Martha has been to Chacewater

We don't often go away in August, especially to Cornwall, but we thought we would visit Chacewater Park, an adults only site near to Truro.  Initially we had planned a few days around my birthday, but as they had a special offer for a week's stay we booked the full seven days.

On Monday (28 July) we fetched Martha from the storage site to load at home and then drove to Chacewater Park, arriving early afternoon as the roads were surprisingly quiet. Our first impression of the site wasn't good as it was very scruffy - nothing like the photos on their website.   We were pleased we had booked a pitch in the dog-free area which was the quieter part of the site.  After setting up we had a look around the site and as the site owners were unable to provide much information about the area we went for a short walk to find the bus stops and the path leading to the Coast to Coast mining trail.  It was a lovely sunny afternoon so we sat outside until early evening.

Lower Meadow 22 Chacewater Park

Tuesday started wet so we stayed on site until early afternoon when the sun came out.  We walked down a couple of bridleways to the Coast to Coast trail, around St Day village and through the woods back to the site.

We had a lovely start to the day on Wednesday and decided to walk the Coast to Coast trail to Portreath.  It wasn't a very interesting stretch of the trail as much of it was along the side of roads, but we arrived at Portreath just before lunchtime and sat by the beach to eat our lunch before walking aback along the same trail.   The afternoon was very hot and as it was a long walk we were tired when we got back to site so had a lazy evening.

After our long walk the previous day we decided to have an easier day on Thursday and caught the bus to Truro.  It rained in the morning and we had drizzle on and off all day so we didn't walk along the river and stayed near the shops.  We had lunch at the Arts Cafe (my birthday meal!) and caught the bus back to the site mid afternoon.

Friday started with a dull morning but dry so we walked the Coast to Coast trail to Devoran.  This was a lovely stretch of the trail through a couple of nature reserves and among derelict mines.  We walked to Devoran Quay and Point Quay before walking to Carnon Downs.  The afternoon was lovely and sunny but also very windy so it never felt too hot.  We caught the bus to Truro, did our food shopping and had a cup of tea at the Green Room Cafe, before catching the bus back to the site.  

On Saturday we decided to have an easier day after the previous day's long walk and caught the bus to Camborne.  After walking around the town and trying to find a park or somewhere 'green' to sit and eat our lunch we gave up and sat on the steps of the war memorial in the church grounds.  We decided to catch the bus to Redruth to look around the town before catching the bus back to the site.  We sat outside on site for a while before it got too cold.

Sunday was my birthday and we had planned a lazy morning and then going for a short walk in the afternoon, but it drizzled on and off all day so we decided to stay on site.  I spent the day cross stitching and reading - a totally lazy birthday!

On Monday we drove home and unpacked everything from Martha as we have vehicle service booked for Tuesday and habitation service booked for Wednesday.  We enjoyed our week away, but wouldn't return to the site as it was very run down and neglected.  Our next trip away will be in September although nothing has been booked yet.

28-July-4 August

Martha has been to Bridgnorth, Stafford, Delamere Forest, Lake District, Southport & Malvern

After a busy few days at home it's time for our second long trip of the year, this time to the Lake District.  

On Monday (2 June) we drove to Stanmore Hall Touring Park.  It only took us 10 minutes to set up on site before sitting outside with our lunch.  It was a lovely afternoon so we walked across the road to the Country Park before returning to site late afternoon.

Pitch 105 Stanmore Hall

On Tuesday (3 June) we left the site in the morning and visited Steve's mother.  We left mid afternoon to drive to Spring Paddock Caravan Park, arriving late afternoon as we had encountered a lot of traffic and road works. We set up on site, had showers and settled down for the evening.

Pitch 5 Stanmore Hall

On Wednesday we visited my mother and sister, leaving mid afternoon to return to the site.  We had an afternoon doing a few jobs and then walked to the Chetwynd Arms to meet my niece and family.  After a few hours catching up my niece kindly gave us a lift back to the site.

On Thursday (5 June) we drove to Delamere Forest Camping & Caravanning Club Campsite. We had a lot of rain during the journey but luckily it stopped raining when we set up on site.  We had a short walk to the station to buy our train tickets for Chester and then walked to the Forest Information Centre to buy a map of the walk trails.  We returned to the site before it started raining again and settled down for the evening.

Pitch 6 Delamere Forest

On Friday we walked to the station and caught the train to Chester.  It's over 20 years since we last visited Chester and we were pleased to see it was just as we remembered it. In the morning we pottered around the city centre before having lunch at The Cosy Club. In the afternoon we walked around the city walls trail before heading back to the station for our return train.  We had rain on and off during the day and it was a wet evening too.

After a lot more rain overnight Saturday started dry, but then we had a heavy shower as we were about to leave for our walk.  When it stopped raining we walked from the site and followed the forest trails around Blakemere Moss.  We returned to site at lunchtime and unfortunately were caught in another heavy downpour. We put our wet clothes to dry, intending to go out again in the afternoon, but we had heavy rain on and off for most of the afternoon so stayed on site for the rest of the day.

The forecast for Sunday was looking better so we walked another forest trail in the morning, returning to the site at lunchtime.  In the afternoon we went back into the forest and walked up to the Old Pale Stones to look back across the forest towards Blakemere Moss.

Old Pale Stones towards Buttermere Moss

On Monday (9 June) we drove to Skelwith Fold at Ambleside, a site we last visited this site in 1998 when we had our first caravan.  We hadn't planned our trip very well as we moved sites on Steve's birthday!  We had rain whilst travelling but were fortunate that it stopped long enough for us to set up in the dry. We had a short walk around the site before the rain started again and it rained all evening and most of the night.

Tuesday was a completely different day with sun from early morning. We walked into Ambleside in the morning and had a walk around the village, which was very busy and not as smart as we remembered.  We returned to the site for lunch and spent the afternoon walking around the site to see where all the walk trails start. As it was a sunny afternoon we made the most of the good weather and sat outside the van reading our books.  There was also another Malibu on the site (there aren't many in the UK) and we spent time talking to the owners.

Pitch 24 Skelwith Fold

Wednesday was another sunny day and as the forecast looked good all day we decided to do one of the longer walks from the site. We walked from the site to Skelwith Bridge and along the valley, past Elterwater to the National Trust car park and cafe at the bottom of Stickle Ghyll, where we stopped for lunch.  We returned to the site along a path on the other side of the valley.  

After our previous day's long walk, on Thursday we caught the bus to Hawkshead and walked to Tarn Howes in the morning. In the afternoon we had a potter around the village before catching our bus back to Skelwith mid afternoon to enjoy the sun.

Tarn Howes

Friday was forecast as another dry day so we walked from the site to Wray Castle. The castle was closed for renovation but we walked along the woodland trails to the edge of Lake Windermere and through the arboretum before returning to the site for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Overnight we had very heavy rain and thunderstorms, so woke to a very wet morning on Saturday.  After our previous few days' walks we were glad to have an easier day and spent time cleaning Martha and reading.  When the rain eased late morning we walked around the site, but spent the afternoon on our pitch.

Sunday started dry so we walked to Chesters Cafe before walking along Bog Lane, through the woods and back to site. It rained on and off all afternoon so we stayed on site to tidy the van ready to move to our next site.  

We enjoyed the walking from this site, but found it disappointing how close the pitches were and there was little privacy - I'm not sure we would return on a future visit to The Lakes.

On Monday (16 June) we drove to Derwentwater Camping & Caravanning Club Campsite in Keswick.  We stayed at this site in 2022 but were only able to book a few days on that occasion.  This time we booked early and managed to get ten days on the site.  We don't normally stay on one site for so long, but several bus services pass through Keswick and there are lots of walks and trails in the area for us too.  We woke to a lovely sunny day and after a short drive to the site we were pleased to see we had been allocated the same pitch we had on our last visit (we had made a request).  After setting up we went for a walk around the town and also went food shopping, returning to site to sit in the sun and eat our evening meal outside.

Pitch 36 Derwentwater

We had a lot of rain overnight and woke to a wet morning on Tuesday, so we spent the time visiting the walking clothes shops in the town, returning to site for lunch. In the afternoon we went for another walk around the town to find the start of some of the walking trails.

Wednesday was forecast as a dry day so we chose one of our longer walks. We walked from the site to Keswick and along the old railway track, which is now a trail to Threlkeld. After a cup of tea at the Village Hall Coffee Shop we had a walk around the village before finding a bench in the churchyard for our lunch. We walked back along the same route before popping into Crow Park on the edge of Derwentwater to see the filming of the Landscape Artist.  After wandering among the artists (and dodging the cameras) we enjoyed looking at their paintings of Derwentwater before returning to the site mid afternoon to enjoy the sun.

Thursday was forecast as being very warm and dry so we chose a circular walk from the site to Lattrig.  It was a hot day so we were glad the first part of the walk was in the woods and there was a slight breeze as we reached the summit.  We returned to Keswick along the railway track and through Crow Park to see the artists painting different scenes, and then returned to the site.  We enjoyed the walk and the views from the summit were fabulous (this was the favourite walk from our month in the Lake District). It was very hot so we returned to the site early afternoon, put the awning and sun blocker out and spent the as afternoon on site.  

Lattrig towards Keswick and Lake Windemere

Friday was forecast to be the hottest day of the year, so we started our walk earlier before it got too hot.  We decided to walk from the site to Castlerigg Stone Circle.  The walk was going well until we came across a field of cows and after our encounter with a herd of cows at Wells last year, we found another path to the Stones so our short walk became a long walk. It was very busy at the Stones as the following day was the Summer Solstice and there were a lot of people camping out.

We had another hot start to the day on Saturday. After three days of walking we decided to have an easier day and caught the bus to Cockermouth, a town we've never visited before.  In the morning we had a walk around the town and along the river before having lunch at Tilia.  We had intended to have another walk in the afternoon, but it started to rain so we caught the bus back to Keswick and returned to the site.

We had a lot of heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight which kept me awake although Steve slept through the storm.  It had stopped raining when we woke on Sunday morning so in the morning we walked around Keswick returning to the site for lunch.  The afternoon was very wet so we stayed on site for the rest of the day.

On Monday we caught the bus to Grasmere village. We spent some time in the morning walking around the village but it was too busy for us as there were several coaches of tourists around the shops.  We walked from the village around Grasmere, stopping at a picnic bench for lunch before continuing around the edge of the water back to the village.  There were even more visitors in the village when we returned so we caught the bus back to Keswick and walked back to the site for the rest of the afternoon.

We had a lot more rain overnight and Tuesday started with more rain and strong winds. When the rain eased we walked into Keswick to revisit the many walking shops in the town, buying several walking tops we had seen on our previous visit. We returned to the site for lunch and then walked around the outskirts of Keswick in the afternoon, ending with a drink in The Wainwright pub before returning to the site.

Wednesday was dull but dry and as everywhere was very wet we decided to walk the Railway Trail again to Threlkeld, although we returned on a different path. The sun finally came out when we got back to site, so we sat outside for a while until it started to rain again.

We enjoyed our time at this site and plan on returning on our next visit to The Lakes as it's one of our favourite sites and we both enjoy the walking in the area too.

We had a lot more rain overnight and woke to a wet morning on Thursday (26 June). It was time to leave Keswick and drive to The Quiet Site near Ullswater.  This site has been recommended to us by several people so was one we wanted to visit, especially as it markets itself as a sustainable eco site. We had a pitch at the front of the site with lovely views towards Ullswater, but it was very sloping and not particularly well maintained. After setting up we walked around the site, which seemed to be very cramped with lots of pitches and cabins in a small area.  We treated ourselves to a pizza from The Quiet Bite (which was disappointing and overpriced) before settling down for the evening.

Pitch S4 The Quiet Site 

It rained overnight and we woke to a very wet and windy morning on Friday. The forecast for the day was awful so we stayed on site, just having a short walk around the site when the rain eased.

Saturday started with drizzle and we caught the Ullswater bus to the end of its route at The Hause so we could see the far side of Ullswater. We stayed on the bus and returned to Pooley Bridge to have a walk around the pretty village before visiting a couple of caravan parks in the area to look at the facilites. After lunch we walked around the far side of Ullswater before returning to the village to catch our bus back to site.

Sunday was a glorious sunny day, such a change from the previous few days. We caught the bus to Aira Force and then walked along the Ullswater Way, through Glenridding to Patterdale. After having a look at both villages we caught the bus back to Watermillock and walked up the lane back to the site. We did a few jobs when we got back ready for moving to our next site.

Ullswater from Treefold North

We enjoyed the walking around Ullswater, which is an area we don't know very well.  We wouldn't return to The Quiet Site, but found another lovely site in Pooley Bridge where we intend to stay on our next visit.

On Monday (30 June) we drove to Bowness on Windermere Camping & Caravanning Club Campsite which is on the shore of Lake Windermere.  The site was full for the night and we were lucky to get a pitch in the top field. After setting up we walked into Bowness to find the bus stops and ferry terminal. It was a hot afternoon, and very busy in the village, so we returned to site to sit in the sun for a few hours.

Pitch 45 Bowness-on-Windetmere

Tuesday's forecast was mixed so we decided to catch the bus to Kendal, another town where we've not visited for almost 30 years.  We had a walk around the town and The Lanes in the morning before having lunch at Ye Olde Fleece Inn. In the afternoon we walked to Kendal Castle, returning to the town when it started to rain.  After catching the bus back to Bowness we walked back to the site for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday was a cool day but dry. We walked from the site to Windermere and had a look around the village, which is very pretty with some lovely shops as well as being far less busy and touristy than Bowness. In the afternoon we walked up to Orrest Head with amazing views across Windermere before returning to the site.

Windermere from Orrest Head

Thursday started dry but it was another cool morning. We caught the ferry to the other side of the lake before walking to Claife Viewing Station for some lovely views towards Bowness. We walked along the edge of the lake to Wray Castle and then returned along the same path. We caught the ferry back across the lake, returning to site mid afternoon.

Friday started dry so we walked through Bowness towards one of the view points.  We were part way when it started to rain so we returned to the site staying on site all afternoon as the rain was torrential.

Saturday started dry so we walked back to Bowness to get some shopping. We had just returned to site when it started to rain again so we spent time cleaning the van and getting ready for our next site.

We enjoyed our time at Bowness, although the village was far too busy and touristy for us.  We much prefer Windermere and hope to find a site in that area for our next visit.

On Sunday (6 July) it was time to leave The Lakes and drive to Southport Club Campsite. It's a large site and Southport isn't somewhere we would normally visit, but we want to see Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' at Crosby.  It was very windy on the site when we arrived but we found a lovely pitch in a sheltered spot.  After setting up we went for a short walk to find bus stops and returned to the site to sit outside for a while.

Pitch 5 Southport

Monday was a cool but dry day so we caught the bus to Crosby.  The village is quite run down so we didn't spend too much time there and walked out to the beach to see 'Another Place'.  We walked along the beach and among the figures before finding a sheltered spot to sit and eat our lunch.  After another walk along the seafront we returned to Crosby village to catch our bus back to Southport.  We spent time in the afternoon walking around Southport town centre and then walked out to the beach before returning to the site.    

Another Place, Crosby Beach

Tuesday was another fine dry day to we caught the bus to Formby as we had decided to walk the coast path back to Southport.  We liked Formby and walked around the village before heading to the beach and then returning inland towards the coast path to walk back to Southport  The first section of the coast path was lovely as it was through woods, but the second part was one of the worst trails we've ever walked as it was so overgrown.  In places it was difficult to see the path so our 12 mile walk turned into a 15 mile walk as we kept losing the trail and in one place someone turned the marker posts too. 

We woke to another dry morning on Wednesday and as we were both feeling tired after the previous day's long walk, we decided to have an easier day.  We caught the bus to Churchtown to visit the Botanic Gardens.  We enjoyed our walk around the Gardens, although they were a little overgrown in places but found the Fernery interesting.  After spending a few hours walking around the gardens we caught the bus back to Southport and walked along Rotten Row before heading back to site to tidy a few things away before our journey towards home

On Thursday (10 July) we drove to Blackmore Camping & Caravanning Club Campsite for an overnight stop on our way home.  It was very hot when we arrived and although all the remaining pitches were in full sun we chose one with a large tree in front so would could sit in the shade.  It cooled down in the evening and we enjoyed sitting outside talking to our neighbours.

Pitch 36 Blackmore

About half past ten we were horrified to see a large convoy of caravans, cars and vans coming onto the site and immediately realised they were a large group of travellers.  They drove at speed around the site and then pulled onto several pitches opposite and behind us.   Many motorhomes and campervans left the site as the travellers began 'taking over' the area.  We spoke to site staff, who had been threatened to open the barrier for the travellers, and were able to move pitches to one near the front of the site.  We reversed onto our pitch and left the seats in the driving position in case we had to leave the site quickly. 

Pitch 6 Blackmore

We didn't get much sleep overnight, although when we got up on Friday we found that site staff had arranged for security men, with dogs, to patrol the site overnight.  We were told the police were going to return later in the day with bailiffs and as we didn't want to be around when they arrived we left the site just after 7.00am, stopping for breakfast at Gloucester Services on the way home.

We arrived home late morning and after unpacking we took Martha back to the storage site and came home to get a few jobs done before having an early night to catch up on our sleep.  Despite having to plan our walks around the wet days and the lack of sleep on our last night, we both enjoyed our latest 'adventure'.

2 June-11 July

Martha has been to Bridgnorth, Stafford, Portmerion, Angelsey and Malvern

After three short trips in Martha to check everything was okay following our lengthy warranty work over the winter, it's time for our first long adventure of the year.

On Sunday (27 April) we drove to Stanmore Hall Touring Park. - the day had started misty with the forecast of a mini heatwave.  After setting up on site we had lunch before walking across the road to the Country Park. We returned to the site after a short walk to sit in the sun and read our books.

Stanmore Hall 102

On Monday (28 April) we went to see Steve's mother.  We stayed with her for a few hours before driving to Spring Paddock Caravan Park.  It was a lovely sunny day so after setting up we sat outside until late evening.

Spring Paddock 1

Tuesday was another hot sunny day. We drove off site to visit my mother and sister before returning to the site early afternoon. After setting up we walked to the Chetwynd Arms for a drink before returning to the site for the evening.

On Wednesday (30 April) we drove to Portmeirion Motorhome Park.  We've wanted to visit Portmeirion for a long time and as they now have a motorhome park in the village we decided to visit on our way to Anglesey.  The site was situated between the car park and delivery depot, so at times it was noisy but the facilities were clean and the site fees included unlimited access to the village.  After setting up we spent the afternoon walking around the village to get our bearings for the following day's walks.  It was very busy so we went back to the site late afternoon and then returned to the village in the evening when it was a lot quieter.

Portmeirion Motorhome Park 5

Thursday started with another very hot morning and our day began with a walk around the village before the day visitors arrived. When the village began to get busy we walked along the coast path and then spent the rest of the day walking the woodland trails where it was a little cooler.  We returned to the site mid afternoon to sit in the shade before going back to the village for another walk in the evening.

Portmeirion

On Friday (2 May) it was time to head to Anglesey and our first site Gadlys Touring Park at Cemeas Bay.  The site's in the grounds of a 4* hotel and was rather expensive so we were expecting something special.  Unfortunately the site was a disappointment as it was scruffy with grubby facilities.  After setting up we walked into Cemeas, which is a lovely village with lots of walking trails. We returned to the site late afternoon and sat outside until it got cold.

Gadlys Touring Park 14

Saturday started dry and cloudy, there was also a cool breeze as we were on the north coast. We caught the bus to Amlwch and started the day with a walk around the town and harbour. It used to be a mining town but has now seen better days, so we headed for the coast path to walk back towards Cemeas. There was a cold wind all day and the coast is very rugged which made us both feel tired. As we neared Cemeas there was a very steep section of the path that neither of us wanted to walk as it was too close to the cliffs so we backtracked and took an inland path back to the site.  We sat outside for a while but the wind was still cold we retreated inside Martha.

After our challenging walk on Saturday we decided to have an easier walk on Sunday. It was a lovely sunny morning so we walked from the site towards Cemeas and came across St Patrick's Bell, one of the Time & Tide Bells, which sounded lovely as it was ringing with the tide.  We then walked to the woodland trail and spent several hours walking through the woods before returning to the site for lunch.  In the afternoon we walked an easy section of the coast path.

St Patrick's Bell, Cemeas Beach

Monday was another bright morning and we decided to walk along the coast path to Cemlyn Bay.  It was an easier stretch of the coast path but not as scenic as it skirted the edge of the nuclear power station!  We had almost reached Cemlyn when we came across a field of cows and to continue with our walk would have meant walking through the middle of them.  After our encounter with a herd of cows last year we decided to retrace our steps and returned to the site.

On Tuesday (6 May) we drove to Rhosboeth Caravan Site at Benllech.  It was only a short journey between the sites so we stopped at Amlwych for our lunch. The site was lovely, with spacious pitches, clean facilities and a small shop and laundry with an honesty box.   After setting up on site we walked into Benllech to collect some shopping before returning to site for the evening.

Rhosboeth Caravan Site 3

Wednesday started sunny with the promise of another dry day so we caught the bus to Menai Bridge. After walking around the town and having a pot of tea at we walked across the Menai Bridge to Treborth Botanic Garden.  We spent an hour or so in the gardens before walking back across the bridge to visit Church Island.  We had a short walk along the coast path until it turned inland and then returned to the town and our bus.  When we got back to the site we sat outside for a while until it clouded over and then retreated inside Martha.

Menai Bridge 

Thursday started sunny but with a cool wind and we decided to walk along the coast path to Red Wharf Bay.  On reaching the bay we sat on a bench for our lunch, but as there was a cold wind we retraced our steps back along the coast path to Benllech. After picking up some shopping we headed back to the site. 

The wind had dropped on Friday and it was much warmer.  We walked the coast path in the opposite direction towards Moelfre and out to the lifeboat station and monuments before walking back along the coast path to the site. We sat outside for a while before heading inside the van when it started to get cooler.

Saturday (10 May) we drove to Kingsbridge Caravan Park at Beaumaris.  This isn't our normal type of site as it's very large with a lot of static and seasonal vans but it's the only one near Beaumaris. It was well maintained and also had a clean facilities block so were were happy with it.  After setting up on site we had a short walk to Llangoed before returning to site for the evening.

Kingsbridge Caravan Park 31

Sunday was a lovely sunny morning but with a cool wind. We walked from the site along the coast path to Penmon Point which overlooks Puffin Island.  Most of the coast path is inland along the road, so it wasn't one of our favourite walks.  After lunch we returned to the site on another inland path.

Penmon Point and Puffin Island

We had a lot of rain overnight but Monday started dry so we walked into Beaumaris, a lovely town but very touristy and expensive. We pottered around the town and walked along the seafront before returning to site early afternoon as rain was forecast.  Fortunately we were back at site when the rain started and we also had a thunderstorm in the evening and a lot more rain overnight.

On Tuesday (13 May) we were to move to our next site, but as it was only a short drive we parked in Beaumaris to visit the Castle before heading to Newborough Warren Holiday Park (White Lodge). We had received a text the previous evening with our pitch number and on arriving at the site were surprised to see no-one in reception or on the site, just a note of pitch numbers on the door. After setting up we walked into the village and had a look around the area.

White Lodge 10

Wednesday was a very hot day. We walked from the site to Newborough beach and had our lunch whilst we waited for the tide to go out so we could walk across to Llanddwyn Island. The walk around the island was lovely and we returned to the site on one of the forest trails that seemed endless in the heat. By the time we returned to site we had both had enough sun so stayed inside for the rest of the day..

Thursday was another sunny day but with a breeze so it didn't feel as hot. We decided to have an easier day and caught the bus to Plas Newydd, a National Trust property.  We spent time walking around the gardens and woodland as well as visiting the house. Although we don't normally visit NT houses, we were interested in seeing Whistler's mural in the dining room - which was well worth the visit. It was another lovely evening when we returned to site so we sat outside until late.

Friday was another hot and sunny day. and we walked from the site to the Red Squirrel Trail. The walk through the forest was lovely, especially as it was so cool among the trees.  We didn't see any squirrels on the trail so sat in the picnic area for our lunch and were delighted to see a red squirrel at a feeding station.  We watched the squirrel until it left the feeding station and then walked another woodland trail back to the site. We sat outside for a while but decided we'd had enough sun so had showers and stayed inside for the rest of the evening.

Newborough Red Squirrel

On Saturday (17 May) we drove to our final site - Llanfair Bach Campsite near Holyhead. The site was well laid out with large pitches but the toilet and shower facilities were some of the worst we have every seen.  After setting up we went to get our shopping and then had a walk along the seafront.  It was a hot afternoon so we to site and sat outside for a while.

Llanfair Bach Campsite 7

Sunday was another warm day although there was a cool breeze from the Irish Sea as we were back on the north coast.  We walked through Holyhead, which has seen better days, and along the coast path to the marina. On our way back to the town we had a mug of tea at Cuffed In Coffee before returning to the site mid afternoon.  Although it was very windy our pitch was behind a large hedge which made it very sheltered so we sat outside until early evening.

On Monday we walked along the coast path again, past the marina to Breakwater Country Park. The park is in an old quarry and a lot of the old buildings have been retained, which made it an interesting place to visit. Again we returned to the site mid afternoon and back to our sheltered pitch.

Marina towards Holyhead Mountain

Tuesday was another lovely morning and we walked the coast path in the opposite direction to Penhros Coastal Park., another lovely woodland on the edge of the coast.  Whilst on our walk we decided to cut short our stay at the site - originally we had booked an extra day thinking we may hire a car but we didn't have anywhere we wanted to visit that would justify the cost. We had also had enough of the site and it's awful facilities, so we decided to leave the following day.

On Wednesday (21 May) we drove to Blackmore Club Site at Malvern for an overnight stop to break the journey on our way home. We set off in glorious sunshine but drove into heavy rain near Stafford.  When we arrived on site the rain held off long enough for us to set up before another downpour. After it stopped raining we had a short walk around the site before settling down for the evening.  This is a lovely site and as it's not too far from the motorway it's also a good place to stop to break our journey on the way home.

Blackmore Club Site 46

We arrived home on Thursday to unpack and take Martha back to the storage site.  We've got just ten days to get ready for our next trip to the Lake District.

27 April-22 May

Martha has been to Woolacombe

We've had two short trips in Martha this year and after a week at home we decided to have another few days away - our last short trip before we start our summer travels.  We chose to visit Willingcott Club Campsite in Woolacombe - we've visited this site many times over the years and it's always good to visit out of season, but one to avoid in the middle of the summer as it's far too busy.

On Wednesday (9 April) we travelled to the site and were surprised to see it was very quiet and we were able to choose a pitch in our preferred area of the site.  After setting up we had a short walk before returning to site to enjoy the sun.

Pitch 97 Willingcott

Thursday was another glorious day so we walked along the Tarka Trail to Ilfracombe.  After a short walk around the town we walked along the coast path to Rapparee Cove for our lunch.  We walked back to Ilfracombe along the coast path before returning to the site along the Tarka Trail.

After our long walk to Ilfracombe the previous day we decided to catch the bus to Barnstaple on Friday.  The bus drove the scenic route through several small villages and we had lovely views across the River Taw, before it finally arrived in Barnstaple.  We had a potter around the town before walking along the path at the side of the river.  We caught the bus back to site late afternoon and as it was a lot cooler when we returned we stayed in the van all evening.

Saturday started a lot cooler with the forecast of heavy rain.  We caught the bus into Woolacombe as we didn't want to get caught in the rain whilst walking across the Downs.  The promised rain didn't arrive so we walked to Moretehoe and then back to Woolacombe along the coast path, before catching the bus back to the site mid afternoon.  We had only been back about half an hour when it poured with rain, so our timing had been perfect.  

Woolacombe Surf Reserve

We had a lot more rain overnight but were pleased to have a dry morning to pack up as we returned home on Sunday.  After arriving home we unpacked and then took Martha back to the storage site for a couple of weeks.

9-13 April 2025

Martha has been to Hillhead

We decided to have another few days away to make the best of the glorious weather and book three nights at Hillhead Club Campsite near Brixham.  It's another new site for us and one that we wouldn't choose in the busy summer months as it's a large site, but it was perfect for a few days in April.

We drove to the site on Tuesday morning and set up on a lovely pitch overlooking the sea.  We were both feeling tired so had a walk around the site and settled outside the van with a drink and our books.

Pitch 28 Hillhead

We woke on Wednesday to another warm sunny morning.  We walked from the site to Man Sands and up a verysteep section of the coast path to Berry Head and then into Brixham.  It was a tiring walk as it was a hot day and in places the coast path was quite challenging.  After arriving in Brixham we had a look around the harbour and went to wait for our bus back to the site.  We sat out for a while but the sea mist rolled in and it started to get a lot cooler to we spent the evening in the van.

Man Sands & Coast Path towards Brixham

On Thursday it was a lot cooler and the mist didn't lift all day.  After our long walk the previous day we decided to have an easier walk and went to Coleton Fishacre, which was an gentle walk along quiet lanes from the site.  We looked around the beautiful house and spent time walking around the gardens and woodland before walking back to the site.

Friday was our day to return home.  We enjoyed staying on this site and as there are plenty of local walks and a regular bus service that passes the front entrance to the site we will return - but definitely out of season.

25-28 March 2025

Martha has been to Totnes

After finally getting Martha back home we spent two days cleaning both the inside and outside as she was filthy.  We took her back to storage and waited for some fine weather as we were itching to get away again.  We saw the forecast was looking good for a few days so we booked a last minute break to Steamer Quay Club Campsite at Totnes.   Although we've been to Totnes many times we've never stayed on the site - it's recently been refurbished and is also part of a metered electricity trial, which we were keen to try.

On Tuesday (18 March) we fetched Martha from storage in the morning to load - the site is only about an hour's drive from home so we didn't need an early start.  After setting up on site we had a potter around Totnes and a drink at the Green Cafe. It turned cold so we headed back to site for showers to warm us up and settled down for the evening.

Pitch 7 Steamer Quay

We had a cold start to the day on Wednesday and it was also a little misty.  We walked the trail through the Sharpham Estate to Asprington where we found a bench to sit for lunch and then walked back to site.  It had warmed up through the day so we were able to sit outside for a while with our books and a beer.

Thursday was a lovely sunny day and very warm too.  We walked the Franklin Trail around Totnes.  The walk wasn't what we expected as a lot of it was on rough tracks and there were several climbs, but we enjoyed it and there were some beautiful views of Totnes.

Totnes from top of Franklin Trail

Rain was forecast for Friday afternoon, so we packed up early and drove back home so we could unload before it started to rain.

We really enjoyed this site and there is so much more walking we would like to do, so we will definitely return at some point.  We were also impressed with the metered electric and hope other sites will start to use the scheme.

18-21 March 2025

Martha has been to Exeter - on the back of a tow truck!

Since the summer we've had problems with the vehicle battery on Martha as it discharges too quickly and we've had to charge it every week.  On Wednesday (6 November) we fetched Martha and put her on hook up at home.  When we went to move her in the afternoon, there was no power steering as well as a number of other error codes flashing up on the dash.  Fiat Assist came to us and ran some diagnostics which showed there was low voltage to the power steering - not something they could fix for us.  So off went Martha on the back of a tow truck, initially to their compound overnight, then to be towed to Vospers (the Fiat dealership) the following morning.

Martha getting ready to be towed to Exeter

The fault was diagnosed as water in the power steering which had travelled along the main wiring loom.  Both the steering rack and wiring loom were ordered from Fiat in Italy and so the long wait began.  After 17 weeks and 2 days (7 March) we finally got a call from Vospers to say Martha was ready for collection.  

Both the steering rack and wiring looms have been replaced - this has been a common fault and we have been told the parts have been modified to ensure it will not occur again.  Martha was returned to the storage site and we plan to give a good clean and reload ready for a few, long awaited days away.

6 November 2024-7 March 2025