England 2009
+ Scotland
The First Six Months
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England 2009
+ Scotland The First Six Months |
| Edinburgh | York | Whitby | Peterborough | Cotherstone |
As I have started chronicling our walks recently, some of write ups this years will have links to more detailed information of the days events. I will also by continuing with the photography, see my flickr account for more.
March 2nd to 6th
Thought we would do something different for my birthday this year, so we booked the Caravan Club site in Edinburgh Scotland.
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Edinburgh
Edinburgh Caravan Club Site
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March 2nd
Arrived at the CC site on the Firth of Forth in Edinburgh, too late to make the long journey into the city centre, so we walked down to the river and along to a very nice village, Cramond. A very scenic but cold walk, with great views of Cramond Island and the causeway leading to it, you can also see the two magnificent bridges just visible above the hills in the distance. We did have to shelter from a rain shower in an excellent pub for a while, the Cramond Inn, with a lovely warm open fire, good beers and good food.
After the rain and after completing the walk we returned to the pub for more beer before walking the 1.5 miles back to the campsite in the dark.
Click here for more photos and the detailed description of the walk
March 3rd
Up early for a day in the centre of the city, a minibus operates from the site reception to the city centre, from 09:30 to 11:30 in and 16:00 to 18:30 return from the city, it is £2.00/person/trip. This is a lot better than having to find public transport, it is also considerably quicker.
Click here for more photos and the detailed description of the walk
On the evening we walked back to the Cramond Inn for some more of the lovely Sam Smiths wheat beer, we took a torch with us this time.
March 4th
It was very frosty when we got up, I got half way to the shower block but decided to go back and warn Dot about how bad the black ice was, just in case she set off before I got back to let her know.
Over to reception early and back to the city centre by minibus again, it was still frosty early on but warmed up later. Yesterday we walked the old town, today we did the new town (not that new, it was mostly the same last time I was there, in the sixties, lol).
We had a look in the Hard Rock Cafe to see what was on offer for lunch, well as you probably know, we operate on a tight budget and I was not very impressed with the prices in there, also the choice of beer was poor, so we had one beer and left. We did have lunch and another beer in a a good pub (as a birthday treat) and got the first minibus of the afternoon back to the site so we could get to the village pub for another birthday drink.
Click here for more photos and the detailed description of the walk
Did I mention that the campsite is on the very busy flight path to the local airport, so low flying airplanes are pretty frequent. Not everyone's cup of tea but the noise was not to bad and I enjoyed watching the planes, and its some thing to watch on the way to the pub. Not that you need any other scenery to look at as it is all beautiful on this stretch of the coast.
March 5th
Snowing when we woke, we were going to drive to Queensferry, for a walk and to look the famous Firth of Forth Bridges. After breakfast we decided we would go anyway, during the journey we began to worry that the snow was getting worse and we would be stranded.
Anyway we got there and parked in a free car park off the B924 (this part of the B924 is Edinburgh Road) in South Queensferry, between the two bridges but closer to the rail bridge. We had a cup of tea and some sandwiches in the van and by the time we finished the sun was shining and the snow gone. I took before and after photos of the bridges, some with it snowing and some in the sun.
It was relatively warm and dry for the walk and we had another cupper in the van before heading back to the campsite.
Click here for more photos and the detailed description of the walk
It was early when we got back, so we parked up on the seafront near to Cramond (the road that passes the campsite changes to a dual carriageway just after the site, continues for about half a mile to nowhere and comes to a dead-end, very strange but it is used as a large car park) and went down to the beach for another shorter walk.
The tide was out and for the first time this week, the causeway to Cramond Island was exposed so we had a walk out to the island. Just as we got there, we realised we had stupidly not checked the tide times and set off back to the mainland, as it turns out, we had plenty of time as the tide was still going out.
We had to have the obligatory pint in the Cramond Inn, before we set off back to the site for a night in front of the TV.
March 6th
We had all day to get back home, so we drove into Berwick for a walk. We did not venture far into Berwick, we parked on the south side of the Tweed and walked over the oldest of the bridges and then along the river, under the road bridge to the railway viaduct.
From there we retraced our steps back to the van for lunch before continuing the very long drive home.
March 8th to 11th
First of four trips to York this year.
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York Rowntree
Park, Caravan Club Site |
March 8th
After a short visit home from our trip to Scotland, we set off again for Rowntree park in York, as you know by now one of our favourite places.
On a rainy day, we got settled in and met up with Nicole, Tim and the girls for lunch, we went to the Pizza Hut near the law courts, where the service was the worst we have ever had Pizza Hut. But we were out of the rain.
After Nicole, Tim and the girls set off for home, we looked for somewhere to watch Middlesbrough get beat 2-1 by Everton (but we didn't know that at the time), A pub not far from Pizza Hut, the Stone Roses, had the football on and at the bar the prices looked very good but when I paid it was much more. To get the cheaper price, you had to buy some form of loyalty card form behind the bar, anyway I made the beer last until halftime and then we moved on. A couple of buildings down the road is the Lowther a much larger bar, although there were no seats where we could see a TV. But the girl behind the bar, directed us to the upstairs dining room where there was plenty of seating and a large TV and we had a couple of beers during the second half.
After the football e moved on and I had a couple of beers in the Kings (see previous visits to York).
March 9th
The weather was much better today and in town, we went and looked for parts of the wall in the museum gardens, parts that we had not seen on our previous wall walks but had found out about, while researching the wall for our walk page. Once we found all we were looking for, I took some photos to add to the description, also I did not have a photo of Bootham Bar, so we entered the old city that way to do some sopping.
Dot had to go into one of the big shops (BHS I think), to change the new coat she had bought in Edinburgh, and I wanted to look in Oddbins to see if they had any beers I hadn't already had. Eventually after a day shopping or looking around the shops, we did the usual and had a couple of beers in the Kings.
March 10th
Dot's birthday and another fine day.
Dot wanted to have a walk, so we headed through Rowntree park and crossed over the river Ouse via the Millennium Bridge. From there, we went straight up the street opposite the bridge, heading away from the river where we ended up on the A19, not a nice walk but by turning left we ended up at the city walls. At the wall we took another left turn to Fishergate Postern and even though we hadn't planned it, we had lunch in the Postern Gate a Wetherspoons pub. I think it was a food offer, on a board outside the pub, that got us in there and the selected beer was only £1.00 (Ruddles County).
After lunch we continued to walk through the city's shopping streets to the Minster, and then towards the river where we walked around the museum gardens in the sun.
Then over the river via Lendal bridge and followed the outside of the wall passed the railway station to Micklegate Bar. This part of the walk enabled me to take photos of the arches cut through the city walls for roadways and railways during the nineteenth century. At Micklegate Bar, we popped into the city's other Wetherspoons pub, the Punch Bowl, although it is a nice pub the clientele was not. The three men sat closest to us, talked about their time in prison and where to get drugs. We had one beer (still a £1.00) and moved on, down Micklegate back to the river and the Kings arms, where we sat outside, in March.
We did have to move inside when the sun went down, we were in the Kings to meet Josh (like we need and excuse), who was coming to see Dot on her birthday. Josh arrived and we had another beer before all moving back to the Postern Gate for food.
March 26th to 31st
I said I liked Whitby and would be back soon, well it took five month but that was over the winter, Dot had a week off work so I phoned last min and booked the site we were going to use last year but bad weather had prevented that visit.
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Whitby
Sandfield House Farm Caravan Park
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March 26th
Didn't get a very good pitch (not very close to the front where the sea views were better) but apparently the site was fully booked (this did not appear to be the case though).
It was very cold and windy but we set off the walk the one mile into the centre Whitby anyway. I thought it would be more out of the wind and warmer, if we walk along the shore line in the shade of the cliffs, it wasn't. To get there, outside the site we crossed over the road, turned left and went a few yards in the wrong direction to find the path through the golf course, down to the sea. At the base of the cliffs is a promenade that leads all the way to the theatre, where we took the ramp up to the top and then back down into the centre, it was a very cold walk.
In town (where it was warmer), after a quick look in the shops, I needed the toilets, so as we were passing the George Hotel bar, opposite the bus station, we popped in to use theirs. How lucky was this coincidence was this, their house beer, George Bitter was £1.25/pint and it was not too bad.
After our beer we crossed over the river and of course, had another beer in the Duke of York but at twice the price as the George Hotel. So we crossed back over the river to the George, for another cheap beer before walking back for supper. We walked back to the site via the road way, only we took a longer route than we needed to, as we didn't really know the way.
March 27th
Sunny but cold day, so we got wrapped up and set off towards Sandsend, we turned left out of the site and followed the road passed the golf course, to the village. It is now you realise you are following the line of an old railway, the old Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway.
The road goes down into the village where we cross over East Row Beck, then back to the front where you walk along the road or the beach (depending on the tide). There is a pub next to East Row Beck and it looked like a good place for a beer after the walk. After a short walk, at Sandsend Beck its back on the road over the beck.
Then through the car park, to a set of steps to join the path of the disused railway just north of the old station building.
We hadn't intended to walk along the old railway (we didn't even know it was there) but it seemed like a good idea and I wanted to see where it went. So off we went, the path climbed from here up the incline and there are very good views back towards Sandsend and Whitby.
The path follows the coast and is very bleak but strangely beautiful in places, we sat for a while at the top of the incline for a rest and admired the view back to Sandsend and Whitby.
The path continues to snake along the coast, through a very interesting landscape, passed Deep Grove quarries, until it comes to a steep hill at Over Dale. Here a tunnel took the railway under the hill to Kettleness, unfortunately the entrance is sealed and to continue the walk you must go over the hill. As we had not intended this walk and didn't know where it went or how far it was, after exploring the immediate area, we turned back the same way we came, towards Sandsend.
The views are best on the way back and we where looking forward to a beer in the pub in Sandsend. Back down in Sandsend, we passed one pub on the seafront but it didn't look very good, so kept going to the one we picked out on the way but as has happened to us many times in Yorkshire, it was closed. We were not the only ones let down, two other groups of people tried to get in while we were deciding what to do next. What we did decided was to walk back to the site. Luckily there are public toilets on the front, just before the road starts its steep climb, back up towards the campsite.
Back outside the site, its too early to go back to the van, so we walk to the pub you can see from the campsite, the Whitehouse. The beer is expensive and I ask if they have tomorrows England game but they don't, anyway I do not like it in there that much and even though we have already walked miles, I persuade Dot to continue on into town. So we walked along the cliff top and then down to the to the pubs for some beers and a rest before eventually heading back the way we came. We looked in the Unicorn, another Sam Smiths pub that we had just discovered, it was very busy but not very clean and a bit smelly, we just had the one in there. then we moved on to the Jolly Sailor, the other Sam Smiths pub that we had used before and it was a lot better.
By the time we got back to the campsite we had walked about eight miles and we were ready for bed.
March 28th
The weather was very bad so we stopped in the van all day and read books, we only went out at tea time to watch the Friendly International football match, England v Slovakia. We had to walk all the way to George Hotel bar, right down in the town, as the match was only on Setanta Sport (the station has since gone bust), it was the closest pub we knew it was on, but it did stop raining and we did win 4 - 0.
We shared a table with a couple who worked on the buses and they told us what bus to get back to the campsite, they also explained about the day tickets, with one, we could use the bus all day. The beer was not the on the same offer on a Saturday night (it was still relatively cheap), so after the football we walked round to the Jolly Sailor, where the Sam Smiths is always cheap but it was very mad in there.
It was still early when we got the bus back to the site, the bus was late and the driver didn't have any change and he wasn't very pleased with us, he said he would have to make up the difference from his own pocket, all very miserable but better than walking in the cold.
March 29th
Beautiful day a total contrast from yesterday, so we walked into town along the top, being a Sunday and sunny (although very cold), the beach, piers and town were very busy indeed. We made our way through the crowds and over the swing bridge to the south side of the river. Then along to the end of Henrietta Street, where we sat overlooking the town and pier and had a picnic and took photos.
Then we took the ramp down to the pier, where there is a seat behind a wall, that it looked like it would be sheltered and warm, it wasn't much warmer than where we had been sat up the hill.
We came down off the pier and walked along the beach to the next pier in from the sea, the views of the piers and town look very different from down there at sea level. We sat on the pier for a while people watching, the incoming tide refloated fishing boats, that were beached when we sat down, now the fishermen returned to their boats and took them out to sea.
As we where just down from the Duke of York, we popped in for a couple of hand pulled beers and a warm. After that we crossed back over the river and went to the George Hotel for Sunday Dinner, well the beer may be cheap but would not recommend eating in there.
After a disappointing meal we set off back to the campsite via the cliff top route, and spent some time watching people getting drenched by the rough sea hitting the promenade and splashing right over them. Something I used to like doing during my teens,
March 30th
After breakfast we went to get the bus into town on a day ticket and from there another bus to Scarborough. Of course we had just missed a bus in town and had to wait for the next one, also the next bus was the bus that wanders its way to Scarborough and not the express. When the bus did arrive there was no driver and we had to wait even longer while one was found, when one was eventually found, it was the miserable driver from two nights previous.
There were two rules on the bus, written in large letters in plane view, no eating and no drinking. The man sat adjacent to us, drank beer all the way there and the family behind us, ate a small banquette on the journey, I do not like buss travel.
As soon as we got off the bus we made our way down to the South Bay seafront area, under the spa footbridge and then walked south along the beach until we came to the Spa Complex, theatre and a funicular railway up he cliff. I needed the toilet and followed the signs to the far side of the complex, only to fine them locked and looking very rundown. So we had to go into the Spa bar to use theirs, it was also an excuse for a beer and even though it was March we had them sat outside. We nearly had food in there but after the beer, moved on back north along the beach.
As we walked, we passed two more funicular railways up he cliffs, we did get food further along, fish and chips from Harry Ramsden's and had them, sat on a bench watching the Donkeys taking people on beach rides. After the chips we walked on to the harbour area and pier.
As there was a pier, we had to walk to the end (as you probably know already, we usually do that whenever we can). It was quite interesting at the end, there's a lighthouse, a statue (The Diving Belle), a recovered naval gun and a lifting bridge, not bad for one pier. There are also some very good views back to the town and across the bay from the end, although it was getting very cold out there by now.
Back on shore we had a look round some of the gift gift shops before making our way back up hill towards the bus station. The bus back to Whitby was very full compared to the bus coming, I do not like travelling with the masses and it will be a long time before we do a bus ride again.
After what seemed like forever, we arrived back in Whitby and had couple of beers there, before using our day pass for the last time to take the bus back to the campsite.
March 31st
Even though we had to be home to get the girls from school, we left the site and parked up free on the cliff top and walked down into town, for a final walk and lunch.
April 18th to 21st
Booked the Ferry Meadows site for three nights, to go and see Amber and Ralph for Ambers birthday.
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Peterborough
Ferry Meadows, Caravan Club Site
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April 18th
Peterborough is only about 150 miles further south than Billingham but it always seems to be much warmer down there. So when Ralph, Amber and Chelsie arrived for lunch we had a BBQ and spent the day around the van. That night Amber and Chelsie stayed in the van with me and Dot.
April 19th
Amber's birthday and a big day planed for all of us.
A BBQ party was arranged for the afternoon, so we set off early for a ride on a steam train, on the Nene Valley Railway. The plan, to get a day pass for the railway, head into Peterborough on a diesel, there get a steam train to the end of the line, then back into Peterborough to meet Ralph for a lift to the party, than afterwards get the train back to the campsite.
The station is lass than quarter of a mile walk from the campsite and we arrived on time and got straight on a diesel train (amazing what you can achieve with a time table), at Peterborough the engine was changed to, British Railways standard class 5 steam engine, No. 73050 (now named City of Peterborough).
From Peterborough we travelled to the end of the line at Yarwell Junction with a stop at Wansford Station, at Yarwell Junction the engine changed ends of the train and headed back to Peterborough. Next to the station in Peterborough, preserved at Railworld, are the last remains of the Tracked Hovercraft test system, the RTV 31 test vehicle and a single portion of its guideway, wikipedia Tracked_Hovercraft.
Ralph met us next to the station and took us to the BBQ, where we had lots of meat and beer, before being dropped back at the station, for a diesel train back to Ferry Meadows station and the short walk back to the campsite.
April 20th
Ralph, Amber and Chelsie arrived late in the morning and we set off for a walk along the river Nene towards Peterborough, following the route of the Nene Valley Railway. It was warm and sunny and we were in t-shirts remember this as you read on in the summer of this year.
A lovely walk, only you can not get next to the river or even see it for much of the walk, as it is through private land, shame. We left the campsite and headed for the train station as yesterday, then continued passed the station along the footpath. This wooded path has the railway to the south and a stream to the north also it is very straight of course. After about 600 yards the path crosses to the other side of the rail lines via an unmanned level crossing so you have to be careful there. A golf course and eventual Orton Mere are now to the south and the railway and river to the north. After another half mile we reached Orton Mere station, where we crossed over the lines again, to have a look at the river and lock gates at Orton Staunch. We crossed over the river and under a flyover on the parkway, to the rowing course where we sat and had a snack looking down the 1000 meter course.
We had a walk on the north side of the river then crossed back to the station and continued under the flyover on the parkway again. There, we took a path to the right that led to a housing estate and eventually the mane road, where there just happened to be a very good, very cheep pub. The Botolph Arms, set back from the road in its own grounds, is a fantastic pub and its a Sam Smith's house, and they had the Wheat Beer on draught, what a great walk. After a beer and letting the girls have a run around and play in the playground, we walked back to Orton Mere along the road, a very busy road. We would probably been better off just retracing our steps the way we came and once back at the Mere, that is what we did. A total walk of about 4 miles, with a stop half way for a beer.
Back at the site we had another BBQ at tea time. After tea Me, Dot and the girls went for another walk to one of the lakes, to feed the ducks and let Amber play on the play ground for a while.
May 9th to 11th
The girls were off school so I rang Doe Park last minute to see if they had a pitch for two nights.
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Cotherstone
Doe Park, Campsite |
May 9th
Not a long drive to Doe Park and it was our second visit although a first stopover there for Georgia, only Emily stopped with us last year. Not an awful lot for children on the site except for the animals on the farm but it feels very safe there. So after lunch, to help keep the girls busy we set off for a walk, the ground was wet so it was on with the wellies. We left via the back of the site, and across the fields towards the old viaduct, they were not keen on walking but the sheep and lambs kept them occupied.
At the viaduct it was very windy and cold and the girls didn't want to walk any further, so we set off back to the site. Back at the site we convinced the girls to carry on walking and left by the side gate and headed to the old mill by the river Balder. It was much warmer down in the valley out of the wind, it fact I took my coat off and sat in just my t-shirt. The girls played nicely by the river, until one slipped in the mud (forget who) and we had to go back up to the van get changed.
After tea and showers we settled down to watch Disney DVDs until bedtime.
May 10th
The girls were up and out early with a football and played for a while with some other children on the site. Then we set off for a walk to the river Tees with a picnic lunch. We left by the side gate and headed down the hill, passed the old mill by the river Balder, then over the river into the village. Then left via the road down to the Tees and not using the muddy path like last time. We had our picnic by the river, next to a rope swing, that the girls found to be great fun.
On the way back we stopped to play by the old mill again, for some reason the girls loved it there and it is a very beautiful location. The river balder was a lot lower than the previous day and it was warm again. Later after tea, it was DVDs until bed time.