Horsley 21-22 Sep 16

A quick one-night stopover on the way to Crystal Palace, calling in on the beautiful RHS Gardens at Wisley on the way. I'd forgotten how claggy and sticky the Horsley clay is and the worm casts are already making a mess of the grass pitches. It's nice to go back though.

Salisbury 20-21 Sep 16

Further East towards London and a quick one-night stop at the Salisbury Camping and Caravanning Club site. Nice site, very friendly wardens and very close to Old Sarum fort. We didn't have electric so we parked up at the bottom of the site miles from anybody else. From there we walked the mile or so into Salisbury for a good mooch around the City. It was very interesting seeing an original Magna Carta, and the Cathedral and surroundings are worth visiting. We liked Salisbury and would like to go back there.

Axminster 19-20 Sep 16

From Cornwall it was a pretty drive across the moors for a stopover in Axminster at a very nice little farm site, Abbey Gate Farm, just to the south of the Town. We stopped here for a little bit of family tree research and we parked up and walked across the pretty fields into town, finding the house where my ancestors lived, but unfortunately the church was locked so we couldn't find more information. We walked around the town a bit, found Tescos to do a bit of shopping then returned to the van for dinner.

Axminster was a bit of a funny old place.  Not really a lot to offer but the campsite is very nice and worth another visit.

There is a memorial to the family in here, but unfortunately it was locked 

The ancestral pile

Cornwall 17-19 Sep 16

On Sat 17 we moved along the coast on the "Atlantic Highway" after a very quick stop to look at the ocean at Westward Ho! (another dreary town). We thought that we may just stop at Clovelly, as it had been a few years since we had been there, but the road layout has changed and we were directed to a large car park and a till seeking to rob us of £7 each for the privilege of visiting a village! Well they can stick that up the opposite end to where they insert clotted cream!! We moved on hastily and drove through Boscastle to arrive at a lovely caravan club site, Trewethett Farm, just outside of Tintagel. Being tightwads we didn't use electric hookup and parked at the end of the site near the cliff edge. 

That afternoon we walked along the undulating (understatement) coastal path to Tintagel, wandered around the old post office, had an ice cream, clambered over the castle and wandered our weary way back again along the coast.

On Sunday we walked in the other direction along the coast path to Boscastle and enjoyed a walk around this town and a rather nice Cornish pasty for lunch before heading back again to our home perched on the cliff looking towards the USA.

In all, a nice site with very friendly staff, albeit there is a constant shuffle of vans trying to get the optimum spots overlooking the sea.

Next stop, Axminster!

Pasty!

The old post office, Tintagel

Prime spot

Boscastle

Devon 13 - 17 Sep 16

On to the Damage Barton site near Ilfracombe, Devon, with a nice hardstanding pitch at the top of the site overlooking the sea. This is a pretty little site with a great shop selling very nice pasties and, for some reason, Cornish clotted cream. We had a walk down towards the sea and stopped for a disappointing cream tea in the National Trust tearoom in Mortenhoe (only 1 scone - don't they know who we are!).

The following day we unloaded our bikes and went for quite a long ride along the disused railway line to Ilfracombe. What they don't tell you is that the old Ilfracombe station (where the track ends) is at the top of a very steep hill leading into town. Ilfracombe itself is not much to write home about. There is a hideous Damien Hirst statue overlooking the harbour and the high street is tacky and tired. Still, we had a nice lunch on a roof terrace and a few beers to fortify us for the long uphill journey back to the station and then the ride home.

On Thursday we walked into Woolacombe around the coast path. This part of Devon is beautiful until you reach the parts where humans have left their mark. The architecture is not interesting, the town is dowdy and unloved, and the beach areas full of car parks and tat shops. We had fish and chips on the beach, arguing with the ever hungry seagulls, before heading back on the bus to the van.

On Friday we left Damage Barton and drove along the coast, stopping for a delicious ice cream in Bideford and a wander around the town before heading up the river to Appledore. Here we found that we could stay in the car park overnight and the very friendly traffic attendant told us to overhang the hash marking so that we only had to pay for one bay rather than two. Appledore, a very pretty little place, restored our faith in Devon towns and we wandered around before having a couple of rather expensive beers in the local pub.

Mortenhoe

Skimpy cream tea - note the jam must go on first, even though we were in Devon.

Damien Hirst's ugly monstrosity

Ilfracombe Harbour

Disused Railway lines are meant to be flat!

**** Off!

Hockings - lovely ice cream!

Bideford

The Doll's house Appledore

Appledore

Our home for  the night

Westward Ho!

Taunton 12-13 Sep 16

There used to be free motorhome parking at the Clarks outlet village in Street. The signs are still there, but the gates had "staff only" signs on them. We rang the outlet village and asked why there was now no parking and were told that it was because the staff couldn't find places to park, but we could park there on this occasion. We did - and visited the outlet village. It was boring. I don't think I want to go back.

Anyway - on to Cornish Farm in Taunton, home of the wonderful VanBitz team, where we stopped over for another peaceful night in this great little site before moving on towards Devon, setting off just as the heavens opened.