Review: Devizes Camping & Caravanning Club Site. Wiltshire

Quite a few years since we have been here, so time for a re visit. A handy stop for us as Den's brother and his wife live in Devizes. A good excuse for another meal out!

Only the third "shake down" trip for Pebble so we were on a roll. Everything neatly packed away, we were getting the hang of living in the new baby.

Devizes is not too far from us and is a Camping & Caravanning site, so we knew what to expect. £97 for two nights. A tad on the expensive side then, we booked onto a hardstanding with grass and electric. The site is on the edge of the Kennet and Avon Canal near Devizes. A convenient bus stop outside the site takes you into Devizes or on to Bath. A short walk to the left along the tow path, goes to Devizes via Caen Hill, an impressive array of locks. Great for an afternoon stroll, watching the bargees, navigate the locks.

Pubs in both directions so on our first afternoon we headed for The Barge Inn along the canal. A beautifully sunny day, so we spoiled ourselves with lunch and a drink of two.

The pub has a nice atmosphere, with lots of indoor and outdoor space. The wasps drove us indoors but the food was lovely and we could watch the world sail by outside.

Quite a few boats on the canal, moored or gliding along. Getting ready for the set of locks at Caen.

The next day we headed in the opposite direction. Through the tunnel and up the canal.

We didn't walk up as far as the whole set of locks at Caen, 

so no iconic lock picture this time. We will have to save that for a return visit.

So, another day , another pub. This time the Two Magpies", practically on the camp site. In fact they do have a small campsite of their own, well a pub carpark with facilities. Takeaways are also sold from the pub on certain days, which could be handy. After another great meal, with Tony Den's brother and his wife Lorraine we wandered back to Pebble to watch the sun go down.

A short break but on a very peaceful and quiet campsite with good facilities. Toilet block ,a little dated but very clean. Lots to do and see in the local area, very convenient for public transport, easy access.

Definitely one to return to for a longer stay, perhaps an Autumn break!!

 

Review Cofton Country Park, Devon.

A new site for us and just the place to give Pebble her third "try out".

Pebble has been packed and repacked AGAIN!! We have a new bit of kit to explore and an Isabella two sided wind screen. Courtesy of Davan Caravans, a reduced price ex demo in perfect condition and a sun screen to attach to the wind out awning. 

Cofton Country Park had long been on our radar for a visit at Dawlish Warren , a comfortable two hour drive on the motorway. Dawlish Warren was a place I remember as a child, staying in "camping coaches" on the railway lines. Time for a bit of reminiscing.

Cofton was easy to find and we got a warm welcome. We had a pick of pitches and went for the scenic view from the top of the site. We were given a choice of pitches. Our pitch was large, on grass in a well kept field. We were soon set up.

The main items to try out were the sun awning and the wind screen. We were lucky with endless sun this weekend so perfect weather.

The Isabella sun awning was perfect. I love it and when set up it feels like a proper room. So easy to set up and it takes up so little space when stored. We didn't bother with a ground sheet here, as we are only staying for 3 nights.

The wind breakers also are easy to put up and down and perfect to cook behind. Sorry no pictures taken of this...next time.

Cofton is a beautifully maintained park with clean facilities and very well run. Not too crowded mid week, but this was before the school holidays. It is really a "resort" with all the facilities you would want and good for kids. The two swimming pools looked really nice. We did eat one night in the camp restaurant it was a pleasant enough meal, much as expected. There is also a pub on the resort, tables can be booked at all venues using their app, we gave that a miss. The site is however, very hilly although well terraced so good exercise. A bit of a climb back from the showers and sinks must be good exercise!!

Dawlish Warren beach is a good thirty minute walk away, through the woods. A typical holiday beach, with bars , shops and restaurant. For me a trip down memory lane. We peeked in at the camping coaches where I had stayed as a child, still there, but now morphed into luxury accommodation, with toilets and showers. When I was a child conditions were much more primitive.

Much as I remember really, though not as tidy!

Outside the camping coach at Dawlish Warren circa around 1962. I'm the biggest one in the silly hat!! 

After having a good look around and trying to remember, I decided the old adage of never looking backwards, was probably a good one. Everything was so much smaller and scruffier than I remember.  Still ever onwards.

We walked along the sea front to Dawlish on a deliciously warm day. The beach was very tempting but the sea looked rather chilly. Not busy though, a few brave souls in the water.

The old Langston Cliffs were as red as ever. Dawlish is a good 3 miles flat stroll but I must admit we were shattered as it was so hot!!! We played with Uber,  (which didn't work well in these parts,)  then gave up and caught the bus back to the campsite. A much better option and great value using our bus passes. The bus stops right outside the campsite and is very efficient for a rural area. In fact, we actually used the bus twice which worked very well.

Dawlish is lovely for a day out, we found a great little pub which did excellent food. Lots of tourists and coach parties, so choose your times wisely and avoid lunchtime.

The opposite direction from Dawlish Warren and you arrive at the scruffy little village of Starcross. Home to the Exmouth Ferry ( £8 return) Probably worth a day out, but nothing much to do in Starcross itself. The pub on the edge of the village The Anchor at Cocklemouth looked quite nice, but we can't try them all.

The ferry at Starcross. Cross the platform to board the ferry.

All too soon, three nights faded away. We enjoyed our stay but these large resorts are not really for us. Still searching.

Review Croft Farm Water Park Tewkesbury

 We made our first visit here in 1986 ( or thereabouts) Using out Ercol Trailer tent we camped in the field by the lake and sailed in the newly excavated lake. No real facilities but there was a portacabin cafe and for the princely sum of £5 a night, we got the key to the cafe, so we could use the shower and loo. 

This was a picture taken back in 2005. I couldn't find one from 1986!

What a difference 39 years makes! Croft Farm is now a fully fledged, proper holiday resort, with lodges complete with hot tubs, water sports, a cafe and statics. 

School groups use the venue through the summer and the lake is as popular as ever. With the recent purchase of the fishing lake next door expansion is on the horizon. Still owned and run by the same family Alan Newell popped by to say "hello" when we were there. We had a lovely chat and catch up about the "early years" at the farm, they were about to celebrate 40 years, sadly the day after we left, so we missed the celebrations. 

The facilities on site are basic but clean and tidy. During term time there are children on site participating in all kinds of exciting water sports. However there was still plenty of room for us and our paddle board.

Den spent some time on the lake making friends with it. We are assured by our children , who are still regulars at Croft Farm after all these years, that the canal paddle up the river to a Tewkesbury, is an easy one. We are not ready to venture that far yet. However, Den's skills are in progress. No comment on mine!!!

We went for the lakeside pitch with electric, which was great. Loads of space! 

We were so lucky with the weather, wall to wall sunshine, could have been the Mediterranean. 

We ate in the on site café, huge portions. They usually cater for the school  parties. The menu was basic but the food well cooked. There is also a bar and sometimes evening entertainment. There is a basic local pub up the track with an easy amble home after. We went and sampled the beer and chatted with some friendly locals.

All in all, a lovely two nights, we could have stayed longer and will definitely be back. Quiet usually during the week, the kids were all in bed early, somewhat exhausted after all the water activities so caused us no problems. In fact it was great to watch children doing activities that didn't involve phones. Weekends are usually busy so booking essential.

Pebble performed very well and we slept very soundly.

Review Holiday Resort Unity Brean, Somerset.

 We were looking for a nearby place to do a " shake down" visit with our new van Pebble. At only a few days old, we really needed to check her (and our) response to the downsizing. 

After a few traumatic days of packing and re packing we were ready for a break. We never thought changing vans would be so stressful! A garage full of camping equipment, empty pockets and heads full of new instructions ( which we kept forgetting and having to look up) made our heads spin. To add to the confusion lots of things these days only come with on line instructions, which are not always easy to find. A few calls to the dealer for further instructions and the local Fiat garage, to sort out the extended warranty, (which had to be done within 14 days of first registration,) we were ready!! As well as all this, there were changes to insurance, registration details and  a new French Crit Air and German UmWelt to apply for.  The Avtex TV needed sorting, another phone call, we had the wrong bracket and the Wi-Fi router had no instructions, except online. Just as well we are retired with time on our side.

We are seasoned campers and Pebble is our eighth new van, so not exactly novices. How newbies manage we have no idea? Still ,we made it and we are still married!!

So off for two nights to Holiday Resort Unity at Brean Somerset. We thought we were on safe ground as we had been many times before and enjoyed the change. It is a massive site usually with things going on, we thought we would be safe off season. 

First big change the site has been bought out and is now called Unity Beach Resort, what's in a name?? We opted for the Yellow field with hard standing. We had stayed there before many times. We made an online booking for two nights for £80, OK short notice, so it was about what we expected in price.

Only about 45minutes from home maybe an hour with traffic. It was a Tuesday so all should be well. Alarm bells rang when we arrived at our pitch. The wardens gave us a few options all about the same type of pitch, pretty seedy we thought. Near to the toilet block. The Yellow field had changed from a nice open area to a new lodge field, landscaping still under way. The Wardens said that the touring pitches here had been reduced to 30 serviced pitches. We chose the best one flat with gravel, services and a small mouldy patch of grass.

The shower and toilet facilities were clean but dated, perhaps there are plans to improve them. The Wardens shack adds to the general feeling that tourers are not really welcome. We did go over to the Brown and Green fields to have a look, they were generally better for camping but a lot further from facilities.

It actually looks better in this picture than it was. Just for a contrast! Some previous pictures taken on the Yellow Field.

Unity Yellow Field  June 2015

Yellow Field June  2013.

I guess the moral of the story is never go back.

The two nights passed really quickly. We enjoyed the most rubbishy drinks in "The Wonky Donkey" on site pub ( a revamp of he old Tavern) The drinks were so bad we took them back and had a refund. We think the new staff hadn't learned how to service the beer, or wash the glasses properly. The food provision seemed canteen style. We didn't risk trying it after the episode with the drinks. We gave up on the entertainment, RJ's club was closed, so no alternative food provision, the swanky new Pavilion, was closed too. Brean Splash and the golf course was open but the other outdoor venues ice cream, burgers etc. closed. Even the new flag ship golf course restaurant was closed for a private function.

We wandered into Brean to find food. The Seagull, a huge pub was closed, eventually we settled on a very nice curry in the Indian Restaurant, Bengal Bay, excellent service and good food.. The following evening we made our way to Ocean View up the road and had a nice drink and lunch there which was very pleasant.

Sad to say, we felt that Brean had been really neglected, which is a shame as the beach is beautiful. It was relatively early in the season  but the beautiful weather may have been an incentive to extend the season. There were quite a few people about but the general air was "neglect" and there was too much rubbish around the place.

Would we try Unity Beach Holiday Resort again? Down the road and really handy for us ......NO!! 

Knaus Boxlife 600 MQ. Pebble Adaptations!

 We have now had Pebble for nearly four weeks. Strange how you get a brand new van to your exact specifications, or as near as possible and then set about changing things.

First adaptations involved removing all the surplus equipment.

• Out went the bed boards and padded boards for making the front bed.
• Next the ladder, now resting peacefully in our loft.
• Closely followed by  the cargo nets for the bed on both sides and the fittings.
• The cab carpet also sadly got it's marching orders as it wiggled about a lot and felt unsafe.

With the weight considerably reduced we set about adding back things we felt we needed.

• An additional mobile fridge/freezer in the back. Fits perfectly and we have had an additional 12v and 240v plug point put in.

• A few little hooks in the space that housed the ladder. This proved another useful spot for flat things.
• Loads of small containers in shelf spaces for things like keys and glasses.
• A few lightweight plastic crates for storage under the bed.
• Two soft folding boxes for the wardrobe space. Not quite sure why its designated as a wardrobe, a short jacket just about hangs. Great place for storing other things like shoes though.
• A small really cheap magnifying mirror on the bathroom wall.
• Two mats to keep the muck out
• A new heavy duty mat for the cab which works really well and doesn't wiggle.
• A small fan for really hot weather.
• A couple of small door mats for muddy feet.

Everything else we carry fits in well. All our clothes fall into the back lockers over the bed. We even have empty lockers here, although I'm sure we will fill them. 

The big drawers under the sink are perfect for all the kitchen and eating essentials, including our small induction hob and coffee maker. I did actually find a mini washing up bowl but abandoned it for a rectangular silicon bowl instead, which I bought for the new super gas Cadac cooker. This bowl sits on the worktop without moving, so job done. The only extra is a small plastic fold up box under the table for anything else I want inside the van.

Bedding for our new fixed bed was slightly more challenging to source without spending a fortune. The bed has a foam mattress and foam topper. Lidl came to the rescue with double sheets and duvet covers at "Lidl" prices. A double duvet fits perfectly and a mattress protector, cheap and cheerfully, fits over both foam mattresses and then is covered by the fitted sheet. Job done. The bed is extremely comfy.

Linen duvet and pillow set in a stone colour. Bottom sheet jersey in grey.

Our very cheap magnifying mirror does the job.

Kitchens are always another challenge. We used non stick rubber coated shelf liners to cover the glass tops.

In the corner spot the silicon Soft Soak from Cadac. Made to soak the plates of the gas BBQ on the new Cadac 2 Cook Pro, range, doubles up as a washing up bowl ,with the added bonus that because it is silicon, it sits on the worktop and doesn't move. I usually use site facilities for washing up.

We have been pretty ruthless in getting rid of anything that we don't use. So far it has taken two trips. I suspect that more things will follow, after all we are supposed to be camping.

A  nifty little door mat and of course my bee cushion!!

We are in the process of putting a net curtain in front of the back door, as a privacy screen, bug net. Will report back when finished. We have yet to try the bikes on the new Thule Velo Swing, a job for next week.

Knaus Boxlife 600mq. "Pebble" Has Arrived!.

 Time for a change and the new baby has arrived. A Knaus Boxlife 600mq Platinum Selection, to be precise. Purchased from Davan Caravans & Motorhomes in Weston Super Mare. Ordered in October and born June when she arrived from Germany.

A very pretty Artense Grey, hence the name "Pebble!" A rolling stone and all that, we did try to find a more Germanic name but eventually Pebble seemed to fit. Connotations with "The Flintstones" will be ignored. 

 So here she is, a capricious teenager already. Lots of bits and bobs to get used to and remember. Her super duper 360 degree sensors are not quite right yet and her Sat Nav needs to be adjusted to fit us, but apart from a few minor niggles she's ready to go. It only took a week to load her up, good exercise though. Our neighbours must think we are crazy.

A big change from our last van Krystal. A fixed bed which moves up and down over the huge storage area. A dinette in the front and at 5.99m more comfortable to drive. We also had a Thule Velo Swing mounted on the towbar for the bikes, a solar panel and two Lithium batteries. We have ditched the under slung LPG tank which was becoming more problematic to fill and have a camping gas bottle instead with diesel heating. A TV with sound bar and a 5g mi-fi router is also handy. We have abandoned the oven, although we have a two burner gas hob and substituted a new Cadac gas outdoor cooker ( with extras, of course) instead of our electric outdoor cooker. The fridge freezer was quite small so we bought a My Coolman, fridge freezer for the back, handy to keep and use at home when not travelling, perfect for cool drinks!!. We have kept a wind out awning and got a sun shade for the front of it, which worked well on Krystal.

The big question, a smaller van so did it all fit in? Well yes, surprisingly and with space to spare. We did have a massive cull of everything we put back in and actually have room for everything, with two spare lockers. 

A positive change? Yes I think we will enjoy life in Pebble, probably loads more changes before we are totally happy with where things are, but the bed is super comfy and it feels very cosy. Time will tell. So far we are on night 3!!!

Our Motorhome Camping Journey. 38 Years and Rising. Part 2

 2003

Everyone has aspirations and ours was to own an "A Class". Looking back on it now I'm not quite sure why, but it seemed a good idea at the time. 

The children had left home and we decided we needed a little more comfort. Our last van had served us well, although bed making  had started to feel too much like a chore. A pull down bed and more lounging area was just what we wanted. We still carried sailboards and two bikes, so underfloor storage also seemed a good shout!

A Pilote Galaxy fitted the bill perfectly and the dealer in Bath was relatively local. The new van was ordered, with loads of extras, air con, fixed bike rack, tow bar, safari room and satellite TV. After all this van was going to be a keeper.

The start of a new adventure. Lovely van to live in with loads of room inside, a dinette and comfy seating. The large windscreen gave the inside a very open airy feel. I did love the shower in this one, huge with a proper shower door and I could even wash my hair! Easy to live in, relatively easy to drive and not too long.

Always up for improving our set up, we bought a gazebo. Not a good idea, ultra heavy and a pain to put it up, Looked good though and was handy, though a bit too big. Another purchase from a motorhome show, strange how you get caught up in the moment. We reverted back to the large awning and the gazebo went into the loft! Years later we sold it to someone who wanted a covering for their swimming pool, so it went to a good home and we got most of our money back.

 

Our next "improvement". "Let's get a road legal buggy". So we did, a Chinese import on a very heavy fold up trailer. It was supposed to fit in the garage but I guess our measurements were a bit out, so it lived on the drive. We justified the expense by using it at home. Den drove it to work.  Great fun, it struggled up hills with two of us in it, but always attracted attention. It even had a roof rack which the sailboards fitted on. We enjoyed it for a few years and it was great fun, but totally impractical.

Ever "upwardly mobile"!

" I know let's get a car to tow!" Something a bit more comfortable for Den to drive to work in the winter.

The next "improvement".  A convertible soft top Smart Car, on a lighter weight trailer and so it came to pass.

Great to have a car to find all the hidden spots we had missed. Painful to tow around park and reverse! But it gets worse.

Our Pilote Galaxy after 10 years was just beginning to show her age. The final straw was having to change the windscreen when we were hit by a stone chipping. It took ages to wait for a new windscreen and eventually after three attempts it was fitted, though never perfect. 'A' Classes were out!!

 The next folly would have a fixed rear bed. Could 25 feet fit on the drive....just! Our poor neighbours. Billy was about to arrive.

2013

Our Bailey Autograph, called Billy was a lovely van. Masses of space and sleeping arrangements made it feel like we were sleeping in a nice hotel. The bed was super comfy and there was loads of lounging space and a dinette. Lots of extras including air con and a satellite TV. We had a tow bar fitted so we could take bikes but preferred to take Smartie on the trailer. With hind sight total over kill. 

Lovely, if you were parked up and didn't move but painful to park when on the move. Also the van was wider than usual so useless on country roads. We found we needed to plan all our routes. Billy also had a safari room, again almost unused 3 years later. I think our surname should have bee "All the extras!" Yes, it was the next forever van........ sadly NOT.

OK Billy and Smarty looked good but 12 wheels take a lot of looking after. I was always anxious about getting the car on and off the trailer. When towing it was always of slight concern that other vehicles would not realise we had a car on tow. 

Time for a radical makeover.

2015

Our next van was a panel van by IH a Leeds company specialising in high class makeovers. We went for an IH630RL who we christened April. A rear lounge, shower and loo, with a front end kitchen. A good part exchange for Billy sealed the deal at the Malvern show.

 

A lovely looking van in slate grey. The back doors were removed and fitted with a fibreglass pod, which gave us a boot with a hatch door. Nicely finished inside though the doors all emblazoned with the IH motif was a bit over the top. The van on a Fiat bae drove really well and was so much easier on country lanes and camp sites. We had abandoned the TOAD but put our two bikes on the back which worked really well. We had a large pull out awning on the side and loads of lounging room inside the van.

April did well taking us on loads of trips but we had loads of issues with the build quality. Sadly we had to return to the dealer and then the factory numerous times, mostly things wee fixed but we were never really happy with the quality. The final deal breakers for us at the time were small niggles like a kitchen tap that I struggled to lift up, lack of kitchen work space and the drop down bathroom basin which we hated!!

Despite all the niggles we did loads of European trips and enjoyed the whole concept of a panel van which really suited us. 4 years on and time for a change!!

2019

 

A Vantage Neo next. Identical layout to the IH van, except it had a longer kitchen worktop and a fixed bathroom sink. With  and extra solar panel and the addition of a small pantry behind the drivers seat. A compressor fridge made life on the move a whole lot simpler. This van was also an automatic which was so much easier to drive. Everything about our new van, who we christened Krystal, was perfect for us. We had an inverter fitted and a tow bar on the back for our bikes. This time we opted for silver grey.

We really enjoyed Krystal doing 32 000 odd miles in her over 6 years. 429 nights and the bed still really comfy.

On an 180bhp engine she travelled very smoothly with extra power when needed. Vantage were a lovely company to deal with and we did an annual pilgrimage to Leeds each year for the habitation check. Very few niggles with this van and any minor problems were sorted out very easily. However, all good thigs come to an end and we have finally almost said goodbye! Krystal has gone for sale and we have just ordered a new van arriving any day soon!

Another panel van from a local dealer ( the round trip to Leeds was becoming a bit of a chore!) This time we have gone for a Knaus Boxlife 600MQ. Exciting times ahead. A slightly shorter van, just under 6m with a fixed rear that goes up and down and a front dinette. Can't wait to pick her up!