We walked along the towpath to the top of Caens Hill and then along for a mile t'other side.
We also visited the white horse at Bratton Hill Camp Fort.
A friendly face...
June: Devizes
Just a couple of nights spent beside the Kennet and Avon near Caens Hill Locks.
We walked along the towpath to the top of Caens Hill and then along for a mile t'other side.
We also visited the white horse at Bratton Hill Camp Fort.
The wildflowers in the fields were beautiful...
A friendly face...
We walked along the towpath to the top of Caens Hill and then along for a mile t'other side.
We also visited the white horse at Bratton Hill Camp Fort.
A friendly face...
June: Brecon
The Brecon area has become a firm favourite...it's simply beautiful!
We weren't alone...others were also enjoying the river...the heron, ducks and some brilliant blue dragon flies...
We weren't alone...others were also enjoying the river...the heron, ducks and some brilliant blue dragon flies...
May: West Wales
Alan had a few days off work so we decided to head for west Wales where we'd found a site that advertised close proximity to both beaches and woodland: Pembrey Country Park
The sun was shining brightly as we left home and travelled towards Brecon. Our first stop was the Llwyn Onn reservoir...which was simply beautiful. There was plenty of layby parking as well as a picnic area and a path all around the lake.
The sun was shining brightly as we left home and travelled towards Brecon. Our first stop was the Llwyn Onn reservoir...which was simply beautiful. There was plenty of layby parking as well as a picnic area and a path all around the lake.
From there we continued to Brecon, which was lovely...a vast expanse of loveliness in fact!
Upon arrival at Pembrey we found ourselves inside a country park...with miles of parkland, forest and a vast expanse of nearby beach just ten minutes walk through woodland from the site...Roxy loved it!
We'd taken our bikes...so on our second day on site we cycled along the coast track to Burry Port, and returned via the canal path. Again with the sun shining...the weather was perfect...
While on site we met a couple with similar tastes to ourselves, who gave us a long list of their favourite camping sites, so we are going to be kept busy!!
Reminder to self...visit Pembrey again!
April: Hampshire
Three nights away in the New Forest! We chose the site Setthorns because it is in a particularly natural setting, and being closer to nature than other sites in the area it didn't have toilets or showers. Wilby, of course, has both on board...so we were expecting to wake in the morning to find a queue of bears from the woods queueing to use our facilities!
The journey from home to Setthorns was interesting...as due to multiple road closures and a chatty satnav' we got hopelessly redirected around Salisbury in a circuitous route...several times. The same thing happened a little later as we repeatedly passed increasingly familiar landmarks. Later on though, place names like Tip Toe and Sway brought a smile.
Upon arrival we didn't see any bears...but before we'd properly settled in we had squirrels right outside the door.
The journey from home to Setthorns was interesting...as due to multiple road closures and a chatty satnav' we got hopelessly redirected around Salisbury in a circuitous route...several times. The same thing happened a little later as we repeatedly passed increasingly familiar landmarks. Later on though, place names like Tip Toe and Sway brought a smile.
The site was filled with bird song and wildlife. Within an hour I'd seen robins, chaffinch, rook, tree creeper, sparrow, wren, blue tit and great tit...and as if that wasn't enough we heard a woodpecker! Next morning when out walking we heard a cuckoo too.
Ponies, cows and deer wandered around the site, woodland, moorland and neighbouring area. There were even ponies standing amongst the cars for sale in a local garage...presumably for those seeking something with natural horse power.
The site was surrounded by woods...spot the camouflaged deer!
Aside from birds and animals...springtime flowers and amazing fungi were everywhere.
The site has cycle tracks and paths running through the woods and across open land, perfect for electric bikes...Roxy prefers to be driven in style!
Setthorns is a truly lovely site and well suited to walking, cycling and browsing. We'll certainly be going back.
Reminder to self: Wellington boots are needed unless the ground becomes sunbaked!
Second reminder: Make many return visits to this site!
April: Monmouth area
Today we woke early and decided to drive to the Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Monmouth areas.
We had been interested and disappointed to discover a few weeks ago that severe parking restrictions had been put in place by Monmouthshire County Council...but were surprised that these restrictions are so 'tight' that we were unable to park anywhere at all in Abergavenny. However, we were lucky enough to find roadside parking in both Crickhowell and Monmouth, which meant we could browse the shopping areas in these towns and were able to buy something to eat there.
Despite the hassles of in-town parking we enjoyed our day out...after all, the main purpose of having Wilby is to find scenic places and to enjoy the peace of the countryside.
Despite the hassles of in-town parking we enjoyed our day out...after all, the main purpose of having Wilby is to find scenic places and to enjoy the peace of the countryside.
March: Ludlow
Having finally got over a period of cold and snowy weather this weekend we were really keen to properly trial our first stay-away with Wilby Fyne. Our first choice has been to book a four day break, taking full advantage of the 3 nights for the price of 2 offer made by an excellent touring park in Ludlow Shropshire. Neither of us had paid any attention to this part of the country so it seemed an appropriate choice for a Pioneer!
We'd also purchased two folding Viking Vision electric bicycles (shop around, we bought these bikes for under £500 each including delivery)...along with a rear basket-style carrier for Roxy, so that she can join us as we risk our lives along some more adventurous tracks on two wheels!
So...we left home on the morning of the March 16th with Wilby loaded up and the weather less that bright...but this didn't bother us much, as after all pioneers don't worry about the weather!
We made some stops along the way, before arriving at the site late in the afternoon with light snow dancing before our eyes. As during the journey we'd stopped to make a cuppa before finding that the gas connection was less than secure our first task was to ask at reception before visiting a local garage to get that sorted. Undeterred by such small challenges we returned to the site, this time in sunshine, and soon settled down to prepare something to eat. However, after an hour of being unable to find the things needed to prepare a basic meal we spent over an hour re-arranging the carefully pre-arranged cupboard contents! By the end of the day things were fine though...and we both (and the dog) slept well 'til morning.
Next day the snow flurries again alternated with sunshine...so first thing in the morning we decided to walk from camp into Ludlow (just over a mile). The market there wasn't anything to write home about, but the country town atmosphere and historical buildings were of interest. It's a pity though that the winding streets of the small town were so disrupted by heavy traffic.
One painting in a shop window caught my eye...
We'd also purchased two folding Viking Vision electric bicycles (shop around, we bought these bikes for under £500 each including delivery)...along with a rear basket-style carrier for Roxy, so that she can join us as we risk our lives along some more adventurous tracks on two wheels!
So...we left home on the morning of the March 16th with Wilby loaded up and the weather less that bright...but this didn't bother us much, as after all pioneers don't worry about the weather!
Next day the snow flurries again alternated with sunshine...so first thing in the morning we decided to walk from camp into Ludlow (just over a mile). The market there wasn't anything to write home about, but the country town atmosphere and historical buildings were of interest. It's a pity though that the winding streets of the small town were so disrupted by heavy traffic.
After walking around Ludlow for a couple of hours (we bought a dog coat for Roxy) we returned to the site for lunch and then browsed the map before taking Wilby for a run to view the local area and to visit some of the local towns.
The weather at that time was still alternating between snow flurry and sunshine...but soon after we'd returned to the camp site that evening things changed for the worse. In fact we couldn't see a lot through the windows...and then, upon deciding to trial the oven by heating up some apple crumble, we found that the gas cylinder was empty!
An hour later, with the snow settling around us and the sky clearly full of the stuff, we sourced the weather reports for the area...and learned that in fact heavy snow was forecast for the whole of the UK, including 'back home'...with road-ice warnings to follow. This didn't bode well, particularly as we were surrounded by unsalted country lanes...so we decided to pack up and travel back before the situation worsened.
Next morning, back home, it was clear that our decision to return had been the right one...there's a LOT a snow out there today!
February update
The past few weeks have been spent making seat covers for the sofas (due to the muddy dog paws previously mentioned). We've also been buying things that 'fit' and that add a touch more comfort to our proposed holiday experiences.
We also went along to the Caravan and Motorhome show in Birmingham recently. I must say that I did like the look of several of the new motorhomes...particularly the Adria Coral Plus (which was priced in excess of £70,000) but I can also say with equal honesty that many of the motorhomes were not as nice as Wilby...so I came away feeling that the show was well worth visiting, because I'm now more than happy with what we've got!
We've just booked our first four day, three night, stay-away...so let's hope that the sun shines and the weather warms up very soon.
Meanwhile the garden is coming along nicely. We'd stripped out all of the shrubs and plants late in the summer of last year before rotovating the borders and adding compost, grit and vermiculite (we have very heavy clay soil) prior to re-planting. Since then, as the plants have been dormant through the winter, I had no idea what had survived and what hadn't. Happily now though we have fresh growth appearing everywhere, so along with the daffodils things are starting to look good again. Frogspawn appeared in the pond on St.Valentines Day, so Spring is definitely in the air!
We also went along to the Caravan and Motorhome show in Birmingham recently. I must say that I did like the look of several of the new motorhomes...particularly the Adria Coral Plus (which was priced in excess of £70,000) but I can also say with equal honesty that many of the motorhomes were not as nice as Wilby...so I came away feeling that the show was well worth visiting, because I'm now more than happy with what we've got!
We've just booked our first four day, three night, stay-away...so let's hope that the sun shines and the weather warms up very soon.
Meanwhile the garden is coming along nicely. We'd stripped out all of the shrubs and plants late in the summer of last year before rotovating the borders and adding compost, grit and vermiculite (we have very heavy clay soil) prior to re-planting. Since then, as the plants have been dormant through the winter, I had no idea what had survived and what hadn't. Happily now though we have fresh growth appearing everywhere, so along with the daffodils things are starting to look good again. Frogspawn appeared in the pond on St.Valentines Day, so Spring is definitely in the air!
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