April 17th to 21st
Booked the Ferry Meadows site for Amber's birthday again but for four nights this year.
Peterborough Ferry Meadows, Caravan Club Site
Ham Lane, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 0UU
Day one, Sat April 17th
Arrived about one and there was no room on the main site and we had to go to the other field. We have been for this weekend for the last three years and it has been quiet, obviously the Easter holidays have over run this year. Also the staff are usually quite nice but this year they were fairly unfriendly, maybe they were very busy, no excuse really though.
The other field tuned out to be very nice and we were right next to the children's play area, very handy for Amber.
Ralph came over with the girls, Amber, Chelsie and Saffron and we had a BBQ in the nice warm sun.
Amber stayed over in the van that night.
Day two, Sun April 18th
First thing Dot and Amber were over to the children's play park.
Ralph and Chelsie came over after lunch and we went for a walk in Ferry Meadows, it was very busy on a warm Sunday, plenty of families out walking like us.
We had a beer outside the Lakeside Cafe at the Watersports Centre, the girls had ice creams.
The miniature train was running (The Ferry Meadows Railway), so the girls rode that back to the visitor centre and we walked back.
I think we had another BBQ fro tea. It was Ambers birthday tomorrow but she stayed with us anyway. Ralph would pick her up for school in the morning.
Day three, Mon April 19th
After opening all her presents Amber went off to school with her Dad. We would be meeting up again later after school for her party.
Dot and I decided to pass the time with a walk and we though I would be good to follow the path of the Nene Valley Railway.
We turned right left out of the campsite and headed towards the Ferry Meadows Train Station. At the level crossing we turned right and followed the path that runs alongside the line. It is rather a long straight path and for the first part the campsite is on the right. Just after a road bridge over the railway, the path veers away from the line for a short stretch but if you keep left you soon get back to it.
Next the footpath crosses over to the other side of the line at a small level crossing and then we crossed over the river Nean via a footbridge attached to the rail bridge
We continued on this side to the next road bridge and the about half a mile further but then turned back as we had gone far enough for today and we had to meet Ralph for a lift to the party.
We went back the way we came but when we got back to the part of the path veers away from the line, we followed the road that led to the Lakeside Cafe, as we were walking Ralph phoned and agreed to meet us there. We all had a beer there before setting off to see Amber.
Ambers party was in one of those warehouses filled with kids climbing frames, slides, etc. Great for kids lousy for adults.
Ralph took us to the Botolph arms for a beer on the way back to the site.
Day four, Tues April 20th
As Amber was going to be a school all day, Dot and I made a Picnic and sett off for a walk around the lakes in the Ferry Meadows Country Park. The weather was slightly warmer than the previous day and the sun was shining.
We turned left out of the campsite (right if you are on the main site) and walked into Ferry Meadows Country Park. At the visitor centre we turned right and followed the path round the lake. When we came to a fork in the path just before a bridge, we took the path to the left over the bridge (we would take the right hand path at a later date). There is a board with map of all the walks here, so I took a photo of it for future reference.
Over the bridge you can either turn right and walk around the lake, or turn right towards the river, we had done the lake before, so we turn right for the river (from the map we knew there was a walk by the river). We crossed over the river Nene via Bluebell Bridge and tuned left to follow the river.
Part of the walk is along a boardwalk.
We had a very pleasant walk along the river bank, you would think you are in the middle of nowhere but if you take one of the sets of steps up the hill from the river, you are in the middle of sports complex. We did that just to see what was there.
We eventually came to Milton Ferry Bridge, an old toll bridge over the river Nene, we crossed back over the river and thought it would be a very good place for our picnic. The only trouble was there was nowhere to sit and the grass was damp so we had to move on.
We went stright on off the bridge away from the river, this path led to the Gunwade Lake and we could see Lakeside Cafe and the Watersports Centre on the other side. We turned left and followed the path around the lake, to the first right turn, onto the path leading to the Pontoon Bridge.
Here we eventually found somewhere to sit, picnic tables. I was very hungry by now and it was a little bit windy where we sat but it was the only place to sit.
From the we walked back over the Pontoon Bridge turned right and followed the lake side path back over the first bridge we crossed. We then headed back along lake side path to the campsite, to meet Amber from school.
Day five, Wed April 21th
On the way home, we stopped off at Boroughbridge for lunch and a walk by the river.
Harrogate
May 9th to 11th
Booked with a vouchers from a newspaper, in effect we had one night free.
Rudding Holiday Park Follifoot
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 1JH
Day one, Sun May 9th
The weather wasn't that good when we arrived but latter it cleared up and we had a walk around the large campsite. We also walked to the village of Follifoot, I must not have had my camera with me, as I didn't take any photos.
In the early evening we had a beer in the campsite bar, it was very quiet.
Day two, Mon May 10th
We got instructions for the bus into Harrogate from resection, the bus stop is just outside the campsite gates.
We got off at the bus station in Harrogate, next to the main train station and set off into the centre.
The weather was very changeable, so we spent a lot of time in the shops. Then eventually ended up in a very smart Wetherspoons, for a couple of beers.
I am not sure but I think we ate in there as well, before geting the bus back to the site.
Day three, Tues May 11th
As Harrogate is next door to Knaresborough and as we love Knaresborough, we drove there on the way home. We parked down by the river and went for a walk, following the river Nidd away from town, a direction we had not walked before.
When we came to a bridge we grossed over the river and started to walk back towards town.
We followed the path back to the main road bridge, it is not all along the river though, in total the walk is about one mile.
At the main road we crossed back over and continued along the river under the viaduct then up the steps into town.
Appleby
May 16th to 19th
Wild Rose Park Ormside,
Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, CA16 6EJ
Day one, Sun May 16th
We were put on a very, how shall I put this, not nice pitch, this is what you get when you book using vouchers from newspapers. The on site pub closed at three and was not due to reopen while we were there, same with the takeaway, although the shop was open and was very reasonable for a campsite. The pool was closed for refurbishment.
There was no TV reception (I think it is probably all digital now and analogue switched off), so set up the sat and watched the F1 GP then the end of the Super Bikes. We got instructions from reception for a walk to Appleby but decided it was too late to do it today. So we just a had a walk into the village, some nice houses but no pub although one house looked like it was once and not too long ago.
Day two, Mon May 17th
We thought we would do the long walk to Appleby, so we packed a picnic and set off.
The full walk in detail (this was written and photographed over a couple of trips to Appleby)
It is rather a long walk (if you do it both ways) and not an easy one, you should rally do it in walking shoes, also not a good idea in wet weather, no it is a bad idea in wet weather, we have done it.
Today was fine though and it was a very pleasant, if long walk in the sun.
As this was our first time doing this walk, when we got to the town we were not sure which way to go to get in to the centre. From the river at the end of the path, we turned left along the road up the hill and by keeping right around the outside of the castle, we ended up at the top end of the main street.
After a good walk around the town (it is not very big) we went for a drink and sat outside the pub in the sun.
We walked out of town following the main road towards the A66, at the time we were not sure where this would lead us. We stopped at a Co-op for some provisions and at another pub as the sun was shining on the seats outside.
Just opposite the pub is a church and a road leading back down to the river, to the spot where we had gone up the hill on the opposite side. Here we crossed over the river and followed the same path back to the campsite.
It was May and the weather was beautiful, so we took our time walking back and luckily some of the provisions we had bought was a six pack of beers.
By drinking these beers along the way, my backpack became a lot easier to carry. In good weather this is a very enjoyable walk (but it is not for the fainthearted) and there are some wonderful views.
Day three, Tues May 18th
Another glorious day, another walk in the sun. Out of the site we turned right and walked through the tunnel under the Settle to Carlisle railway.
Then just followed the road round until we came to the same village we had walked to on the first day.
We then followed a public footpath across some fields but as we where getting nowhere we headed back the way we came. Then followed another footpath close to the rail tunnel, We found a nice place to sit and eat our picnic on the banks of Helm Beck, where I was surprised to see large crayfish in the beck.
We spent the rest of the day sat outside the van, in the sun reading, with the odd beer or two.
Day four, Wed May 19th
We stopped off at Barnard Castle on the way home. We parked by the river below the castle and had a walk around the shops.
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