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 twisty  country roads.  The only site where we 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 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 is completely free!

We had it 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 out 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.  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.

 

Staveley and Coniston

 19 to 23 July

Forgot to do a blog for this trip, which included the Hawkshead Brewery Summer beer festival.

Kendal

21-24 June 2024

Back after a break of two months and our first trip of the year to an old favourite - the Kendal CAMC site.  We came here three times last year and four times in 2022.

Friday

On arrival we were hoping to see the key to pitch 21 hanging up on the wall in reception, but it wasn't to be.  Nor pitch 22.  Oh dear!

We drove around the site a few times but most of the available pitches looked dark and uninviting.  This is quite a shady site.  Eventually we settled on pitch 16, much to one of the wardens surprise.  Apparently it is not a very popular pitch and when the site is full it is one of the last to be taken.  We did struggle to level the caravan but apart from that we think it is an ok pitch.

We had to lower the caravan so much at the front we then found we couldn't  close the locker, because the jockey wheel was sticking up too much, so had to start again.  Doh!  Then a problem with the EHU.  We started to think it was a jinxed pitch.

After lunch we headed into Kendal and had dinner in  Pizza Express and drinks in a couple of pubs.

Saturday

We set off quite late for a walk around nearby Scout Scar.  We have been here a few time and it is a great place for an easy walk on a hot day.

In the afternoon we walked to the Strickland Arms for a couple of pints of Swan Blonde before heading back to the site for our first barbecue of the year.

It was just about warm enough to sit outside afterwards...even for J!

Sunday

We got a bus into Kendal and a car boot sale just outside the town centre caught our eye, so we got off early.  We didn't buy anything, of course.  Then we walked the rest of the way into town.

Kendal on a Sunday is very quiet and all of the pubs we like didn't open until 4pm or not at all in the case of the Bowness Bay brewery tap.  We didn't hang around and retreated to the site after a bit of a picnic by the river.  J found some sun in the afternoon at the front of our otherwise shady pitch.

In the evening we had another barbecue and were able to sit outisde until quite late again.

Monday

We thought we would have trouble hitching the caravan up due to the slopiness of the pitch, but it turned out to be easier that we thought it would be and we got away early.

Coming soon...

Another trip in a couple of weeks, probably to Coniston.

 

Keswick

 19th to 22nd April 2024

We went to Castlerigg Hall four times last year.  We probably won't go that many times this year  but it has definitley become one of our favourite sites, with pitch 24 one of our favourite pitches anywhere.

Friday

The journey could easily have been much worse.  We hit traffic around Lancatser on the M6 and it turned out to be an overturned caravan!  It must have just happened because the police hadn't arrived and it didn't hold us up much but the tailbacks later will have been horrendous.  No idea what caused it.  A badly loaded caravan, going too fast downhill, or not the caravanners fault at all...

No pic of the caravan this time, we forgot to take one.

Without a motor mover pitch 24 would be almost impossible to get into and ours is a bit temperamental at the moment but afer a bit of fiddling with the wires it worked.

As is customeary here we walked down the hill into Keswick and had a look around the town and far to much to drink.  Dinner in a Thai restaurant.

Saturday

Our first Wainwright of the year and 149th overall (out of 214).  Bessyboot, or Rosthwaite fell if you prefer...we did both.

Quite steep going up and coming down.  Excellent weather throughout.

In the afternoon we sat outsude the caravan and then had a night in.

A pretty good sunset...

No northern lights, though, which was a bit disappointing as they have been visible in the area in recent times.

Sunday

A lazy start to the day which included a sausage sandwich for a very late breakfast, then we headed into Keswick again, this time taking a more scenic, longer route.

We had a roast dinner in the Wainwright Inn and then got a bus back to the site.  Excellent self control today, unlike Friday.

Monday

No problems getting home.

Coming soon...

An eagerly awaited return to the C&CC site in Ravenglass, which was a bit disappointing just after covid in 2022 but now has refurbished facilities and the Ratty Arms under new management.  We just hope the ginger cat is still there.