Zebedee has been to Dulverton, Cheddar, Devizes and Corfe Castle

Steve has now retired and although his official retirement date was 9 June (his birthday) he finished work on 28 May. We had a couple of days at home before heading off for the first of our retirement adventures - this one included three sites we've previously visited plus one new one.

Our first site was Exmoor House Caravan Club Site which is one of our favourite local sites. Although we travelled on Bank Holiday Monday the traffic was fairly light.  We chose a lovely pitch backing onto the Mill Leat, which was in a small cul-de-sac of just three pitches.  It was a very hot afternoon so after pitching we stayed on site for the afternoon.

Pitch 11 Exmoor House

On Tuesday the weather was very hot and sunny.  We walked along the River Barle and across Anstey Common.  This was a walk we've done before which meant we didn't have to do any map reading so had an easy, but long walk.

Anstey Common

The following day saw a damp drizzly morning so we stayed on site - Steve spent the morning reading and I got my craft box out.  By lunchtime the rain stopped so we went for a walk to Brushford.

Thursday saw a cloudy but warm start to the day.  We walked along the River Barle, over Court Down, Higher Stockham Wood and back to Dulverton.  We had walked sections of this walk before but also found some new paths.

On Friday we drove to Cheddar Caravan Club Site and had a very long journey as the M5 was busy and traffic was slow moving.  We chose a lovely sunny pitch and after setting up stayed on site for the afternoon planning our walks for the following few days.

Pitch 12 Cheddar

Saturday was a very hot sunny morning.  Steve walked into town to fetch the newspaper and croissants for breakfast.  We walked from the site along the top of the Gorge and through the Nature Reserve returning along Black Down.  We had started this walk on our previous trip to Cheddar, but rain had stopped us from enjoying the last part of the walk.  There was no rain this time and we had some spectacular views from the top of the down.  

Cheddar Gorge towards Reservoir

After heavy overnight rain we woke to another sunny morning although storms were forecast for the afternoon.  We walked along the Cheddar Yeo to the Reservoir and then back to the site.

On Monday we had another warm day, although it was cloudy.  We decided to have an easier day and walked along the Strawberry Line (an old railway line) to Winscombe returning to the Reservoir to walk the remainder of the path around the Reservoir and then back to the site.

Tuesday was another very hot and sunny day and we had a good journey to Devizes Camping and Caravan Club Site.  The C&CC site allocate pitches and although the pitch was okay, it wasn't one we would have chosen as it was under a tree meaning Zeb got covered in tree sap and bird poo!  We had a mid-holiday tidy up and then a lazy afternoon on site.

Pitch 65 Devizes

Wednesday was Steve's birthday and started with him opening his cards and presents.  We had a walk along the canal, past Caen Locks to Devizes - this is a long, but easy walk along the canal.  We visited Tea Inc in Devizes for tea and cake before returning to site.

The following day we wanted to walk the canal from Bradford on Avon back to the site.  As there wasn't a direct bus route we booked a taxi instead.  Bradford on Avon was described in our walk guide as a mini Bath, and it didn't disappoint us.  After walking around the town for a while we walked back along the canal stopping for a beer at The Barge Inn on the way back.  The day had been mostly hot and sunny with one small shower when we were able to take shelter under a canal bridge.  Earlier in the day we had ordered fish and chips to be delivered to the site to celebrate Steve's birthday!

On Friday we walked back to the Caen Locks and had a pot of tea at the Locks Cafe before walking around the Diamond Jubilee Wood for a few hours and then returning to the site to sit in the sun.

Locks Cafe looking down Caen Locks

Saturday was another travel day to Corfe Castle Camping and Caravan Club Site.  We had an easy journey and had an allocated pitch at the top of the site adjacent to the rear gate leading to the path to Corfe Castle.  It was another very hot day so we spent the afternoon on site.

Pitch 5 Corfe Castle

The weather was even hotter on Sunday and we walked from the site to Creech Viewpoint for lunch and then returned to site.  The walk was only nine miles but seemed a lot further due to the heat.  We were both very tired after the walk and had an early night ready for the next day's walk.

Monday was another scorching hot day and we walked along the East Hill ridge to Swanage.  It was another nine mile walk with a very steep climb to the ridge. After pottering around Swanage we caught the bus back to site.

East Hill looking towards Corfe Castle

Thankfully Tuesday was a little cooler as it was quite cloudy.  Steve had put together a walk from the site along part of the Poole Harbour Trail to Wareham.  We were a little too early for the bus so had a beer at the The Quay Inn before returning to site.

Wednesday saw the end of our trip and we returned home for four nights before heading off on our next adventure to Cornwall.

The weather was perfect during the whole holiday and the walks from each site were very different.  Exmoor House is one of our favourite sites and we felt we could have stayed there longer as there is so much more walking we can do from this site.  The Cheddar site is also very good and there is also so much more to do in the area that we will return again next year.  Devizes is lovely, but we felt ready to move on as we had done enough canal walks and were getting fed up with cleaning Zeb every day so the bird poo didn't stain the paintwork!  The Corfe Castle site is in a lovely location, but we were disappointed with the site.  It's run as a franchise and didn't seem to be very well run.  I'm sure we will return one day as the walks from the site are very good, but it's not top of our list.

31 May-16 June 2021

Zebedee has been to Cirencester

We've been keeping an eye on the weather forecast to see where to go for the Bank Holiday weekend and decided on Cirencester Park Caravan Club Site.  We've visited the site several times, including spending Christmas there for a couple of years, and know that the walking from the site is excellent.  

The site was quite busy when we arrived on Thursday, but we found a free pitch in the area of the site we prefer.  I think we're getting quicker when setting up on site as it only took us about ten minutes.  We saw Pizza Alfresco would be on site later that evening, so preordered our pizzas.  After lunch we walked through the Bathurst Estate to Cirencester, ensuring we were back in plenty of time for our pizzas.

Pitch 121 Cirencester Park

On Friday we checked the Met Office forecast which showed a cloudy day with some sunny spells, so decided to do a longer walk through the Estate.  About two miles into our walk it started to spit with rain, then the rain got heavier before turning to hail so we returned to the site as quickly as possible.  After changing into warm dry clothes we put our wet clothes into the shower room and turned the heating on to dry everything out.  The afternoon was sunny (as forecast) so we went for a short walk - leaving the longer walk for another day.

Before going away I had downloaded some walks around the town.  On Saturday morning we did the 'Field and Woodland Walk' which was lovely as the field paths were through the rapeseed fields.  We headed back to Zeb at lunchtime before going out again in the afternoon to do the 'Riverside Walk'.

Cirencester Field Walks

The weather was more settled on Sunday so we decided to do the longer walk we had aborted on Friday.  We didn't really have a plan on where we were going to walk, other than we wanted to find new paths through the Estate.  We had our Yellow Map which showed all the rides and paths through the Estate so explored some new areas.

The forecast for Monday was a dry morning and then heavy rain during the afternoon so we walked part of the 'Riverside Walk' and then through the Abbey grounds before getting back to Zeb before it started raining.  We had torrential rain all afternoon and most of the night, but thankfully it was dry when we packed up on Tuesday morning although it was still very windy.

We had an eventful journey home as the strong winds lifted the skylight at the front of Zeb, even though it was locked closed.  We made a temporary repair to ensure it didn't blow off whilst we were on the motorway and then made a detour to Highbridge Caravans.  After inspection of the skylight the technician said it was obviously faulty and would need to be replaced.  They secured it for us and are contacting Hymer for approval of the warranty repair.  Hopefully we'll get it fixed before we head off on our travels at the end of the month, but at least it's safe for us to travel.

29 April-4 May 2021

Zebedee has been to Start Bay

We arrived back home on Monday after visiting the Midlands, which gave me enough time to get the washing done and Zeb loaded before heading off to Start Bay Caravan Club Site for three nights.  We've visited this site a couple of times when we had Cali so know the area and the walking.

We arrived on Thursday and set up in about 10 minutes - so much quicker than when we had Cali.  After a quick lunch we went for a walk around Slapton Ley - although it was a lovely sunny afternoon there was a cold breeze from the sea so we headed back to the site to sit in the sun where we were sheltered by Zeb.

Pitch 43 Start Bay

On Friday we did one of our favourite walks to Start Point - it was another lovely sunny day with a cold wind along the coast.  After having lunch in a sheltered spot near Start Point we sat watching the seals in Peartree Cove before heading back to the site.  

The weather was the same on Saturday, very sunny with a cold wind from the sea.  We walked from the site to Stokenham and then to Slapton through the Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve.  We'd not previously visited the NNR so spent some time walking the various paths before heading back along Slapton Ley to Torcross and then to the site.

Slapton Ley from Torcross

We left the site on Sunday morning to return home.  The road between Torcross and Kingsbridge is very narrow in many places so we headed back before the road got too busy later in the day.

It was another lovely weekend on one of our favourite sites.

22-25 April 2021

Zebedee has been to Chapel Lane and Harbury

After almost four months campsites are now open and we've finally got away in Zeb.  We decided to visit our families in the Midlands as we didn't manage to see them last year due to lockdowns and tier restrictions.  We booked the first two nights at Chapel Lane Caravan Club Site as that was the best base we could find for our visits.

We arrived on site on Thursday afternoon and got set up very quickly.  We have previously visited this site and although it's not one of our favourites, it's convenient for the NEC and made a good base for our visit to our families.

Pitch 46 Chapel Lane

On Friday morning we went to visit my mother and sister and spent a few hours with them.  The weather was glorious and sunny - perfect for sitting in the garden.  We then went to see Steve's parents, stopping for lunch on the way.  After a few hours with Steve's parents we headed back to site for the evening.  We both found the day tiring, mainly due to the fact the roads were very busy and we've not travelled outside of the South West over the last year.  

On Saturday we left the site and drove to Harbury Fields Farm where we had booked a pitch for two nights.  The weather was still very warm and sunny so once we had set up we had a short walk around the farm fields and then sat out in the sun.

Pitch 38 Harbury Fields

We liked the site although there were no footpaths nearby, but there is a bus stop outside the site entrance.  We decided to have an easy day on Sunday and spent the morning doing several laps of the footpaths around the farm fields before returning to Zeb for lunch.  After lunch, we did several more laps of the fields and then returned to Zeb for an afternoon enjoying the sun.  

We left the site on Monday morning as we had booked walking boot fittings at Lockwoods in Leamington Spa.  We had a bit of a nightmare trying to get to the shop as the road was closed for resurfacing, so we found a safe space to leave Zeb on a side street and walked the rest of the way.  After our boot fittings we drove back home with two new pairs of Altberg boots.

It was lovely to be away in Zeb again and we've plenty more sites booked for the rest of the year, especially when Steve retires in another five weeks.  The Chapel Lane site is one we will return to whenever we visit the NEC and I'm sure we'll return to Harbury Fields whenever we want to revisit the area.

15-19 April 2021

Zebedee has been to Dulverton

We had planned to stay at Exmoor House Caravan Club Site for two nights, but changed the booking to one night so we could have our flu jabs on Saturday morning.  We packed everything in Zeb, walked to the surgery for our jabs and then back home to head off to Dulverton.  We arrived at the site about 1.00pm and were set up with the kettle on by 1.15pm - it's much quicker to set up than Cali.

Pitch 66 Exmoor House

The weather wasn't brilliant so we had a walk around Dulverton and a cup of hot chocolate at The Tantivy.  We had more torrential rain and strong winds overnight and were so glad we didn't have to worry about a pop up top.  On Sunday morning we waited for a break in the rain to pack the windscreen cover away before taking a leisurely drive home. 

12 December 2020

Zebedee has been to Minehead

We should have visited our families last month but had to postpone our visit due to the second lockdown - only to find that they have now moved into Tier 3 so we still can't visit.  As Steve was on leave on Friday we decided to take a last minute trip to the Minehead Caravan Club Site.

Traffic was fairly light so we reached the north coast too early to book into the site and decided to take a small detour to Dunstan Beach for lunch.  The beach was almost deserted - probably because it was bitterly cold!

The site was almost empty as there had been lots of cancellations from people who now find themselves in Tier 3.  This meant we had a good choice of pitches and chose one towards the back of the site and further away from the road which made it a lot quieter.

Pitch 27 Minehead

It didn't take long to set up so we took a walk to the front and along to the harbour before heading back to the site.

It poured with rain overnight and most of Saturday morning so we stayed on site until the rain eased.  In the afternoon we walked along the front in the opposite direction towards Butlins (thankfully closed when we were there) before having a mug of hot chocolate at the Toucan Cafe and returning to site.

Sunday morning was lovely with a bright blue sky and sunshine - what a shame it hadn't been like that on Saturday.  After a lazy morning on site we headed back home.  

We both like this site and plan to return again in the spring.  There's a lot of walking from the site, but it's definitely an area to avoid during school holidays.

4-6 December 2020

Zebedee has been to Hurn Lane

The forecast was good for the weekend so we booked two nights at the Hurn Lane Caravan Club Site between Burnham-on-Sea and Brean - a site we've not previously visited.  When choosing our pitch we saw one side of the site is very open with commercial sites around it, but we found a lovely sunny pitch in the middle of the site with a hedge and small brook behind.  

Pitch 28 Hurn Lane

It didn't take too long to set up on site and fit our new winter screen covers, so after a quick lunch we took a walk to the beach.  The lane at the side of the site leads to Berrow Dunes where there are plenty of paths leading to the beach - less than a mile from the site.  After a short walk around the Dunes we walked back to site for showers before the facilities block got too busy.

On Saturday we again walked through the Dunes to the beach and walked to Brean Down.  We had originally hoped to walk over the Down, but decided to keep to easy beach walking and save the Down walk for another visit.  After having our lunch on the beach we headed back to the site.

Edge of Berrow Dunes to Brean Down

On Sunday we had a lazy morning on site before heading back home via Highbridge Caravans as we wanted to look in their accessories shop.  Although we didn't find what we wanted we did see Cali on the forecourt and took a peek inside.  It was interesting that when we saw her we both thought 'Been there, done that, and now enjoying our new campervan' which obviously shows we made the right decision to buy Zeb.

We enjoyed the Hurn Lane site and found it to be quiet at this time of the year, although I can imagine it would be very noisy in the summer as there are so many commercial sites surrounding it.  It's definitely a site for us to use again when we want to walk along the Down.

16-18 September 2020