Vantage Habitation Check, Leeds, Cheshire, Barmouth and Hereford

 Time for our annual pilgrimage, back to Leeds. Krystal all set to visit her birth place and be checked over. 

The 2023 Habitation Check.

We always go back to the Vantage factory for this as we get such terrific service from Vantage. Not too much on the list for this year, no majors! We have just had two new tyres, a service and an MOT, so all is well on the Fiat front.......we  hope! Time for Vantage to do its bit.

Usually we go up to Leeds on a Sunday, stay at the Turnpike ( Premier Inn ) in Knottingly and take Krystal up to the factory on a Monday morning. For the last two years we have really struggled with the Leeds rush hour traffic, finding it very stressful to make the factory by 8.30am, last year it took almost an hour . This year we decided to try a change. Habitation booked for a Tuesday morning and a Premier Inn in Leeds City Centre booked for Monday night. This meant we could drop the van off at the factory on Monday afternoon and make a long leisurely stroll into Leeds centre and have a meal and a night at the hotel. It also meant we could have breakfast in the morning  and lounge about watching daytime TV until 11.30am  before going to pick Krystal up on Tuesday afternoon after her check up.

Another  small diversion. We decided rather than a 5 hour drive to Leeds, we would go on Sunday morning and break the journey just North of Birmingham at Kingsbury Water Park, that meant a much more comfortable 2/3 hour drive first and about the same the next day.

The journey to Kingsbury Water Park was pretty uneventful with very little traffic. Luckily for us the motorway which runs just behind the campsite was closed for the night so it was very peaceful. Nice Camping & Caravanning site which was pretty empty although I did book.

Krystal happily settled on her pitch for the first night.

We walked up the lanes to a very nice pub The Dog and Doublet and managed to get a meal. It was very showery so we did have to do a bit of dodging about under the trees.

Great site for fishing and bird watching. Sadly not really enough time to have a proper look around, maybe next year!

The next morning we made a prompt start heading for the Vantage factory. A bit of traffic but not bad, We stopped for sandwiches on the way and arrived at Vantage around 3.00pm just in time to bed Krystal down for the night and have a chat with Julie and Ian who would be doing the hab check.

We had packed our overnight stuff in our ruck sacks and headed down the road to the City Centre. Luckily no rain. It was an easy flat walk and the hotel was just behind the railway station, a few minor detours and we found it. A nice meal, a few drinks and a peaceful night. The next day we strolled back to the Vantage factory to find out how Krystal had faired. All was well although it turned out she did need two new batteries, Julie had phoned the previous day to give us the good news, one battery OK, one dodgy. We decided on two new ones. Our credit card company love us!!

Next stop, a drive to Cheshire and we were heading for Shays Farm. Another lovely well run, really clean site, the other side of Chester. A good stop for us as Den's brother and sister-in law live in the village of Tarporley. There is also a very nice pub walking distance from the site called The Shrewsbury Arms. Incidentally the pub has a nice little camp site attached too.

We went to the pub with Paul and Anne-Maria had a very filling and lovely meal. On the way back through the fields ran for shelter as the rain poured down. Luckily it was a passing shower. We curled up in Krystal and watched telly ( which we rarely do when we are away) courtesy of the TV hook up point on our pitch....leads available from the site wardens.

The next morning we experienced Cheshire's finest taxi service, driven by Albert's wife Suzanne        (village taxi service) who picked us up at the camp site and took us to the bus stop in Tarporley. Den's brother Paul arranged an away day to Chester, followed by a meal with more Schwarz's ( Den's cousin Chris ) in Wales. So we did a taxi to the bus stop, bus to Chester ( used our bus passes for the first time) train from Chester to Flint, then car back. Great fun. We trekked the Chester walls had coffee in various venues and lunch. Chester for those who don't know is well worth a visit.

Chester clock. A must for the selfie. We resisted but took a pic instead.

A view from the walls.

Chester race course right in the middle of town.

Kids dressed as Romans having a fabulous time.

Of course we had to try the cocktail bar. Sadly too early for cocktails so we had coffee instead....WE DID!

We went into the museum and looked at a bit of old silver and some bones!!

All in all a lovely day out. Thanks Paul we did enjoy it. Train to Flint and another great meal with Anne-Maria and Chris, time for a family catch up.

Our next destination was Barmouth. A place we have not visited for around 20 years. Camping Hendre Mynach. A 20 minute bracing walk along the sea front to the town. It was BRACING!!! Very wet and windy. The camp site was much as we remembered it and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We managed  to get a hard standing with a TV hook up point, which we used as the weather was wet. The campsite was pretty quiet when we arrived although filled up as the day went on. Facilities were passable, clean with plenty of hot water, if a little dated. Reception sold a few basic necessities,

Hard standing pitches definitely needed.

Shepherds huts now on the site for rental.

A blustery blow along the front.

Barmouth we discovered was an interesting place. Very much like Blackpool in some places though on a tiny scale. Loads of fish and chip shops, a few up market over expensive restaurants and not much in between. The pubs were generally very scruffy and not that inviting. We eventually managed to find a place for lunch. The Dolphin Bar, which was actually a fish and chip cafe that served wine with the meal which was very tasty if somewhat basic!

A few hardy souls ventured out into the sea, they were wearing wet suits. A few more were actually on their paddle boards.

Our short stay at Barmouth was soon over and we trundled off the next day back to civilisation and our last stop near Hereford.

Lucksall Caravan Park by the River Wye. A beautifully kept site with brilliantly clean and tidy facilities. There was also a restaurant on site and a couple of pubs within hiking distance across the fields.

This is the second time we have been here and is a site we will go back to. We had dinner in the restaurant and walked across the fields to the local village. We were lucky with the weather as the sun did try to come out.

A very nice break, just a shame the sun had deserted us. There's always next year.

 

Motorhome Escorted Tours. Fun or Folly?

  We have just returned from a lovely two month stay in Portugal. A month at Touristcampo in Lagos and a month at Camping Ria Formosa near Tavira. If you want a review of both these sites look back at previous blog posts 2022 and 2023. On one of the stops travelling up through France at Only camp Tours, we bumped into a lovely couple who had the same marque van as our Krystal. Of course we had to stop for a chat, this was only the second "Vantage " we had met on this trip.

Only Camp Tours incidentally is very handy stopping place on the way North or South. Easy access and open all year and they accept ACSI Only Camp Tours . Great facilities and lovely local pizza place a five minute walk away.

The couple we chatted to in the Vantage  Neo van just happened to be on an Escorted Tour of the Loire. Whilst having a chat with them, we realised we were surrounded by other Brit vans, I counted at least 10. The memories of our experiences with escorted tours came flooding back! In this blog I thought a very personal review of "Escorted Tours" may be useful to some. 

There are loads of companies now offering Escorted Tours for motor homers and caravan owners. The prices vary greatly depending on what's on offer. Some offer meals, tours, ferry crossings and more. All of them come with the services of "tour guides" usually well experienced people either through organisations like ACSI or privately run companies. The length of the tours also seem to depend on where they are going. Prices vary from per unit to per person. It's a good idea to carefully check what is actually covered and to factor in additional personal costs i.e. getting to the start of the tour, fuel costs, visas, insurance, getting home, all these costs soon add up.

We did two escorted tours both in 2018 with the Camping & Caravanning Club. One to Russia via the Baltics and one to Greece. Both these trips were written up in this blog, scroll back to the appropriate year. I do not intend to specifically re write these blogs just a few things you may wish to consider if you plan an escorted tour. Other experiences we have of escorted tours are those we have met on our independent travels and our experience of touring Africa not "Escorted" but following in the footsteps of a tour again organised by the Camping and Caravanning Club.

In late 2017 I happened to spot an article in  the Camping & Caravanning Club magazine advertising an information event by the club on escorted tours, at the Haynes Motor Museum. At £5 per person including lunch and entry to the museum, it was an offer not to be refused. We spent a very enjoyable day listening to all the presentations about the various tours and signed up for Russia and Greece both for the following year. So, 5 years later I can offer a few insights on escorted tours.

The reasons people go are varied,

• To meet like minded travellers who share a common hobby
• People who want to develop confidence for future tours
• An easy way to see a lot of "sights" with little personal organisation
• First time motor homers
• Motor homers who for various reasons prefer to be with others who could help them if needed.
• Single people who prefer to be with a group.

We wanted to go on a well organised trip to places we would not necessarily go on our own.

 

We did make it to St Petersburg. 

Later that year we did Greece.

Our first encounter with escorted tours was our trip to Africa. We decided we did not want to travel in a motorhome with a large group so we opted instead for a 4 X 4 with roof tent. We organised the holiday with Bobo Campers in South Africa through the Camping & Caravanning Club in 2017 using the same route and camp sites as the escorted group although we were on our own and just over a week behind them. This worked very well for us.

We felt our 4X4 with roof tent worked better on the terrain of dust roads in Africa than a motorhome.

We were more than happy to manage ourselves!

The escorted tour used motorhomes but also had accompanying mechanics as well as tour guides. 

To sum up this is our personal list of pros and cons. Every one will have their own views, this is just what we think.

CONS:

Although you do not travel in convoy, vans will inevitably arrive and leave sites at around the same time each day.

Remember to factor in additional costs and time. Sometimes tours start far away. The Russia trip began in Poland and the Greek trip started in San Marino.

A large number of vans arriving on sometimes small sites, put pressure on the facilities. There will always be some competition for the best pitches. Electric hook ups sometimes have to be shared.

Social events are supposed to be optional, We did not want to join in with everything. 20 or so  people travelling together have a large number of birthdays, anniversaries etc to celebrate. Be prepared for ultra socialisation.

Meals out mean large tables and often pre selected food. Seating 20 people presents challenges and tables for two not usually available. Joint mealtimes could be stressful for some. Veggies and people with special diets take note! 

However social you are, you are basically living in close proximity with fellow travellers. Be prepared for a lot of give and take

A lot of the tours are to places that are high on the tourist agenda. Be prepared for crowds at popular tourist venues.

Conducted tours can be really enjoyable but you are always with a large group.

Early starts especially on tour days, some people find this trying and you always have to wait for someone.

We hated the group meetings but some people found they were the highlight of the day!

The trip was very dependant on the expertise and people skills of the group leaders.

No control over the campsites to be stayed at and the facilities.

Free time on tours mean you will still unavoidably be with the same crowd. We often found it impossible to find a small restaurant or cafe which hadn't already been discovered by our fellow travellers.

Can be very expensive, Do all the sums!

PROS

A good way of seeing places you may not be confident enough to do on your own.

Usually well organised.

Sites and tours paid for in advance.

Maps and routes usually well provided.

People around to help out in an emergency. 

Good for socialising if you are so inclined.

All in all, not for us but it did help us to organise ourselves, we have been back to Greece on our own since. the last time we were there we met up with a touring French group. As they met up for their regular briefing we went to the swimming pool and breathed a sigh of relief, we were on our own!!

We really are not anti social and quite friendly in small groups. Always ready for a chat.😎😎😎😎

Would we do another escorted tour...NO!

Portugal Turistcampo. Days Out by Bus. Sagres and Lagos

 Turistcampo is beautifully placed for bus trips. The bus stop is right outside the site Sagres in one direction and Lagos in the other.

Basically two different bus lines in this part of Portugal, a local bus service Onda and a coach service Vamus. The two services overlap but the bus tickets are not interchangeable. Both bus services operate and have stops outside the campsite and timetables are readily available from reception or online. The buses are not too frequent and are heavily used by tourists, back packers, locals and school kids. Early morning 7am to 10am are most frequent. You do need to check the timetables as sometimes there is a long gap between buses.

Turistcampo to Lagos by bus.

A relatively short journey about 20 mins on the Vamus 47 bus, marked Cabo S. Vincente - Lagos ( por Sagres) A trip to Capo S Vincente ( the most westerly point of Portugal ) is tricky as there are only around 4 buses that go all the way. We opted for a day out in Lagos a very easy journey. We caught 10.28 bus which was only 10 minutes late. The coach driver was very friendly and helpful. A point to remember if you have a dog. Dogs are not allowed on buses in Portugal as a Dutch family in the queue found out. The fair was 5.20 Euros one way for the two of us. It is easy to find the stop as its on the end of the line at the bus terminal  ( Terminal Rodrigues) on the sea front at Lagos. The bus to get back stops at the same place.

Lagos is well worth a day out. You can get an old town map with a walking route, which we didn't do this time. It takes in all the major sites. Lagos is very touristy with loads of stalls selling various boat trips at various prices. For the hardy types you can even do a kayak trip. We opted for a leisurely stroll.

The area around the harbour was very busy.

Loads of places to eat, we opted for a small bar around the back streets which was lovely.

The beach which is very picturesque was also busy but being April I think the sea was rather chilly. We didn't try it!

All in all a lovely day out and perfect use of local buses! Make sure you wait for the bus on the right side of the road, easy to go wrong!

Day out. Turiscampo to Sagres by bus.

Another easy day out. A bit further to Sagres. It took us 35 minutes to get there  but an hour and a half to get back ( the bus stopped at all the small stops to let kids off. We obviously picked the wrong time.

Buses in Portugal do a lot of turning around and doubling back on themselves to cover the small villages so don't panic if you think the bus is going the wrong way. A slightly longer journey this time it cost us 8.40 Euros. We also had to keep our eyes peeled for the bus stop to get off. The best stop is the one by the harbour in Sagres, we didn't know this and got off a bit early. Still it was a nice day for a walk.

Sagres is still a bit of a hippy place, full of surfers with lots of campers. It looks like since we were there 2 years ago the place has been tidied up. The waste ground where campers parked up is now a proper massive car park. I don't think overnighting is allows although it did look like some still ignored this. 

Having visited the fort before, we decided to make for the beach this time and have a stroll around.

The long straight road to the fort. Slightly reconstructed but very imposing!

I think this used to be a wild camping spot. Now a car park. No charge as far as we could see but it did say parking between specific times.

The beach was full of surfers although it was cold in the water. Very wavy!!

Hardy souls. We opted for the beach bar and a cold beer.

View from the beach bar 

After a wander around we found a lovely spot for lunch which just happened to be a local brewery. As he wasn't driving Den managed a few tasters before we found the bus stop home. The journey home with school kids on board was quite interesting as it took in all the villages. Incidentally buses only take cash!

Another great camper free day out and we got to meet the locals.

UK to Portugal. Tunnel or Ferry Cruise? Pros & Cons.

 For the last 4 years we have travelled from England to Portugal or Spain using the tunnel and driving through France. 

The Western route through Bordeaux and across into Spain at Urrugne, has been our favoured route. We used this route as it was relatively easy to find French campsites that were open all year round and we were travelling in January and latterly in late March. We also tend to use Tolled motorways, we just find it quicker and less stressful. We have a toll tag for France, Spain and Portugal, Emovis, so this helps and is so much easier than hanging out of the window.

We have never really been great lovers of Aires although we have used them occasionally. We prefer campsites with decent facilities and EHU, especially if its a bit chilly. Consequentially, our journey to the sunshine has never been a cheap one. If you are on a tight budget, cutting out toll roads, using Aires or wild camping spots and only filling up in supermarkets would considerably reduce the overall costs.

First stop La Source Wissant.  An all year round municipal site.

This year I thought I would try and work out if it would be better and more cost effective to cruise to Santander or drive from Calais. Certainly cruising would cut down on the driving, but we have always felt that the journey was part of the holiday. It's so exciting getting lost down some narrow country track......NOT.

Bearing in mind we live just outside Glastonbury in Somerset, our first drive is to Folkestone and it usually takes in the region of 4 hours ( traffic permitting) We filled up with diesel before we left and I estimate that the full tank cost 109 Euros. Sorry can't be more accurate than that. That's the only bit of guess work!

We always allow a minimum of 5 days for the journey and try not to drive for more that 5 hours each day. We aim to arrive by early afternoon so that we are in with a chance of finding Reception open. We try and have food onboard and usually stop for a drink and sandwich for around 30 mins. We often stop for loo breaks and maybe a coffee. Den does all the driving so if he gets too tired or bored, we stop for a bit. We also try and have a brief stop at least an hour before getting to a campsite, so we are not too cranky when we finally arrive. If we are going to get lost and it can happen, it's usually just before you get to a campsite then it's "grumps" all round!

Fuel stops, we usually do at around half a tank. If a supermarket is handy we use that because fuel is always cheaper! However, we usually stop wherever its handy and even on a motorway, the prices vary. 

This year we paid between 95 and 124 Euros per litre, depending where we stopped. In England we filled up at Costco and paid £1.66 a litre ( obviously a bad fuel day!!)

Second stop. Onlycamp Tours. Brilliant little site open all year. We discovered it by chance last year.

Third stop. Larouletta Urrugne. Open all year. Good facilities. I got ACSI rates here.

Fourth Stop. Olimpia, near Salamanca in Spain. Very nice meal on site for 13 Euros. Clean and just by a very handy fuel station. Closed first two weeks in June!

Fifth Stop. Alentejo near Evora. Lovely tidy clean site.

Usually when we travel we try and bring at least a few easy meals. A bit more tricky this year with food rules for travellers into the EU. We try and eat out if we can but always have a few trusty standbys just in case. We cooked at 4 out of the 5 stops this year, mainly because we had food in the fridge I wanted to use up.

A comfort break just over the border into Spain.

We have a trusty Tesco credit card which I use for everything at home. This gives me a few Tesco points ( reducing by the minute, you can't win them all!) I use the points to reduce the tunnel costs. "Every little helps"

 

Here's a breakdown of costs one way in Euros. If you need it in £, ask a friend!

FUEL:   100                                               MOTORWAY TOLLS: 175.21              CAMPSITES: 23.30

               124.10                                                                                 24.99                                       22.32

               117.83                                                                                                                                  28.50

                94.93                                                                                                                                    21.01

                                                                                                                                                             15.00

   

Total       436.86                                        Total                                 220.20                 Total            109.63

                                                        

 Fuel:                               436.86

 Tolls:                               220.20

 Campsite Fees                109.63

Eurotunnel ( one way)     166.49 ( £147)

GRAND TOTAL ONE WAY! 933.18 EUROS😎

Hope this helps.

Almost the same price as Portsmouth to Santander Ferry.😎 You would also have to factor in one or two overnight stops and a tank of fuel.

Tunnel to Portugal 2023

 Time for the great escape from a cold Spring to a warmer Spring ....we hope!!

This year we have decided to go back to Portugal for an early Spring/Summer break. We have booked two long breaks one for 3 weeks at Turistcampo near Lagos and 4 weeks at Rio Formosa near Tavira, both on The Algarve. 

Being creatures of habit and liking an easy life we plumped once again for the Western route, via Rouen, Bordeaux and across Spain into Portugal. A relatively easy route with 5 stops on the way, though lots of driving. We do use the tolls in France, expensive but much faster and usually quieter than the long slog through the villages.

We took the late afternoon tunnel crossing just making it in time and then a short drive towards Wissant on the coast. No real checks or problems going through customs at Folkestone, although I did get my passport stamped. No food checks, although they did insist we demonstrated our gas was off before we entered the tunnel, by trying to turn the hob on....odd, of course it was off.

Our first stop was Wissant, Camping La Source, a very French municipal. We were going to try the Aire which wasn't that busy but eventually settled on the camp site as it was nearer the village and had facilities.

Actually quite a nice pitch and the facilities were OK. We wandered into the village and found a local restaurant something and chips, but it was fine and filled us up.

Of course we managed some local wine too.

The next morning found us travelling towards Rouen which we navigated pretty smartly, heading for Tours. Madam Satnav performed well. On our last trip we found a campsite at Tours which was pretty handy and ticked all the boxes. Clean , tidy and easy in and out. Only Camp Tours, another good night stop. Nice bottle of local red from the camp shop!

The following morning the weather really perked up and the sun came out. We were heading for the Spanish border and the camp site Larouletta. A place we have been many times before, notable for the weird and somewhat spooky trees. A long drive again, but a bit more cheerful as the sun was shining.

The site was rammed with mainly Dutch and German vans on their way home from winter sun holidays. Never seen it so busy and the restaurant was closed!! Back to home cooking then!

Still we managed a pleasant evening, tomorrow Spain.

At this point of the journey it feels like we are actually making progress although the next bit through Spain is a pretty boring long drive. Eventually we made Salamanca and things took a turn for the better. Our preferred site, Olimpia, a small camping hotel on the outskirts was open! A very cheap and pleasant meal with wine 13.50e with wine for two courses, served with a smile.

Another sweep across the Sierras and we were actually in Portugal. A very nice Dutch site at Evamonte called  Alentejo. Very tidy in a pretty setting for 15E a night. Another place quite busy with travellers mostly staying for a night or two.

Our final stop before Turistcampo near Lagos our home for the next 3 weeks.

The suns up, the wines cooled busy but looks good!!

After a bit of fiddling about, we have a small tent out, ground sheet pegged down and a sunny spot.

Turistcampo is an extremely well kept site. Staff are constantly tidying up, keeping the weeds down and even pruning the trees. We encountered a very friendly bunch of locals who turned out to be English tree surgeons. The girls were vey apt at climbing up the trees and using a chain saw. We made a short video and took some pictures.

Well done to the girls and guys!

Vantage Habitation Check. Return from Leeds via Cheshire, Shell Island & Hereford.

 We could hardly believe that 3 years has flown by and Krystal was due for a first MOT. Happily she passed with flying colours. A slight blip, with the oil warning alarm light but hopefully that will resolve itself! Colin Edwards in Street, highly recommended by a neighbour and easily sorted out service and MOT, Krystal was legal again, fit and healthy!!

The next hurdle was the habitation check and a trip to Leeds back to her birth place at the Vantage factory. Quite a hike for us but we decided to take a week off from "decorating" and head for some R&R. We always book the habitation check a year in advance. I had booked a Sunday night at a Premier Inn at Knottingly (about 8 miles from Leeds) for the princely sum of £29, Easy parking and a relatively easy drive into Leeds on a Monday morning arriving at the factory by 8.30 am.

Krystal was soon settled in by Jamie. We only had a few minor things to be fixed. A droopy over head cab carpet and a dodgy TV ariel. Not bad really. We did the usual canal stroll into Leeds and had breakfast and a wander. By mid afternoon we were done and back at the factor. Jamie had been very thorough as usual, completed our jobs  and had changed the shower head, which had been leaking and tightening up the oven handle which had been loose. While we had been strolling around Leeds we decided to change the plan for next years habitation. Arrive Leeds, Monday late PM and leave Krystal at the Vantage factory. Stroll down to the Holiday Inn Express around the corner and pick Krystal up on Tuesday after her checks. This would avoid the heavy traffic we had encountered coming into Leeds Central on a Monday morning. Worth a try.

Habition done we headed for Moor Lodge and our normal stop over at Bardsley a few miles away. A lovely spot very rural round the corner from The Bingley Arms ( no meals on a Monday)

We enjoyed the sunshine and wandered down The Gunnell ( rather overgrown) for a cold beer.

An easy stroll down, a bit of a hike on the way back...... it could have been the beer.

The next morning we were off to Cheshire, Shays Farm, and a visit to Den's brother Paul and his wife Ann-Maria at Tarporley. We always enjoy seeing them and catching up with family gossip over a couple of good meals. Shays Farm is another lovely site, very up together and quiet.

A good fishing site and great for kids with a big ball field.

Whilst we were there we went out with Paul across to North Wales to a place called Holywell. Sadly, Holywell is not thriving  as it used to be. Still we took a nostalgic tour of some of the sites that were so familiar 50 years ago.

Here is the site of the old bakery, café and bread shop. Now an Indian restaurant. This was where Matthew Schwarz Den's Dad was born.

Next door was the Opticians also belonging to the family. In the window was some of the family history.

While we were taking photos the door to the opticians opened and we met old cousins and spent some time talking family history which was lovely.

We then went up to the monastery at Pantasaph where many of the family are peacefully lying. We paid our respects in this very peaceful place, which has changed very little over the years. A beautiful final resting place.

Our last destination in this part of Wales was to meet up with Den's cousins Christina and Kieran. We looked around Christina's cottage at Brynford where we hadn't been for many years. Finally, we had a lovely meal in a local hostelry and chatted about old times and memories past.. Altogether a great couple of days we will have to do it again soon. North Wales is a lovely part of the world and even better when the sun shines. Big thank you to Paul and Ann-Maria and the cousins we met on the way, We enjoyed your company.

From Cheshire we ambled back to Wales and soon we were on our way to Shell Island. A unique HUGE campsite just north of Barmouth on the coast. The campsite is only assessible at low tide. We had booked a spot and checked the tide times so all was well. "Camp anywhere", we were told. Sand dunes or mountain views. We opted for the middle ground and pitched up on a hill, sea behind us mountains in front.

Clean showers and loos, bar and food available. All was well until the weekend when it did get rather full. Still we enjoyed the views and the sea air and we would go back off season.

The beach was beautiful and pretty empty. There was soft sand and loads of rock pools. I think if we went again the "dog free" field would be our first choice. Most of the campsite was grass so not sure what it would be like in bad weather, I guess you would have to be careful where you camped.

Strange how some campers didn't seem to understand the 15m rule in operation here. A mid week visit would be best as the site gets pretty crowded at weekends.

Finally we were on our way home but decided at the last moment that one more stop would make an easier journey. A quick look at camper contact and search for sites and we located Lucksall Caravan and Camping at Fiddlers Green not far from Hereford by the River Wye. I rang the site and they had spaces, I also booked a table at the restaurant, on site but run separately.

Lucksall site is absolutely beautifully kept with grass manicured within an inch of it's life. Pitches are a good size and facilities spotless. We had a beautiful meal in the restaurant and a drink in the bar overlooking the River Wye.

People we paddle boarding from the site and swimming further up the river. This is certainly a site we will go back to.

Altogether a very successful week!!!