17 Oct 2011

Second visit to Castleton

14th to 16th October 2011

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We really like this site.  We discovered it a few months ago and it instantly became one of our favourites.

Only downsides…a bit of road noise during the day and we couldn’t get anything on the radio.  TV reception is probably bad too, but we didn’t try.

You may recall from our earlier post that last time we came here we ended up spending loads on drink, and we were determined not to do the same again!  We weren’t entirely successful!

Friday

Arrived mid afternoon only to discover that we had forgotten to bring towels!  So off we dashed to Morrisons in Chapel-en-le-Frith about 6 miles away. 

Back at site, we had a bit of trouble getting in.  There is a swipe card entry system and it just wouldn’t recognise our card.  After half a dozen attempts, the driver behind  got us in, very embarrassing!

With the awning up in record time, we  popped into Castleton for a couple of drinks.  Ended up staying for an early bird dinner in the Castle Hotel.

Went back to the caravan for a bit and discovered that the blown air heating had stopped working (luckily, we can still run the gas fire ok), but it didn't bother us that much,  so we then back to Ye Olde Nags Head for the Friday night pub quiz.  26 out of 50!  Oh dear!  We do particularly badly on the sport round.  The winning score was 37.  Last time they brought out trays of sandwiches and chips after the quiz had finished.  We waited and waited and waited…but none this time.

Saturday

A walk up to the Kinder Scout plateau from Edale today.  The plan was to ascend via Ringing Roger (what a great name for a hill), walk along the edge for a bit, and then descend via Grindslow Knoll.  High point 601 metres but less than 5 miles, so not especially strenuous.  However, a mistake early on meant that we ended up going around Ringing Roger rather than over it, which was a bit disappointing.

Our first time on Kinder Scout, and some interesting rock formations…

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A meerkat on the left?

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A pig?

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D on a waterfall

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After a quick drink in Edale (can’t remember the name of the pub) we went back to the caravan and lazed around.  Rain forecast for Sunday morning (correct for a change), so we decided to take the awning down.  We didn't really use it this time, but it got a good airing as it was packed away damp last time.

A bit of dinner and some light reading for J

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J happy to read but D a bit restless by 8.30 - he couldn't face another Pan horror story - so we headed back into the village for a couple more drinks.  Lots of groups of young people wandering around the village and filling the pubs up, so we didn’t stay too long!

Sunday

A bit of a damp start, very pleased that we had taken the awning down on Saturday.  Left about 10 and got back to the storage place by 12.

Coming soon…

Brown Moor, Hawes, Yorkshire…a new site for us.

3 Oct 2011

Waterfoot Park

30th Sept to 2nd October 2011

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Our first trip of the year to Ullswater.

We joined the Caravan Club earlier this year and have become accustomed to massive hard-standing pitches.  Camping & Caravan Club site pitches are usually pretty big too.

Waterfoot Park is neither, so the narrowness of the pitch we had to make do with was a bit of a disappointment.  It does have excellent facilities, though, and a very relaxed atmosphere, and is only a short walk into Pooley Bridge.  Still one of our favourite sites, just not in the top three anymore…probably C&CC Ravenglass, CC Park Coppice, CC Castleton, not necessarily in that order.

Friday

Arrived mid afternoon after a very uneventful journey.  Decided not to bother with the awning this weekend as the pitch was very narrow and the grass on which it would have to go was very wet and muddy, so a very quick setup.  Excellent reversing from D!

Walked into Pooley Bridge and along the river for about a mile, then popped into the Sun Inn, one of three pubs in the village, for a quick drink.  Took some bread for the ducks that congregate around the bridge and are quite happy to eat out of your hand!  No pic (not sure why), so you will have to make do with one of J looking at something in the water!

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Back at the site, we had our first barbecue for quite a while, and very successful it was too, despite a slow start getting the coals lit

Then back to Pooley Bridge for a drink in the Pooley Bridge Inn.  Just one, we are trying to cut down after the recent excesses of Castleton!  Warm enough to sit outside in the dark, even for J!

Saturday

No major walk planned for today, just a stroll along the shore of Haweswater reservoir.

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As we drove along the road that leads to the reservoir a herd of deer shot across the road in front of us, causing D to slam on the brakes!  Actually it was just two deer and D just slowed down a bit, but still not something you see every day!

Very warm and humid, but Haweswater is always a pleasant place to be.  This is one of the first places that we visited when we started coming to the lake district in our pre caravan days, and is partly responsible for getting us into walking, so we couldn’t let the year go by without a visit.  No sign of the resident golden eagle.

 

Stopped off at Pooley Bridge on the way back for a cream tea and then a quick drink in the Crown Inn.

After a rest and showers we drove into Penrith, the plan being to have dinner in a Mexican restaurant there.  It was fully booked, so instead we bought a couple of pizzas and headed back to the caravan.  Couldn’t be bothered walking to the village so we just lazed around listening to the radio and reading.

Sunday

Just managed to pack everything away before it started to rain, so all in all we were very lucky with the weather.  Whiled away the hours listening to the Archers and Desert Island Discs which is back after a break of a few months.  This week, the creator of the Teletubbies who is actually 74!

Coming soon…

A quick return to the CC site at Castleton, to see if it is as good as we thought it was just over a month ago.