Croft Farm Water Park. Back Again!

 Back again to one of our favourite places. Croft Farm Water Park near Tewkesbury in Gloucershire.

We have been visiting here for many years with so many changes. However , the essence of the place remains the same. Relative tranquillity, intermittent road noise but only when the wind blows in a certain direction! Rural charm, loads of wild life geese and ducks to name but a few. Water, loads of it clean and swim friendly. A handy pub up the road, quirky but friendly, another one down the river depending on your individual SUP skills. Café and gym also on site. Toilet and facilities, basic but clean and tidy. Can be busy on the water especially at weekends but worth it.

 A lake side pitch, so not far to carry the board.

Croft Farm is a water park that also caters for school groups. Camping in tents in the bottom field and in huts for the kids. Loads of water activities which have been well developed over the years. Actually it was great watching the young people enjoying themselves in the water.

Raft building looked like fun!

We took our paddleboard to make friends with it, before our next French trip.

Den had definitely improved his technique and actually managed to stand up.

I held the towel and issued advice!😊😊😊

We were super lucky with the weather but the "heatwave" helped the feeling of being somewhere other than murky Gloucestershire.

Three nights certainly felt like a week. A return visit is on the cards possibly September!!!

A lakeside pitch at £45 a night, not the cheapest, although we could have gone in the meadow field off grid for £25. Not too bad for July.

Review Ile De Re France

 Our first visit back to the Ile De Re in France for around 40+ years. The last time we went the children were small and we used our trailer tent. Our lasting memories were being pushed out of the sand dunes on the campsite where our trailer tent got stuck.

So, 40 years on and we were ready to find a few changes. We picked our site pretty much at random on the North of the island a stones throw from Le Blois Plage. Unfortunately our chosen site was not the best Le Varennes, a largish site but now predominately chalets and lodges. The camping area was a small space for around 35 units, pretty much squashed in and resembling an aire. The only plus point was the toilet and shower facilities were clean and used by fewer people.

Our pitch fortunately was one of the larger ones under the pine trees.

As it was during the heat wave with temperatures peeking at 39C, we were pleased with the shade. Our windbreaker came in handy!

The site had a touring area rather squashed in.

There was also an indoor and outdoor pool. The bar was not a restaurant, but did do burgers and pizzas when open. There was a shop for morning bread but only open for 2 hours in the morning. The village nearby had a supermarket and restaurants a 10 minute walk.

We must admit to feeling slightly short changed by the facilities. Clean but the hot water in the showers took ages to come through It would also have been better to have a bar that was open in the afternoon and a better stocked camp shop.

The beach was a short walk away over the dunes and the town had a daily busy market. The Ile De Re has a huge bridge to get across and a lovely charge of 40 Euros. The island is criss-crossed with cycle paths, which can get very busy. Not too bad in June but I can imagine they would be crammed in high season.

The surf school on the beach.

We rode the cycle path to St Martin en Re. The harbour was very busy and full of tourists.

Picturesque but incredibly busy.

We enjoyed our stay here but would probably not return as the place was far too busy for us.

All too soon, time to make the journey homeward. We spent 5 days travelling home stopping at La Fleche, Camping La Route D'Or for two days.

A lovely shady pitch, we needed it!

A Michelin star restaurant right in the middle of the town.

Hotel De Ville

While we were there, a commemoration ceremony for the WW1 & 2.

Attended by youngsters from the military academy in the town and old soldiers

La Fleche is a great town to wander around in and we will stop there again.

A final stop on our way home, back to St Nicolas at Le Bec Hellouin.

Incidentally, love my new sunshades.

Back to France in August. Ile D'Oleron this time.