Ingleton

20th to 22nd May 2022

A first visit of the year to what might become one of our favourite sites...Thornbrook Barn, Ingleton.  It's easy to get to, the pitches are massive, the facilites are ok and there are a couple of nice pubs nearby...oh, and good walking in the area!

Friday

We received our pitch number by email a couple of days previously and it was one we would have chosen anyway.  No check in on arrival, you just go straight to your pitch, which is ok with us.  The pitches are great, with hedges in between, so a bit of privacy!  We positioned the car carefully, too, so that the people opposite couldn't see us and we couldn't see them when sitting outside!

A quick trip to the nearby farm shop for essential supplies...

Then we headed into Ingleton.  We stopped off at the Falls cafe, which is new, we think, and then on to the Old Post Office micropub which has changed quite a lot since we were last there!

The pics are of the back room, which is Soho inspired, the front room is more conventional.  We liked it, but others looked in and chose the front room instead.  The manager or owner said it was speakeasy style.  Apparently there are many places like it in the northern quarter in Manchester...only about an hour by train from us!

Then we had dinner in the Bank Top restaurant, which was excellent and almost empty, then back to the Old Post Office.  We had far too much to drink!

Saturday

Not a great weather forecast today, but better than the last time we went for a walk from Horton-in-Ribblesdale station.  Moughton Scars and Long Scar were the objectives.

Quite a long walk for us at over 8 miles, probably a bit too much, but despite the ominous looking clouds it didn't actually rain.  Pretty spectacular limestone pavements.

Up close and personal with some cows on the way down...

Lots of people around, runners and, we think, people doing the three peaks challenge.  All much fitter than us!

Back at site we had a pretty successful barbecue and it was warm enough to sit outside the caravan until quite late in the evening.

Sunday

We got up and left later than usual but this site is so easy to get to we were still home before midday.

Coming soon...

We'll be staying home for the jubilee bank holiday weekend and then we have a wedding to go to, so we might not be able to get away again until mid June.  Kendal, maybe.

Ravenglass

 5th to 8th May 2022

A much anticipated return to our favourite site - the C&CC site in Ravenglass - after a break of two and a half years  mostly due to covid.

Thursday

A Thursday start to a three night trip.  The journey took over three hours and a lot of it was on narrow, windy roads, so not much fun, but it did include a stop for tea and sandwiches.  The mobile cafe had run out of milk so we gave them one of ours!

We finally arrived just before 2pm.  We have a list of favourite pitches here and requested one of them when we booked, so no nasty surprises on arrival.

The pitch we got overlooks a field and most caravans choose to face frontwards, which is what we did.  Unfortunately we were in a minority of one this time, so when another caravan turned up later and positioned itself the other way around it meant our door opened onto theirs, which is never a good thing!  Had it been the other way around we would have been fuming!  They didn't seem to mind, though, and in addition to two dogs they had a cat called Sylvester with them!

We'd already eaten, so after setting up we strolled into the village only to find everything shut!  The Ratty Arms would open later but the Inn at Ravenglass was closed all day!

We decided against a barbecue because the weather was a bit iffy, with rain threatening.  We had dinner in the caravan and then went for a walk along the shoreline returning via Newtown Knott.

Then we popped into the Ratty Arms and stayed until closing time, which would have been far too long if closing time hadn't been 9.30, and strictly enforced by the barmaid!  It seems the Ratty Arms is more of a restaurant these days, but at least it had nice beers for D!

Friday

A grim day today, weatherwise.

It didn't look too bad in the morning, so we walked to Muncaster castle.  The rain started just as we sat down to enjoy their owl display and it didn't stop until the evening.  We retreated inside the castle as soon as it opened at midday, but then had to walk home in the rain.  We got soaked!

We had dinner in the caravan - courtesy of the visiting fish and chip van - then ventured out to the Inn at Ravenglass for what turned out to be a pretty good sunset.  The Inn at Ravenglass has only just re-opened after covid and it doesn't seem as nice as it used to be.  Maybe it will be back to normal for our next visit.

Saturday

Much better weather today, so we went for a walk around Devoke Water and two of the hills that overlook it...White Pike and Yoadcastle.

Not dancing...just caught out by the 10 second self timer!

On the way back we stopped off in Boot and had a pint sitting outside the Brook House Inn.

Then we headed back to the site for a pre booked dinner in a packed Ratty Arms, followed by  a couple of drinks in the Inn at Ravenglass.  It was only then that we saw their menu, which was much better than what we'd just had in the Ratty Arms!  Oh well, next time...

Sunday

We left at 9.30 and got home at 12.30, so another long journey.

Not the best ever trip to Ravenglass, the weather spoiled it, but still pretty good.

Trip rating: 7/10

A quick word about cats.  We didn't see much of Sylvester, the cat next door.  They took it for walks on a lead from time to time but we didn't get to stroke it.  A small ginger cat was much more friendly.  We think it lives on the site but it doesn't seem to belong to anyone!  It has a basket and food and water under a bench by the toilets.  Not sure what happens in the winter or when the site is shut!

Coming soon...

A two night trip to Ingleton.

Kendal

 22nd to 24th April 2022

Our first visit of the year to the Kendal C&MC site, which has become one of our favourites in recent years.  It's easy to get to, has a nice pub nearby and the pitches are nicely spread out.

Friday

A traditional Friday start.  Hopes of getting dream pitch no. 21 (known as the honeymoon suite by the wardens!) were dashed when the journey took a lot longer than it should have due to traffic, but there aren't really any bad pitches here.

Our new hitch cover, ordered by D...J is not impressed!

It was a nice afternoon so we sat outside the caravan for a while and then headed to the nearby farm shop and then the Strickland Arms for a couple of pints. We sat in the beer garden which is very slopey and had to keep hold of our drinks!

Then it was back to the site for our first barbecue of the year.  It was just about warm enough!

We sat outside for as long as we could, until the cold drove us indoors!

Saturday

Something a bit different today.  A walk from Grange-over-Sands along the promenade and then the "beach" to Humphrey Head.

Blue sky most of the time, but quite windy, and we had to rush a bit to get a train back to Grange-over-Sands from Kents Bank station at 13.20.  The alternative was a two hour wait for the next one or walking back!

We came to Humphrey Head many years ago with the kids, pre caravans, whilst staying at the nearby Haven site, but didn't get any further than the car park.  We found it a bit disappointing, we weren't into walking and outdoor stuff then.  It's actually a pretty nice place.  Apart from the savage dog that cornered us and wouldn't let us pass until it's owner intervened...eventually!  She did apologise!

Our walk was pretty inconvenient for the local sheep, we even interrupted their picnic...!

We made it back to the station with about ten minutes to spare.  In the distance we saw what looked like a group of people walking across the bay.  Too risky to do on our own, we think, but apparently there are guided walks from Arnside to Kents Bank.  Something for another day.

In the afternoon we had a look around Grange-over-Sands and then headed back to the site for an evening in.

Sunday

A very uneventful journey home.

Coming soon...

A three night trip to our favourite site...the C&CC site at Ravenglass.  We are very excited, we haven't been for three years due to covid.