry VII, the castle has a turbulent history, from Norman times to the Civil War. Plenty of displays and guided tours made for an enjoyable and informative visit.

The next day we took the bus in the opposite direction, to Tenby. The NT owned Tudor Merchants House was an interesting insight into life in Tudor times, but otherwise we walked around the town and the promenade, watching the influx of visitors (first day of the school holidays).

On Sunday we put our walking boots on again, heading southwest from the site, through the fields to Swanlake beach, then along the coast path to Manorbier. Refreshments in the tea room in the village were most welcome, before we headed back to the site.

 

Swanlake Beach

Monday morning we moved on, heading towards home, but breaking our journey first at Aberdulais, where the old tin works and waterfalls are now NT owned. Once again, films and displays educated us, this time in the making of tinplate, a hard and sometimes dangerous task in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

We finally moved on to the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Pandy, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National park. Sadly, this was just an overnight stop, but Brecon is on our “to visit” list for another time.

Tuesday saw us heading home, ready to start the next of the major house projects.

Devizes

May 1 - 4 2018

On the waterfront

As a result of our long trip down under from end January to mid March, followed by building work at home, this year's motorcaravanning season has only just started. But it was a good start. Our friends Barbara and Clive had been visiting family in Wiltshire so it was agreed we would meet up at the Caravan and Camping Club site at Devizes. But before getting to the site we spent an enjoyable afternoon at Lacock Abbey (NT) which is only 7 miles from the site

 Rain was forecast for the next day so we travelled into Devizes by bus - the stop is only 5 minutes walk from the site and buses run approximately every hour. Once there we had a wander and found a pleasant park high above the town and a medieval trail.

We didn't manage to find everything as the Tourist Office could not provide a map. The rain held off and after lunch we strolled back to the campsite beside the Kennett and Avon Canal, passing the impressive Caen Hill flight of locks.  

This was very pleasant and took about an hour and a quarter, rather longer than the nine minute bus journey.

Good weather on Thursday enabled us to get the bikes off the back of the 'van and cycle along the canal in the opposite direction. There is a conveniently located pub, The Somerset Arms, at Semington, which is open all day and provided a pit stop. 

Our destination was Bradford upon Avon where we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the sunshine and Ruth, in benevolent mood, signed up as a friend of the Canals and Waterways Trust, which is doing a wonderful job to restore and maintain the canals for the benefit of both humans and wildlife.

Despite the tired limbs there was 9 miles to cycle back, stopping off once again at The Somerset Arms. As if we had not had enough exercise for one day, in the evening we walked along the canal to The Barge Inn (about 30 minutes) where there is a friendly atmosphere, outside seating by the canal and delicious, reasonably priced food.  All in all, an excellent short break, but I think we now need a rest!

The Big Trip 9 – Hong Kong

12 - 15 March 2018

Hong Kong Garden

We flew to Hong Kong next day and were incredibly weary on arrival at 11 pm local time and 4 am by our body clocks. The city was much as we expected it to be; an exceptionally hectic place with dilapidated housing among new high-rise buildings and a heavy focus on shopping. During our stay we went across the harbour to Kowloon on one of the Star ferries where Kowloon Park provided a peaceful spot away from the bustle. 

Kowloon Park

For the second morning we had pre-booked an island tour which covered the south of the island, taking in the funicular railway to Victoria Peak, Aberdeen harbour where we had a ride in a sampan, Stanley and Repulse Bay. Sadly, the day was grey and drizzly, so we missed out on the views from the peak.  

That evening we went across to Kowloon on the ferry for a second time in order to see the light show. We thought this was a bit disappointing, although the illuminated buildings themselves were spectacular. 

Our flight didn't leave until 23.30 so we had a third day; in the morning we had a look at the Times Square building, which took us through the busy food market, and ventured onto the tram system in the afternoon to travel as far as Hong Kong garden, an absolute haven completely surrounded by spangly high rise towers. Interesting fact: apparently there are 16,000 species of butterfly in the world. 1300 of those are found in China, 235 on the island of Hong Kong and 48 in the parks in Hong Kong.  We spotted just one!

Happy travellers

So time to go home.  We have certainly had a wonderful trip.  We both loved New Zealand and I had underestimated its appeal - scenery, wildlife, Maori culture and history, geology .... And I doubt we would have visited Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong except in conjunction with New Zealand.  So, all in all, a great adventure.

The Big Trip 8 – North Island (Auckland)

8 - 11 March 2018

There and back again

We now feel really included in New Zealand. I forgot to mention in the last entry that it was census day in NZ on 6 March and on arrival at the Waitangi site, we were required to complete forms. Needless to say it was not too onerous - answers to a few basic questions, skip the rest as non NZ residents and sign. But nice to know we are in the numbers!

On the last day in Waitangi we spent several hours at the Treaty Ground to hear lots of NZ history especially surrounding the signing of the treaty between the British government and the Maori chiefs in 1840.

By then we were really coming to the end of the motorhome trip and headed south again to Auckland.  We stayed at Takapuna Beach for the last night which, on paper, was reasonably close to where we needed to return the motorhome. However, the satnav was having one of its unhelpful days and we found ourselves driving through central Auckland instead of bypassing it on the motorway.

Having returned the 'van (we travelled 2305 miles in total) we then spent two nights in Auckland. While walking along The Quay, where all the old wharves have been transformed into shops and eateries, we came to an area where a local radio station was doing a live broadcast on some yacht racing out in the harbour. Much to John's delight the Volvo Ocean (round the world) Race was between legs and the boats were doing some match racing. 

There was also a full-sized cutaway model of the type of boat to clamber over. Apart from that, sorry Auckland, but you did not inspire us. But going out to Devonport on the ferry, walking to the top of Mt Victoria and North Head for splendid views over the harbour and visiting the Naval Museum filled one of our days admirably.

On the second evening we met up with Hazel and Rick, friends from Cambridgeshire, who coincidentally were in Auckland for a family wedding.