8 Aug 2010

From Gozo to Ravenglass

Our main caravan trip of the year, hot on the heels of a week in Gozo      

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Day 1…Wednesday

Travelling mid week is great…no traffic problems!  Still took just over three hours though, a lot of it on winding roads with only the sound of the creaky stabilizer for company.  Very poor radio reception in places.  Replies to a question about the stabilizer on UK campsite suggest that creaking is normal, but D remains unconvinced!

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Four nights (instead of the usual two) at the Ravenglass C&CC site.  We’ve been here a few times and it is one of our favourite sites.  Quiet, lots of mature trees, a couple of pubs in easy walking distance.  In the past we have requested and been allocated a specific pitch, but not this time.  The pitch we were given was ok, although a bit near the owners house and the toilet block for our liking.  Although a couple of motor homes, obviously in last resort pitches got a raw deal, and were sited under the owner’s living room window and about 10 steps from the toilets!

Weather ok on arrival, so we thought a BBQ would be nice, and it probably would have been had we been able to light it!  All we had was an old disposable BBQ tray full of damp coals we found in the garden at home.  But no matter how many lighting cubes we threw on, it wouldn’t heat up properly.  After half an hour we gave up, threw a bottle of water over it and stalked off to the pub in search of a hot meal!

The Ratty Arms is nice but the selection of beers this time was disappointing.  Afterwards, a stroll around Ravenglass.  Nice sunset.

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Ravenglass is a very quiet village, although it seems they were experiencing a crime wave.  A notice in the post office warned of a conman who was posing as a not very good artist and charging up to £50 for a poor biro portrait. The title of the notice was ‘CON ARTIST’ A bit of a play on words?!

Saw signs everywhere for a second hand book fair in the village hall for the following Saturday.  J very excited.

Day 2…Thursday

Weather not great, but undaunted we set off for Buttermere.  Nowhere near Ravenglass, about an hour’s drive away.

Haystacks (4.5 miles, 597 metres) was our objective, final resting place of Alfred Wainwright’s ashes.  Despite getting caught in a a shower of hailstones halfway up, we made it, and only got a bit lost coming down!  Views at the top weren’t great, with the bigger mountains obscured by cloud, but a nice walk nonetheless.

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Then tea, cake and a pint of “Haystacks” in the Fish Hotel, Buttermere, followed by a long drive back to the caravan.  The hotel looks like a nice place to stay but for £92 a night, probably not (we paid less than that for 4 nights!)

Stopped off in Whitehaven and picked up a couple of disposable barbecues.  Slightly more successful this time, but still had to use the microwave a bit! Always a worry having a barbecue – you wouldn’t  want to be stuck up a mountain the next day with tummy trouble!

Where to go for a drink?  The poor selection of beers in the Ratty Arms made us look elsewhere and we found a bar (open to non residents) in the Pennington Hotel.  Better beer and nice, comfy sofas.

Day 3…Friday

Awoke to the sound of rain.  No major walk planned for today, so we got the Ravenglass and Eskdale steam train and got off a couple of stops before the end so that we could walk the rest of the way.

IMG_0711 Ravenglass to Eskdale Railway

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Only a couple of miles, but we got very wet!

Lunch in a pub in Boot and a couple of drinks, then got the train back to the site.

A night in tonight.  Lancashire hotpot for dinner, a bottle of wine and Absolute 80’s on the radio.  Very cosy (just ignore the dirty trainers under the table!).

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Image0239 We know how to have fun!

Polished off the wine, then collapsed into bed.  J looking forward to tomorrows book fair at 10.30am

Day 4…Saturday

Weather forecast much better today, so off to Wasdale Head to climb Middle Fell (3.5 miles, 582 metres).  First stop though, the much anticipated book fair.

Got there at 10.31am (didn't want to appear too keen) Not a soul about and the doors closed.  Picked up some essentials at the shop (a Twix) and walked back.  This time a few people milling about.  Walked around the block again to find the small crowd had vanished but the doors still closed and no signs of life inside.  J very disappointed.  Ah well, Onwards to Wasdale

Not very popular with walkers, so not many people about.  A steep climb in places but excellent views of the big mountains around Wastwater and the sea from the top.  The pics below and in the gallery really don’t do it justice.

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Steep coming down as well, the flock of sheep we came across made better time than we did.  They stayed ahead of us for ages, and we did think at one point we would have to buy them all a drink at the pub!

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Lamb casserole in the Wasdale Head Inn, and three pints for D.  Ennerdale Blonde followed by the holy grail of beer (in D’s opinion), Loweswater Gold.  J drove back to the site…a first for her as she’s never driven on Lake District roads before.  A tipsy D offered plenty of helpful advice though!

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Another nice sunset in Ravenglass and a drink in the Pennington Hotel, followed by a final drink in the Ratty Arms.  D a bit worse for wear, will sleep well tonight!

More pics…

*It appears the book fair started a little later than planned, but they’d packed up and gone home by the time we came back!

Day 5…Sunday

Homeward bound.  An uneventful journey home.

 

Ravenglass C&CC Site

Pros

  • Quiet, even when full.
  • Good sized pitches with lots of trees.
  • Excellent showers - no push button and adjustable temperature.
  • Pubs within easy walking distance

Cons

  • A bit hard to get to.
  • Could do with more toilets and showers.

Coming soon…well, nothing planned at the moment but we will probably go somewhere in a couple of weeks.