Category: UK Holidays (Page 4 of 6)

Cumbria 28.9.20

29 September 2020 / admin

Northern Rock R&ER 28.9.20

There are other attractions in the Lake District – today we head along the main road through the Northern end of the Lakes – the hills are beautifully lit making it a very pleasant drive. Our first destination is Ravenglass as we shall be travelling on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. However the station at the far end of the line is Dalegarth (not Eskdale).

The railway opened in 1875 and was the first narrow gauge public railway carrying passengers from 1876. Formally it became preserved in 1959 when a preservation society took ownership part funded by the Wakefield family, local landowners who remain involved). The line runs for seven miles and the journey takes 40 minutes.

Northern Rock in action 28.9.20

Northern Rock provided the motive power. Northern Rock was built in 1976 a 2-6-2 and is painted in Highland Railway livery (apparently known as Muscat Green). It is the newest of the locomotives operating on the railway.

To return to our base means taking to the hills again and this time we visit the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. Some years ago I took a Previa over this route – in excellent weather and today it is slightly damp for the TT but it is a lot easier with a smaller vehicle. Given the way the roads run it is impossible to do one without the other but I find Hardknott harder – there are some very interesting twists and turns on the climb. As I am concentrating on the opportunity to enjoy the scenery is a little limited. However apparently it is the last time Jackie is going over these two passes.

In the evening we go to 1863 a restaurant in Pooley Bridge which is at the northern end of Ullswater. Parking was a little difficult for some reason and sometimes when things get disjointed by a little thing like parking then it is more difficult to concentrate on the meal. As I recall this was the least liked dining destination – but others may feel completely different – perhaps we were tired after the earlier exertions.

Cumbria 27.9.20

28 September 2020 / admin

Aira Waterfall Ullswater 27.9.20

There are (of course) more reasons for visiting the Lake District apart from the excellent food which is available. So today we seek to combine some of these. Our first destination is the Aira Waterfall on the edge of Ullswater. We wander up and over the bridge and back down the other side – not the sunniest day possible.

The Struggle 27.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

One of my personal reasons for visiting the area is to take the TT over some of the “challenging” passes which exist. So heading south from Ullswater we head up and over the Kirkstone Pass – a gradient of 1 in 4 reaching an altitude of 1489ft. It is a major A road (unlike some of the other passes we will be seeing) and is therefore relatively easy. Heading towards our intended destination we descend into Ambleside using the “Struggle”. In all honesty doing it all southbound is probably too easy – but it happens to fit our journey today. This is definitely one of the less scary passes to cover.

Drunken Duck Menu 27.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

Our dining destination is not quite as fancy as yesterday as we are heading to the Drunken Duck at Barngates, Ambleside. As with most of dining destinations this can be recommended – after the driving this morning a decent lunch is most welcome. Being a Sunday we naturally have the Sunday roast.

And once back at the lodge there is a nice hot tub to use.

Cumbria 26.9.20

27 September 2020 / admin

Castlerigg Stone Circle 26.9.20

Given the time of year to find that it is a little grey and potentially damp this morning is no surprise. However our first visit this morning is Castlerigg Stone Circle which Wikipedia reports as having been erected in about 3200BC with around 40 stones making the circle. The reasons for construction and subsequent uses are unknown but given the size of the boulders no doubt a lot of manual labour was involved.

The stones were scheduled under an Act of 1882 and the site was the first to have a formal agreement between landowner and the State who became responsible for the stones but not the land and that duty has since been passed to English Heritage as the appropriate authority.

Our route is then south along the western edge of Thirlmere, rather than the main road with our destination being Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere where we enjoy an excellent lunch. We must return here one day.

Taster Forest Side 26.9.20 Copyright J M Whitbread

Grasmere is famous for many things including gingerbread so Jackie joins a not short queue (despite the rain). We are later able to decide that neither of us is actually that keen on gingerbread.

Cumbria 25.9.20

26 September 2020 / admin

Lodge Penrith 25.9.20 copyright J Whitbread

Late 2020 and most of the year has been lost to covid. At the moment the restrictions are limited and we have a week booked (Friday to Friday) at hot tub equipped caravan near Penrith with the intention of spending the week sampling some of the culinary and physical delights of the Lake District. Penrith is a little further from the area we usually visit – but we have never really been to the Northern end of the Lakes so this will be a little different.

The lodge is not available until 4pm and with past experience of the M6 we set off in plenty of time – indeed for once the traffic is not as difficult as it might have been – although I rather think we used the M6 Toll road to avoid some of the worst of the traffic which can occur.

So it is hardly a surprise when we arrive at the check in point (in the pub) well over an hour ahead of the magic opening time. Obviously in such circumstances we all hope for early access – but inevitably with the extra cleaning now mandated it is only a few minutes early that we are allowed to roll in.

View from Lodge 25.9.20 Copyright J Whitbread

This is a very nice upmarket establishment with peacocks wandering around between the lodges.

In the evening we dined at Allium at Askham Hall. The food was excellent but the sommelier seemed to think that trying to get Jackie to drink a reisling wine was a good idea and thereafter it did not go so well. There are things she does not like and that is one of them as she complains they all smell of petrol. As I am driving I am not drinking very much!

Kent 14.7.20

16 July 2020 / admin / 0 Comments

Hercules RHDR 14-7-20

Running alongside the holiday camp is the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway which as the headboard shows is back in action post covid and although there are restrictions on sharing accommodation we are once again able to enjoy a ride behind a steam locomotive.

Hercules and driver RHDR 14-7-20

Whilst it does not look like it I can confirm that two people can fit in that cab – some years ago I spent a day with some others enjoying a driving experience – well shovelling coal and looking out at crossings – I left the water to the expert as I have no wish to damage a boiler and I preferred things to be safe as these locos are not cheap.

Dungeness Nuclear Power Station 14-7-20

The end of the line is not Dymchurch but Dungeness of course, but somehow Romney, Hythe and Dungeness simply does not sound as nice as Dymchurch!

Dungeness 14-7-20

In normal operation at Dungeness the service stops at the station and the progresses around the run round loop to return to the northern part of the line. However unusually the loco runs around and sets back on to the other end of the coaching stock. I am not sure why this method of operation was being used – but it may be that some track needed fettling before being returned to passenger service as it is on loose shingle which could well have suffered through lack of use.

Northern Chief RHDR 14-7-20

On our return journey we cross the other service headed by Northern Chief and it is clear that the world is steadily recovering to life after months in lockdown. However as I know now writing this somewhat later it is going to be a long slog before things really get closer to normal.

Normally when I write about a railway I feel i should write some summary – but it would be out of date and would be unfair. It was pleasing that once again a railway – not a heritage line because it is now serving the public exactly the same as it has always done. It will be 100 in 2027 (opening on 16 July 1927) and I hope that they are planning a massive celebration – the “Smallest Public Railway in the World”.

We went to the Pilot Inn Dungeness in the evening for dinner. Dungeness is a different world – the pebbles, the feeling that it is somewhere detached, remote and somehow separate from the rest of Kent being on the far side of the Romney Marsh. Otherworldly in some strange way.

Kent 12-13.7.20

14 July 2020 / admin / 0 Comments

Beef Fordwich Arms 12 July 2020 copyright J M Whitbread

Sunday 12 June 2020

This was a beautifully warm day and we headed through the Kent countryside to a superb lunch at the Fordwich Arms, Fordwich. We had a superb lunch adjacent to the river and were well looked after by the staff and it was wonderful being able to enjoy fresh air dining on the terrace in some lovely surroundings. Once back a sleep is a high priority.

Chimpanzee Port Lympne 13-7-20

Monday 13 June 2020

We head to Port Lympne this morning. Once again the sun is shining and we take our walk through the zoo quite steadily – it covers over 100 acres and we are unable to cover the full extent of it. Trying to obtain decent photos through the caging is beyond me so I apologise for the quality of the accompanying photos.

Meercat Port Lympne 13-7-20

Somewhat easier to capture was this meercat – which was not being compared to anything but was keeping a key eye on events and the people watching it from what I can see.

Distant animals Port Lympne 13-7-20

Identification of some of the more distant animals is always a challenge and I cannot now remember what these were.

Rhinoceroses Port Lympne 13-7-20

However I feel I can assert these are a pair of rhinos wandering around a very distant field. I need to a higher power zoom lens I rather think.

Folkestone / Canterbury 10&11.7.20

12 July 2020 / admin

Folkestone Harbour Station 10-7-20

Since our return from Cuba in February the world had changed. This trip had been built around a planned wedding – which was deferred until 2021 – but suddenly the restrictions were being unwound and we were able to head to Kent in the belief that something other than our own four walls might surround us.

Rocksalt restaurant 10-7-20

On the Friday evening we dined and stayed at Rocksalt in Folkestone, visiting once again the Harbour station; the last time we were able to leave it by VSOE – something no longer possible. The restaurant has a stunning location and view. It majors on seafood for obvious reasons.

Canterbury Cathedral 11-7-20

We have some time to kill on the Saturday before our caravan will be available and spend it in Canterbury. The Cathedral normally has a pretty stiff charge for entry but they are testing their new covid-style restrictions and are providing free entry at the time of our visit – so it was an absolute steal at that price!

Canterbury Cathedral on 11-7-20

The huge building is obviously nearly empty and the seating has been reduced to ensure that visitors maintain the requisite distances which were being promulgated as life saving., all long before the requirement for vaccines was imposed on everyone. In retrospect it all seems a strange way to carry on.

We also visited Canterbury Goods Shed which despite the background seemed pretty busy as I remember – and well worth visiting again at some point when back in the area.

Our destination is Romney Sands and we cross the RH&DR as we enter the park – use of the line will be made later in the week during our peregrinations around south east Kent.

Leeds & Emmerdale 11-14 October 2019

20 October 2019 / admin

Emmerdale village 13.10.19

This was essentially a weekend trip to enable us to sample Leeds but in some ways more importantly to visit the locations where Emmerdale is made.

There are two Emmerdale locations. The internal sets are at the ITV Studios base in Leeds whilst the external shots are made on a purpose built set in the countryside. Our original plan was to visit the outside set on the Saturday and to visit the internal studio on the Sunday before heading back home. However not very long before we plan to set off we are contacted to be advised that the external location would not be available on Saturday. Panic!

The team in Leeds were very understanding. The Inside studio tour was rebooked to the Saturday and after some discussion it was agreed that we could drive ourselves into the external studio – normally you have to join a coach and be taken into the site so to be allowed to take our own car in was very understanding. Instructions were given and they took the registration number of the car and hopefully it will all work!

Apartment 1 Mill Cottage 12.10.19

At the time of our visit Apartment 1 at Mill Cottage was occupied by Aaron Dingle and Robert Sugden and inevitably the magic of television is to imply those stairs lead “somewhere” when we can all see that they go nowhere – so well done to those going upstairs! I have never worked out why they filled the space at the bottom of the stairs with half of a moped!

Hot Set Emmerdale 12.10.19

As with the Coronation Street tour we have visited previously we are led round by experienced guides with a pretty fixed script – but there are no restrictions or limitations on photographs on the sets that we see – and indeed in at least one case there is an explanation that the items visible reflect recent filming – a “Hot Set” where the items have been laid out for breakfast in the kitchen at Jimmy and Nicola’s house which is in the process of being filmed.

Jackie and David 12.10.19

The tour ends up at the props store where Jackie is able to get up close and personal with David – at least in picture form.

Dinner (and I liked it) was taken at Home in Leeds but the restaurant has since closed. The chef responsible, Liz Cottam, has since opened a gastrobar, emba, which may well be worth visiting.

Xmas at Emmerdale 13.10.19

On the Sunday on arrival in the village (we parked where the cast and filming team park normally adjacent to what was the factory and is now The Hop) and having walked down the hill we discover the reason for closure on Saturday – Christmas has come to the Dales with decorations everywhere.

Smithy Cottage Emmerdale 13.10.19

Some of the sets are dressed internally – Smithy Cottage adjacent to the vet’s practice in particular is very full furnished but the set is not identical to that seen yesterday as the layout of books on the shelves is different – I did check! A lot of the individual cottages house other resources for filming – rest areas and storage for equipment and so cannot be seen – this is one of the exceptions.

Emmerdale Graveyard 13.10.19

The tour does not quite conclude here – but it is the final resting place of a number of village residents who have finished their involvement in the Dales village.

Our visit complete we head for home.

Cambridge & Norfolk 15-21 June 2019

22 June 2019 / admin

Swans Oulton Broad 18.6.19

Time to visit a part of the country we have not previously visited – Cambridge and the Norfolk Broads. We have had a couple of trips to the North Norfolk coast but not Broads. The holiday was split into two stays.

We head to Cambridge to spend a few nights over a weekend so that we can see the City and some of the colleges, at least externally, plus ensuring a long standing Good Food Guide entry – Midsummer House – can be sampled.

Midsummer House is adjacent to the river and easy walking distance from where we stay. So some alcohol can be consumed and the food was enjoyable. it is worthy of its place in the guide and we are well looked after during the evening.

We are within walking distance of the City Centre and we wander around – luckily the sun is with us. On the Sunday our walk back from lunch is enlivened by the unexpected – post exam Cambridge students taking to the Cam in cardboard boats which tend not to ensure terribly long in the water before those on board end up in the drink. Which probably entitles them to another drink. However this regular post exam activity seems to have ended in 2023 when the organisers were unable to obtain insurance, which I suspect is understandable.

Our destination for Monday to Friday is on the Norfolk Broads at Breydon Park near Burgh Castle from where various aspects of the Broads can be reached during the week.

Our first outing starts near Lowestoft where we board a vessel to cruise along the Oulton Broad for a couple of hours. Luckily we are at a little bit of height above water level so can see some of the countryside – at water level we would not get much of a view at all. The Broads came into existence due to human activity – removal of peat lead to flooding and creation of the waterways.

Blickling Hall 2-6-2 19.6.19Another day out combined railway and broads – the Bure Valley Railway links with a local boat operator so you can the train from Aylsham to Wroxham, wander through the town then board a boat for a cruise along the River Bure and Wroxham Broad. Then a fish and chip lunch and a return journey along the same way. The Bure Valley Railway is a 15″ gauge railways which runs for nine miles between the two termini. Originally it owned only a diesel so borrowed locomotives from the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch in its early years. That has been rectified and we travel behind No 6 “Blickling Hall”. The line is laid on the bed formerly used by a standard gauge railway between County School and Wroxham which remains rail connected to Norwich. The owning company is owned by Andrew Barnes who runs the railway with the support of many volunteers whilst the trackbed remains in the ownership by Broadland District Council.

Reedham Ferry is not far from the caravan park and there is a pub there, so an excursion of its own was to head to the pub and then take the ferry. The weather is not very nice – it either was or had been raining – but the ferry operative got down on the ground to ensure the TT did not ground as we came off the ferry – which was welcome.

Norwich market is award winning so required a visit as an adjunct to our need for a decent meal provided by Benedicts which we visit. We always try to ensure we visit a recommended establishment or two on these UK holidays and they were both were excellent.

On the homeward journey the A11 to M3 via either north or south round the M25 is roughly the same distance. The overhead gantries indicate the allegedly best route and I have a feeling this time we went round the north and encountered significant delays. And I always kick myself that the other way might not be as slow as the overhead signs indicate!

Cornwall 3-6 May 2019

7 May 2019 / admin

Another short break – this time in Cornwall with a large group as together with the owners we descended on Hembal Manor for the first bank holiday of May. It happens to be one of the first major outings of the newish Tiguan and it is well loaded with the boot completely full to overflowing. Hembal lies just a little to the west of St Austell (Snorsel as it appears to be pronounced) which was the historic centre of the china clay industry.

Our outward route is via the A303 which is our main route westwards these days – it always brings to mind the Reggie Perrin discussion on the benefits of using the A30 or A303 – but the improvements (apart from at Stonehenge which has been cancelled by every government soon after they come to office for the last 30 years) now mean that the traffic tends to use the A303 which flows – but there remain places along the road where further improvement remains long overdue.

The main attractions within easy distance of the Manor are the Eden project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. We had visited the former some years ago so I elect to go to the Wheal Martin Clayworks, although I have a suspicion that I visited it many years ago it has in the meantime had an upgrade and it remains fascinating telling the story of the extraction (which continues using more modern methods) of China Clay to be used in pottery and so on. On return from the works I am able to walk from the Manor to the adjacent railway main line where I can photograph the limited service through Cornwall. In more recent times the service frequency has been improved from hourly to half hourly and is perhaps more akin to the service needed by local residents.

With some free time I am able to visit the Mevagissey Model railway – I seem to recall it was not quite worth the entrance fee. However the attraction has changed hands in more recent times since my visit so further comment would be inappropriate.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan sit high above the coastline of Mevagissey and whilst we have been before this time we are able to see rather more of the grounds and find more of the statues and other attractions. The rhododendrons are not quite over so there is a decent amount of colour. There also seems to have been further development of the gardens since our last visit. Jackie will still not walk across the rope bridge of course. I consider the whole place magical and I think everyone else is of a similar conclusion.

Dining on Sunday is at the hotel in Charlestown where I stayed many years ago – although the dining area has clearly been much developed since then and alongside that I think the food is also much better. There is a museum in Charlestown now concerning the local fishing industry which we do not have time to visit – so there is a need to return here at some time in the future.

Jackie drives the Tiguan to the Eden project and reports that it brings her back via a somewhat odd route – an early sign that the satnav on this car seems to have a mystery bug which insists on taking devious routes when you simply want to reach your destination.

Our homeward journey on Monday is a long drive with a stop at the Exeter services and is inevitably slow – but not as slow as a trip back I suffer a couple of years later when the road from Cornwall to Exeter crawls all the way.

A concentrated little break visiting some of the South West’s major attractions which were right on our doorsteps – so the only long journeys were at the start and finish of the holiday – which made it easier than continuing driving each day.