Keswick

 3rd to 6th October 2024

Our second visit of the year to one of our favourite sites - Castlerigg Hall.

Thursday

A Thursday start, in order to get a better pitch...pitch 21.

The motor mover worked first time (hurrah) and setting everything up went very smoothly.  We thought about putting up the newly repaired canopy but couldn't be bothered.

We trekked down the hill into Keswick after lunch and had drinks in a couple of pubs.  Managed to resist the temptation of a £12 a pint DIPA in the Craft Beer Keswick!

The plan had been to go back to the site for dinner but somehow we ended up in the Royal Oak and had not very nice pie and chips at £19 each.  So much for a cheap weekend away!

Friday

An easy Wainwright today - Ling Fell, 373 metres, about 3.5 miles.  As easy as it sounds.

J still recovering from cataract surgery, hence the sun glasses.

In the afternoon we drove into Cockermouth, where we discovered the Bitter End pub.  Just about the only pub that opens before 4pm and definitely somewhere we will come back to if in the area again.

We had dinner in the caravan (steak and chips and red wine) and a night in listening to music and playing cards (gin rummy mostly) which we had purchased the day before from a charity shop.

Saturday

In the morning a quick dash up Walla Crag from the site for D, while J relaxed by the caravan.

We had dinner early and then walked down into Keswick, which was incredibly busy, so we didn't stay out late.  Back at the site we thought about going to the nearby Crag bar but it was completely empty and looked like it didn't have any nice beers, so we gave it a miss.  It usually has Loweswater Gold, which makes up for any lack of atmosphere.  So another night in with another bottle of red wine from the site shop.  And an apple pie we'd bought from the market in Keswick.

Sunday

The pitch was easy to get in to but not so easy to get out of.  We had to manouvre the caravan quite a bit and of course, the motor mover played up a bit.  On the bright side, it has never let us down completely...yet!  It took ages and we were quite late leaving and getting home.

Coming soon...

We drained the water out before leaving, just in case, but hope to get away again later this month or early in November.  Pooley Bridge, maybe.

Ravenglass

6th to 9th September 2024

A much anticipated return to one of our favourite sites - the C&CC site at Ravenglass.

We were supposed to come here earlier in the year and had to cancel at the last minute, but we made it this time.

Friday

The only downside to this site is that it is a bit out of the way for us.  A long journey, a lot of it on winding country roads, it is the only site where we usually stop halfway for a rest!  We bought our own refreshments this time - a thermos of tea and sandwiches.

We finally arrived just after 1.30 and were pretty confident of getting a good pitch as we had listed about a dozen of the ones we wanted when booking.  We weren't disappointed.

We were looking forward to seeing the newly re-furbished facilitues block and it was even better than we hoped it might be.  What a transformation.  One of the best anywhere now.

We were also looking forward to visting the Ratty Arms, which is under new management, and that is where we headed for an afternoon drink.  It looks pretty much the same as before and is still a freehouse, so a great selection of local beers.  We even recognised the barmaid, who used to work in the other pub in the village.

Great weather for a barbecue, the first of two this trip.

Afterwards we walked back into the village to catch the sunset.  Not a cloud in  the sky.

Saturday

 A very hot, sunny day.  We thought about getting the steam train into Eskdale but it seems to be very expensive now, with pre booking required, and we have done it a few times already...

Instead we drove to Drigg and went for a walk along the beach and a picnic lunch, which was  completely free!  We are a bit more budget conscious than we used to be now that D has stopped working.

We had the beach almost to ourselves.

In the afternoon we sat around the caravan and had a wander around the village and more drinks in the Ratty Arms.  Definitley our pub of choice for the weekend.  The other pub, the Inn at Ravenglass, had no local beers which was a bit disappointing.  It seems to have a bit of a Scottish theme going on, based on this and our last visit.

In the evening we had another barbecue and then it was back to the front for another great sunset.

Sunday

J is still recovering from cataract surgery and the difference in vision between her two eyes means she can't really scramble up or downhill over rocky terrain, so no walking for her this trip.  The other eye is due to be done in the next couple of weeks and she will have near perfect vision after that.

D set off early to Loweswater, for a walk up Gavel Fell.

A pretty good day for walking after a bit of rain early on.

He got back to the site just after midday.

No barbecue today, instead pasta sitting outside the caravan  in the afternoon and then back to the Ratty Arms, which was surprisingly empty for a Sunday afternoon.  Hope it is not struggling.

Too cloudy for another great sunset tonight.

We didn't go back to either of the two pubs and retreated back to the caravan for a night in.

Monday

A long, tiring journey home, some of it stuck behind a pair of very slow moving lorries, but worth it.  Another great trip.  And quite a cheap one...realtively!

Coming soon...

Nothing else this month, but maybe a return to Keswick early in October.

 

 

Ingleton

 28-30 August 2024

A last minute mid week trip to Thornbrook Barn, Ingleton, after a break of several weeks.

Wednesday

A mid week start due to D being pretty much retired now and J off work recovering from eye surgery to remove cataracts.

All of the pitches we asked for were allocated but the alternative was great.  A bit nearer to the toilets than we would have liked but nice and secluded.  Of course, we positioned the caravan to screen us from everybody else!

The Marton Arms pub is just around the corner and that is where we headed for an afternoon drink.  J's wine was eye wateringly expensive, but a great selection of beers for D.

The plan was to have a barbecue one night but we decided to leave it until the following day as the sky was a bit grey, so we had pasta instead.  It didn't rain so we had it al fresco and spent the rest of the night in or around the caravan instead of venturing into Ingleton.

Thursday

It rained quite heavily first thing, but by the time we set off for Settle, for a walk to Warrendale Knotts and Brent Scar, it had stopped.

Quite a lot of cloud at times but some blue sky too, so excellent conditions for a not too strenuous walk.

The objective of the walk was Victoria and Jubilee caves.

Victoria cave in particular was quite impressive, but neither were as good as Yorda's cave, which is just north of Ingleton.

We had a look around Settle in the afternoon and picked up some supplies, then headed back to the site for a barbecue and another night in.

Friday

Pitch 34 was easy to get into but a very tight turn was needed to get out.  It took D a couple of attempts, much to the amusement of the man sitting outside a monster motorhome opposite.

Coming soon...

A return to Ravenglass.  We were going to go earlier in the year but had to cancel.  We can't wait to check out the refurbished facilities and the apparently revitalized Ratty Arms.