22 Jul 2018

Windermere & Hawes

19th to 22nd July 2018

A two in one trip - one night at the Windermere C&CC site for the Hawkshead brewery summer beer festival, then two nights at the Hawes CMC site.  We thought one day at the beer festival would be enough this time, and it probably was.

Thursday

We arrived early, not because we wanted to get a good pitch, but because we wanted to get to the beer festival as early as possible, and we headed across the fields to Stavely as soon as we had everything set up.

It wasn't very busy and we managed to get a seat sitting outside under the marquee.  We got chatting to an elderly couple from nearby Ings who have done all 214 wainwrights three times, which put our 116 into perspective.  Then some of their friends turned up and we spent most of the rest of the night with them.  Gone are the days when we used to sit on our own all night!  We even exchanged e-mail addresses.

15 beers sampled by D, which might be a record, but he felt ok at the end of the night and the following day.  We headed back to the caravan around 10pm.

Not many pics this trip because we forgot to bring the camera and had to use phones instead.



Friday

We set off for Hawes at 11am and it took just over an hour to get there, so not too bad.  On arrival we picked what we think is just about the best pitch on the site, which made up for the fact that it started to rain quite heavily just as we started setting everything up!


We had to hide away in the caravan until the rain stopped mid afternoon, then we went to the Wensleydale creamery and bought lots of cheese, as is usual when we come here.  Just one drink in one of the pubs on the way back, we thought we should take it easy today.  In the evening we had a chippy special each in the village fish and chip shop, then a quiet night in listening to the radio.

Saturday

In the morning we went for s short walk to nearby Lovely Seat.  And it was a short walk, less than two miles in total.





We were back at the site in time for a more upmarket lunch than usual.


In the afternoon we lazed around the caravan.  It was just about warm enough to sit outside, but compared to recent weather it was a bit of a shock to the system!  Fleeces were needed, for the first time in a while.  We popped to the Green Dragon in Hardraw, but just had one drink.  Not a great selection of beers this time.

After a barbecue we had a couple of drinks in the Fountain, in Hawes, which was our pub of choice this this trip.

Sunday

We were away by 9.45 and back at the storage place by midday.

Another great trip, in spite of the weather.

Comin up...

Nothing booked until September...school holidays looming!  We will probably try to get away in August but it will be last minute bookings only.




15 Jul 2018

Kendal

13th to 15th July 2018

A last minute trip to what is becoming one of our favorite sites...the Kendal C&MC site.  Our third visit this year, and probably not our last.  It's the easiest site in Cumbria to get to, there is a nice pub within walking distance and the layout of the site is great.

Friday


We arrived just after 1pm, which is the earliest arrival time and managed to get a good pitch, albeit a shady one.



There are some great pitches here, secluded, separated by trees or hedges, much better that a long line of caravans right next to each other.  The Coniston C&MC site is the same.

In the afternoon we drove into Kendal to pick up supplies and had a quick drink in the Fell brewery tap.

Then we had dinner sitting outside the caravan and then a bottle of wine.  The site was completely full but it didn't seem it.  No noise at all!  Just birdsong and things rustling in the undergrowth.  We tried to lure a big black cat over but it wasn't interested.  Instead it crept through the bushes, then pounced and emerged with a shrew or a mouse in its mouth.

Saturday

A 6 mile walk along Borrowdale Edge (the other Borrowdale).  We haven't really walked in this area before, but we enjoyed it and will be back.  The high point was Whinash (471 metres).



The hot weather continues, but it was mostly cloudy today, thank goodness, although it didn't help with the pics.







We thought about popping into Kendal on the way back, but we were a bit hot and sweaty.  We did stop off at Low Sizergh Barn farm shop, which is near the site and some crisps caught our eye.


The pheasant ones were the nicest.

Back at site we had a barbecue.  The plan was to go to the Strickland Arms for a couple of drinks, but it was so peaceful we just sat outside the caravan until it got dark.  The black cat turned up again at roughly the same time but it still wasn't interested in us and we didn't see it catch anything tonight.

Sunday

A plague of midges this morning...not sure why, there weren't too many yesterday or the day before.  We packed up as quickly as we could!

Coming soon...

The Hawkshead brewery beer festival and Hawes.


6 Jul 2018

Keswick

30th June to 3rd July 2018

Booked a while ago, we were really looking forward to this trip to Castlerigg Hall.  All pitches here are good, but this time we managed to get a super deluxe pitch with uninterrupted views of  Derwentwater and the surrounding hills.  We've never been able to get one of these pitches before.  Be careful what you wish for.

Saturday

The heatwave continues, and after setting everything up we discovered the pitch's fatal flaw...no shade...at all!  It was too hot to sit outside anywhere on our pitch so we had to go and sit underneath trees in an adjacent field!




We had a quick drink in the nearby Heights hotel when it opened at 6, and then had a barbecue when it had cooled down enough for us to return to our pitch.  Afterwards it was really nice sitting outside and admiring the views as the sun went down.

Sunday

What to do in the blistering heat?  We drove to Buttermere and walked around the lake.





In the afternoon we got a bus into Keswick and had a couple of drinks in the Wainwright, then got the last bus back to the site and had another late barbecue.  Another good sunset, but the pics were rubbish!

Monday

D up very early for a walk up Barrow (455 metres) and Outerside (568 metres), from nearby Braithwaite.






J didn't fancy it, so she waked down into Keswick and got some supplies instead.

In the afternoon we drove to the lake and had a stroll around and a look in the shops in Keswick.  We found a new bar, the Magnolia, which we really liked  Well, it was too hot and sunny to laze around the caravan, our pitch being completely shade free!


Later our early evening drink in the Heights hotel turned into a surprisingly tasty omelette and chips from their completely vegetarian menu.  The first time we have ever eaten there.

Got talking to another couple on the site, who were also complaining about the lack of shade.

Tuesday

As we were packing up we heard some people asking if they could move to our pitch...hope they were sun lovers.  No problems on the way home.

Coming soon...

The Hawkshead brewery beer festival and then Hawes in a couple of weeks.  We might try and squeeze another trip in before then, if we can find anywhere that has vacancies.