Joe, Molly and the lane

now featuring Eevee and Brucie!

The ongoing blog of caravanner, holidayist and dog-lover

Jock E Wheel !

Our Best Pitch Ever?

No doubt about it!

Luss Caravan & Camper Park

Luss, Argyle and Bute, Scotland

Lowther Campsite, Penrith, Lakes.

Lowther we chose as a stopover on the way up to our Scotland trip. A great place for this, lots of cabins and statics on a very pretty, riverside site. A bit tight on the touring pitches but easy to find and has good facilities including a pub and a bakery/food shop.

Loved the site, really pretty riverside setting and ideal as a stopover, but would not recommend as a long-term stay. We were here for two nights, and it was absolutely ideal for a quick break/stopover, well sited near Penrith and a "gateway" stop right on the M6 on the way up to Scotland.

Video review online at Jock E Wheel-on Youtube

It had to happen!

Back to Trevornick

Guys, I am not doing a review this time, we were at Trevornick for 21 days last June, and we we are here for the whole of June 2024. the site is amazing, the pitch and view this year are immense, and I am going to post mainly destination pictures and videos on the site instead of text. There is a previous review of the site further back on this page from last year if you want to view the facilities, but as you may glean from the re-visit-it doesn't get much better than this!

Beautiful!

Ok! one.com won't accept my video-so to watch the video review please go to Youtube and visit the Jock E Wheel page

Thank you!

Wow! More rain, cancellations, tractors and Bank holidays

--------------------

May bank-holiday at Hardwick Parks

Standlake, Oxfordshire

Well, having turned down a chance to go away at Easter because of the weather, we decided to do this bank holiday, hoping the sun might come out and lighten things up!

So we were booked in at Lechlade, but this was cancelled last minute, and after a morning of phone calls, we eventually found the site with vacancies-Hardwick Parks, Standlake. These guys were really helpful and found us two pitches on the main field, overlooking the lake.

We were helped onto the pitch, as the grass was very wet, needed to be pulled in the car and the caravan was turned by tractor, and we were alone in the middle of the main field.

Typically, then down came the rain, and on Friday afternoon in started to roll the campers, caravans motorhomes and camper vans. We know the area so there are several good pubs nearby for a spot of lunch and dinner.

There are plenty of good dog walks on site, particularly the round the lake walk which is stunning, easy and about 50 minutes at a steady pace.

So this is a lovely summer site. The facilities are catering for the outdoors, there is lots of space, so plenty of families in the summer, no doubt. It is well run, with help from the staff if needed, very tidy facilities.and of course the Boatshed bar and restaurant, with play area and stunning outlook over the lake. A guest singer performed live on Saturday night. Shame about the weather, but we enjoyed the sun when it appeared.

The boating, waterskiing and water-sports will be buzzing in the summer, and being Standlake there is no shortage of things to do, with fishing onsite and plenty of great walking.

The Chequers

Rookley, IOW

Ok, so not a normal holiday, and in February, so we weren't expecting miracles, and you will know that not all the campsites are open, many opening in March. I found this one, between Newport and Ventnor, and we chose it because it was right next door to a pub, The Chequers. Went through 'Pitchup', then booked direct with the pub (same price either way, as it happens). 

So it served a purpose, and, although the facilities are quite limited (No toilet or shower block), that suits us and our unit. this is also reflected in the price, a straight £20 per night. Now I have already said it has been wet, but I bet this place is buzzing in the summer.

The site is well situated, close to Ventnor, Blackgang Chine, Sandown, Shanklin and next door to Godshill. It is easy to get to and very rural, set on the downs, and adjacent to a very bustling equestrian centre, so not ideal if you have nervous or barking dogs, as there are plenty of 'Thelwell' type little girls and their ponies trekking through the middle of the site on a regular basis.

The Chequers at Rookley, the pub on-site is also a very fine food pub-I attach a copy of their 'Burger' menu-a thing of immense proportions, and their full menu is very comprehensive, with products sourced from local suppliers. It is reasonable with great beers and wines, specials , great servive and a convivial atmosphere in its three various bars and restaurants. All this makes the pub incredibly popular, and on a sunny Sunday, this place was mobbed, apparently the Sunday Roasts are amazing. There is also a massive and well stocked childrens play area and beer garden, so it has got everything, including lovely countryside views.

I am not going to give a scores on doors on this site due to what facilities are here; The site is basic, just 12 hard-standing pitches with electric and water easy and reliable. I used our AVTEX router for internet which was absolutely fine if a tad slow. There is a warden on site, so it is well looked after. It gets a bit noisy first thing being adjacent to a main road a busy connecting lane. The services are fairly basic, but we are here in a wet week, so the petty flooding and continuous downpours haven't helped!

Definitely be back in the summer!

TRookley, Ventnor, 

                      Isle of Wight

A tale of two cities? A game of two halves? More like Chalk and Cheese, I suppose, as we had an epic sunny day when we came over on Monday on the Red Osprey Ferry, set up the van and went to the Spyglass in Ventnor, for lunch outside on the decking overlooking the bay in delightful and unexpected February sunshine. The dogs walked on the beach, Brucie got his run and we got our delightful

crab sandwich-absolutely idillic!

The evening bought the wind and rain and honestly, it didn't stop. 

Now fellow Jockettes, this is not a normal trip. I lost my mum at Christmas, and we are here

for the funeral, so we have come over for a week or so to sort this and lay her to rest.

Also it is February, so what with this wind and all the rain, the ground is soaked and waterlogged.

We haven't bothered putting the awning up, and the dogs are dragging mud in, so it is ok,

but not ideal.

Monday was beautiful, the next two days it poured and Thursday was good.

We booked this campsite at the Chequers at Rookley, near Ventnor.

Swiss Farm-Henley

Third visit

Well, I'll make this brief as I did a review for Swiss Farm last October, since when we have clocked up 14 different sites, and there is a previous review posted if you care to scroll down this site.

We booked a large, fully serviced, hard-standing pitch, same as last year and £178 for 5 days (£21 increase from last year), and were rewarded by being allocated a superb pitch overlooking fields and woodland.

I would add a note to motorhomers, there are lovely walks, good facilities (bar, conservatory restaurant, breakfast, shop, etc), all to a high standard and a very easy walk into Henley upon Thames with its bustling town centre with pubs and great river walks. Turn up, park up and go! So great for caravanners, motorhomers, and there is also a beautifully situated, large and sprawling campsite overlooking a lovely fishing lake.

Booking this site is easy, you are kept well-informed by email, sent allocated pitches (and there is the facility to choose your own). Wifi password and access codes for the entry means that you don't need to check in, the site is

very welcoming and very dog-friendly. Internet access is generally good, but can be sketchy. Lots of the people that we spoke to are re-visiting, and, for late October, this site is full. Highly recommended.

 One negative!

 The Rugby (and this could have been a really long story). We had a rugby Union World Cup final this weekend-the staff in the clubhouse told us they would be showing, (and after several visits, phone calls, bookings and enquiries), it turns out they never had any intention of showing the World Cup Final at all.(Club normally shuts at 8:45)! 

Guys if you are not going to show it-just be honest and tell us, so that we can make other arrangements. Spoilt the clubhouse atmosphere for us!

For video blog visit Jock E Wheel's channel on Youtube

Freshwater Beach Holiday Park

West Bay, Bridport

Well, a lousy start to our Freshwater Beach holiday, getting here was difficult and we had trouble getting onto our pitch, so I am going to keep this review fairly brief. This is a stunning site, nestling between Chesil Beach and West Bay in Dorset, with miles of stunning scenery, and the dramatic Jurrasic Coast stretching away in both directions. It would be hard to imagine the difference between our last site and this one! This Freshwater Beach site is enormous.

On Saturday the site was buzzing and very busy. There were lots of families here using the sea, river and outdoor swimming pools. There is a large leisure complex, with a large indoor pool, restaurants and bars, including a rooftop bar attached to amusements and ten-pin bowling. There are literally hundreds of static caravans and homes scattered around the hilly site, and has direct access to the beach. By Monday most people had gone, leaving the site very quiet, with some of the facilities, entertainment, shut down.

But there is a large Spar Shop, Launderette, playgrounds, playing fields, and all the other facilities that you would expect from a site of this size. It is well-run, and has it's own (Very helpful and kind) security force.

This area is also very pretty, and the towns, villages and beaches are great, obviously helped by the fantasic weather. Visits to Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Weymouth, Charnmoth, Lyme Regis and Chesil Beach, all within half an hour, and with West Bay and Hive Beach on the doorstep. Obviously, the scorching and continuous September sunshine helped a lot, but we would definitely return to this part of the world, it is stunning.

I would like to finish with a positive and a negative. The positive (I have already mentioned the security, and how well-managed this site is): As we hitched up and started to pull off at the end of the holiday, I noticed our ATC box was hanging off under the caravan, almost scraping the floor. We couldn't risk towing the van back three hours so, despite being ready to go, we went down to reception, who then sent up their maintenance crew to have a look at it for us. Ten minutes later, maintenance man Ray, crawled under our van, and 45 minutes later, emerged with our box tightened back on, so that we could proceed on our homeward journey. What great work and so much appreciated guys. Thank you so much, we could not have travelled without your help!

Now the negative, which, believe me, isn't really my subject (well it hasn't been until now , but I believe this is incredibly important)!

When we first went to dump our empty bottles (significant amount, I confess), there was no facility to recycle the glass (even a philistine like me has my glass bottles in a seperate bag). There was nowhere to dump the glass, and as we were on our way out, we dumped the bottles in with the general waste. (Meaning this would all be disposed of in landfill)! Now there are 200-300 touring campers on this site-man that is over the top on landfill! 

So I seached the bins onsite, and found that tins, cardboard and glass were all being dumped in the 'general' bins, so everybody was doing the same. Unless I have got it wrong and the fairly terse lady in reception was incorrect, "There is a bottle bank up the hill, behind the bar"!

Now given the potential landfill implications (Which are hideous) and with no instuctions on the site map, and given also the exemplary recycling at other sites (including the Old Barn, our last site, I have re-jigged my scoring system, removing "people" and replacing it with re-cycling-for which Freshwater will receive a "0"

I shall write to Freshwater to clarify their policy and arrangements and, of course will inform you of any changes or inaccuracies and developments.

Scores;

Ease to find 10

Site 9

Services 9

Internet 5

Showers/Toilets 10

Entertainments 8

Pitches 10

Area 10

*New-Recycling 4

Cost 9

Total Score 84%

Total Cost inc 2 dogs £369.00

(9 days=£41.00 per night)

Joe's last holiday.

Guys, it is with deep regret that I inform you that our beloved JoJo  passed away peacefully, in his sleep on Saturday 9th September, with us and Molly in the caravan.

Joe did have a great holiday on the Isle of Wight, but continued to struggle with his hind legs-so he was struggling with his health and we think that eventually his heart gave out.

I have made a tribute page on this site on the page;

'Jou Jou Bean'

Thank you to everyone that has already sent kind sentiments to his passing. Much appreciated.

And bless you, JoJo, astonishing friend , companion and character,-you will be so, so sadly missed.

The Old Barn Touring Park, Apse Heath, Sandown, Isle of Wight

Yes, our third visit with the caravan to this site, there still is an offer on the Red Funnel website, but we chose this because it is so well sited for our needs. The ferry cost will make the IOW restrictive for some, but you can get deals and Emma , on site at The Old Barn, managed to book for us with her discounts at £183.00 return.

The Old Barn park is on a main road, just next door to the Isle of Wight airport.

The flight path goes right above, but the light aircraft coming in are more theraputic, and interesting than noisy. However the main road gives relentless noise from 6AM-(9PM, non-stop, all day), so a bit of a negative there. However, it is a safe walk into Sandown and a two minute drive to Pubs, Supermarkets and Petrol and there is also a great garden centre across the road.

If you are looking for a basic campsite with a good situation, this is it. Perfect for Sandown, Yaverland, Shanklin and Ventnor. It is a well-laid out camping site with Electric, laid out in amongst private hedges (badly need cutting)! There is no bar, shop or entertainment, just a games-room in the barn, lots of countryside-style pitches, and some glamping pods. There is pretty good walking onsite, and strolling through down to the bottom field, there are woods and paths brimming with birds and wildlife. The paths lead away over the hills in several directions and these walks are picturesque and very quiet.

The toilet block is is a bit dated, and pretty basic, and the remaining facilities are adequate at best. But it has a nice feel, and apart from the road noise, is reasonably quiet, friendly and safe.

Ok! In conclusion-We were blessed with stunning weather every day-a great little break-this morning we are packing up and off to Bridport!. Scores to follow!

Scores;

Ease to find 10

Site 8

Services 7

Internet 7

Showers/Toilets 6

Entertainments 4

Pitches 9

Area 10

*New-Recycling 10

Total score 71%

Cost (inc 2 dogs) £191.00
£27.28per night

(Ferry booking from site £183.00 return)-Cowes-Southampton

Isle of Wight

September break

Start of our September mini-break down at Sandown with a smashing turn for the better with the weather. Re-booked 'The Old Barn' just outside Sandown to be near to family which is reasonable and well-sited for Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor. Another issue with the Red Funnel ferry, we were late, but so were they, so we missed our 10AM, but catching the delayed 9AM (delayed until 11AM!)

Well well, Holywell!

Yes it's official-"Trevornick" best site yet!

Yes, the best yet, Great reception, Supermarket, Site, Club, Clubhouse and view. Also takeway (bit average), Coffee Shop, Coffee and Cocktail bar, visiting pop-up food vendors. Brilliant for walking dogs, superb cliff path walks, swimming pool and Golf ('Crazy' 'Pitch and Putt' and a proper 18 hole par 3). Lots of facilities, all showers, waste etc, very clean and plenty of them. And this site is dog-crazy-yes there is a pretty steep charge for them (Our two little dogs cost us £210.00 for the 21 days)! But, your dogs are welcomed anywhere, even in the clubs and the pool area so a real bonus if you have your dogs with you all the time.

The area is absolutely stunning, Holywell, Porth Joke, Perranporth, Newquay and Crantock beaches are all really close, and you can visit all these and more then finally recline at 'Woodys' with a drink whilst watching the spectacular sunsets!

Well worth a trip, which cost us a total of £990.04 including a week of golf fees and with half a week discounted (-£135.35)

1) A couple of minor negatives,

1) The internet improved as the weeks went on, but will never be strong enough to download Netflix I-Player, etc, adequate for minor incursions and seemed stronger in the mornings.

2) The caravan pitches are mainly on a pretty severe slope which caused us to re-site upon arrival and place the van longways, you need (which I have never needed before) ramps/chocks for the proper levelling of your caravan.

Trevornick

Week 2

Started our second week at Trevornick, which is still quite quiet. Weather has been good, despite a bit of clinging sea-mist but the site continues to entertain. Early morning beach walks suit the dogs, and the dog-friendly walks at the top of the site with woodland and meadow, have views over Cubert, Crantock, Holywell and Newquay.

There is a big slope here, so had to chock the van up and move into a different position just to get level, and we backed up against a hedge, but lots of these pitches also have sea views.

It is worth mentioning, the site is so dog friendly it is unbelievable-dogs are allowed (encouraged)! in the bar, the club, the shops and even in the pool area! So this is a massive bonus if you are holidaying with your dogs-you can take them everywhere! Someone we spoke to here said this was actually 'Dog-friendly' against other sites which are 'Dog-tolerant." Massive plus this!

All these plusses make for very happy campers, which means a very happy atmosphere wherever you go on site, and also, with all amenities within easy walking distance, a good reason to spend your time on site.

....and I have to say, the location of this site is absolutely fantastic for discovering South Cornwall, St Ives, The Lizard and Fowey, easily reachable, as well as the very local Newquay (visited by accident but well impressed with the development on Fiscal Beach).

Other local gems include St Agnes, Perranporth, Crantock and many others that are all very close. So I can confirm that, when the sun shines down in Cornwall, there is not a finer place to be, especially this part.

Beautiful!

Trevornick

Cubert/Holywell, Cornwall

Week 1

So our re-arranged French weeks took us to a spell in Cornwall, and here at  Trevornick, a site that we discovered last year when staying nearby. Because we are spending three weeks here, I am going to post this in three parts, so here is the first installment.We chose this site for it's stunning location.

(Some internet issues and therefore slow on the postings)!

Well I have had several hours trying to find an internet connection that works-this local Trevornick Guest server seems to be regularly available from early morning until about 8AM! 

However I am happy to report this is the only negative about this site. The location is amazing, you have everything here on site, including a lovely par-three 18 hole golf course, stunning pitch and putt, crazy golf, and the very delightful 'Woody's, the clubhouse/bar/restaurant that has picturesque views and overlooks the Gull Rocks and Holywell beach supplemented by stunning sunsets!

Our first week was spent with early morning walks on the Holywell sands (the dogs ideal walk, strolling down to the sea in the clear babbling stream), visiting local Perranporth, Crantock and this area that we love so much.

I paid £63 for a week on the par three which is delightful and easy to get on to (no booking tee times neccesary).

There is then Woody's, the Courtyard, Bingo, entertainment, pop up food, take -away's and plenty of space (this is a massive site-I would say about a quarter of capacity). So lots of space, quiet and easy to get around!

The Back of Beyond review

Return to the Back of Beyond!

Sounds great doesn't it? And it was. This is a superb adults-only Campsite on the edge the new forest with easy access to the Forest, Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and
Mudeford. We went there on the bank holiday weekend with out daughter and her partner, who joined us on Friday night with their tent. Just like last time, we got a lovely rustic pitch, alongside them (pitches 1 and 2)-only about 55 steps from the bar and food area!

The site filled up during the day, and when the bar opened at 4PM there were plenty of punters flocking there, for drinks, and for the food (offered every night through private vendors), and on this beautiful sunny evening it was the Pizza man (from the Dorset Pedaling Pizza Co), of which we partook-and incredibly good they were too!

£10 for a medium wine and a pint, so par for the course I guess, and a great atmosphere in the bar, mainly populated by 50-75 year old couples with about 1.5 dogs, so no kids but plenty of pooches, which were welcomed and well tolerated.

Apart from the bar and the food, this is a very well laid-out and well kept site, there is a challenging little 9-hole pitch and putt course with dog-walking off the lead, picnic area with a petanque pitch. Fire-pits are allowed, but don't take your own, you will need to purchase the very acceptable fire-pit-kits on site, with pit and fuel (£3.00 per day). All the facilities are immaculate, there is a brand-new toilet and shower facility up past the bar.

Negatives!

Don't go here to write your book! The internet was not accessible for me on any device! There are about five Back of Beyond log-ons but I could never access any one of them! No Internet, not even on my new toy-couldn't even post pictures on Facebook!

Staff!

There are lots of rules here, but the way staff spoke (and not just to us) could have been handled much better. We all know that we need to abide by the rules, but certainly there is a way of talking to your customers if they are doing something wrong! This certainly took the edge of the trip for us and our family and spoilt what would have been, apart from that, a truly wonderful experience.

Back-to the Back of Beyond!

So back in the UK and off to the Back of Beyond again for bank holiday weekend-

With family and all the dogs!

...and the Firepit

Straight back to the Ferry Port at

Santander!

Brittany Ferries

So rule number one, when booking, if you are taking dogs, ideal if you can manage to get a dog-friendly cabin.

You can buy internet, or your have an hour and a half free Wi-fi during the crossing.

Take an adaptor/charger lead-our phone was dead, which gave us a problem upon arrival for the

Sat-Nav. Note; We used Google Maps on the phone and just set "Map" on the car Nav which was perfect!

Don't turn up too early at the ferry port-We got there early on purpose and just queued in the sun for three hours!

There is plenty to do on the ferry, a bonus if the sun is shining, these staff are mainly French and very amenable!

In Spain;

(From personal experience)-Wi-fi can be good depending upon site.

BBC I-player not available in Spain

Wi-fi router worked ok, but soon ran out of data-and we could only top up with 12.5G

Water, Gas, Electric and services were all fine just had to switch to 6A in one site

That's it from our Spanish trip;

Just the site reviews to follow

Happy Camping!

Goodbye and back to the Ferry

Well, an interesting break in the North of Spain comes to an end. This was a good holiday, the last 5 days in Playa la Arena was, as mentioned, a good destination; The place was quiet, except weekends, the weather was stunning, and our days were spent as a beach holiday, leisurely mornings, a trip out and lunch, with the afternoons spent on the Playa in the sun. We have the gas BBQ so we could also Grill the local and stunning seafoods in the evenings.

The area is beautiful, and worth exploring, food, where you can find it (odd opening hours, we found), is good, and also it is very cheap. We were very pleasantly surprised by the price of the drinks-a Cerveza and a Vino Blanco Copa was consistently 4.5 Euros, and this was wherever you went. The towns and the people were busy and locals generally helpful. Supermarkets were really well stocked, cheap and the bigger ones all had great butchery and fish departments, so you could top up with beers and BBQ food when you needed to.

The roads were great, wide and smooth, well signposted and easy to pull on and off junctions. You will have no trouble if you want to tow a caravan, although there are not many about, mostly you will see motorhomes and campervans.

Should you visit I would recommend the Pays-Basque area, I think there is more going on here-San Sebastian, Bilbao and also striking-distance to the South of France, plus the delightful beach towns dotted all along the coast. Specifically The Zumaia campsite is brilliantly positioned here as there are regular trains to Bilbao and San Sebastian, as well as other destinations, and the station is right next to the campsite, as well as Zumaia itself is a lovely little town with a beach and a bustling evening scene.

So, did we enjoy this mini-tour of Northern Spain? Yes, from our original cut-short plans it was a decent trip. Missing out on the dogs and then the trip back up through the West coast of France was not ideal, but having never towed abroad, the daunting aspect of the trip was not as stressful as I had anticipated. I think once you have towed a van up on the little cliff road on Freathy Cliffs, you can tow anywhere, so you shouldn't be daunted. However, the ferry crossing cost just took the gloss off the trip, which, when reduced to two and a half weeks cost us £715.00 to get there and £756.00 to get back.

You also lose about 2.5 days on the crossing, which also can be expensive on board also.

I anticipate the dogs would have added another £1000 with all the jabs, the worming, the running about for certification, kennels muzzles and other peripheries. All good if you are going for a period of time, but not worth it in the short-hop.

To be fair, if we had had two younger, fitter dogs, we would still be working our way up the French coast right now but hey-ho! We made the decision and I think that our dogs, in this case, were better off at home.

Anyway, it was a great experience, we faced the challenge of getting on try and off the ferry, towing on the right side of the road and booking and finding our foreign campsite destinations.

Which means that you can do it!

Happy camping!

A very lovely place

...and thouroughly enjoyable!

Isla, Quejo and Noja

Cantabria

So not just a great site, but the location is brilliant as well. There are loads of beaches and small towns nearby, within easy driving distance.

View from my "Office"

Camping Playa la Arena

Playa la Arena

Isla-Northern Spain

Yes, Playa la Arena was chosen as a final stop and a beach holiday, and, on arrival we were certainly not disappointed. This little site clings to  a promitory, a former fort, with two layers of Caravans, Motorhomes and Campervans, overlooking a most wonderful, expansive and shallow beach, where the waves crash in whether the tide is coming in or going out. So the views from the hotel and patio terrace, and from the actual pitches are astonishing!

Isla-Final site

Camping Playa la Arena

Well I think, as planned, we saved the best till last on our little jaunt round the North coast of Spain. We left Zumaia a day early and headed to our final site in

Isla to spend some time relaxing on the beach. The trip of just over 2 and a half hours was all good, escaped ok, not much traffic, just followed the Sat-Nav which behaved. Just a little wobble where we thought we had taken a wrong turn and headed through numerous lenghty and winding tunnels back towards Santander, but it was all right and we ploughed on without a meaningful stop all the way to Playa la Arena, which was an easy find, and particularly well sign-posted from a good distance out.

There is a series of (wide enough) hair-pin bends at the final descent into the camp which is also pretty tight to get into. but no dramas and soon set up

Elantxobe-the fishing village clinging to a mountain!

Well it was worth the trip, and we did work our way down, what a fabulous little harbour port, and very happily received by, and had lunch with the locals

Ea By Gum! and an unpronounceable destination...

Getaria

A sunny morning, and a leisurely start to the day, around the site and chilling in the sun. No driving today, just a beach day, following a seafood lunch in Getaria, returning as planned.

Getaria is approached by a long, swerving road that leads you to a nice little beach and fishing port, which is very pretty. Easy and free parking.

On the beach, on the port and on the terrace are several restaurants, famous for their traditional Pays-Basque cooking, i.e. they all have big open coal BBQ ovens outside the restaurant. These all look attractive to sit and eat at, and the one that we chose was The Mayflower, because it looked great and presented a great view of the harbour.

Due to our recent timing issuesand the fact that we missed a meal here yesterday, we arrived dead on 1PM, and chose an unreserved table with a stunning view. Our waitresses were Senegalese and Camaroonian, one spoke English and on her recommendation, we chose Scallops to start then the Whole Turbot, (to share at 70 Euros), salad and chips. A nice bottle of white wine and then shared two desserts. A very nice experience and the Turbot, of course, was delicious!

...and then off to the beach. Getaria was brilliantly close for us, a stunning little port with a tidy little beach, friendly and helpful staff. Worth going to just for the restaurants, which range from Taberna upwards. The Kaia-Kaipe was a step above the others and the same sort of offering for twice the price. But the town (port) has a lovely feel and, had we not moved on a day early, we did have another reservation for 1PM on the Saturday...

Zumaia and Local towns

Getaria and Zumaia

So Getaria is the little seaside port described in our guide book as 'the kitchen of Guipuzcoa', due to the fact the whole port is based around fishing and therefore stunning seafood restaurants. And only about 5k away! There is a small and lovely beach, with a decent restaurant and, at least at this time of the year, abundant, free parking.

Our day in Zarautz, planned to perfection, got us to the port at about 3;30 PM. We found the numerous restaurants with their burning charcoal ovens outside-and they were all just closing! They open at 1PM and close at 4PM!

Back in the car, off to our local town, and then, hey-ho! Back tomorrow.

This gave us the chance to park the car back at site, having only driven through it a few times, stroll into our local town, which we are glad that we did, to experience the Spanish people who meet there in their swathes about 6-8PM

Of course these guys use the siesta, so a lot of places shut at 2;30PM and re-open later till late (including primary schools). So While we shopped and sat and watched the Basque world go round from a local Taberna, we enjoyed the babbling Spanish and the locals busying themselves and meeting with their families and friends in the early evening.

Zarautz and Getaria

A 5-mile beach and the kitchen of Guipuzcoa

These are the two nearest towns to our base at Zumaia, Zarautz being a lovely little medaeival town with narrow streets, ancient buildings, churches and plazas. Easy parking and we strolled through the town, taking in a coffee at one of the local Basque Taberna's.

A quick walk through takes you onto the enormous, wide, esplanade, full of surf shops and Taberna's, tucked into a wooded valley and overlooking a vast, 5-mile long golden beach.

Still really happy that everywhere you go, beach bar, hotel, cafe, taberna, a Vino  blanco, Copa and a Cervecza will set you back a consistent 4.5 Euros, you are quite often gifted a small tapas, nuts or olives with your drink, and here on the prom at Zarautz was no exception. Used the sun, the beach and the bars to full extent before heading off to a special dinner at "The kitchen of Guipuzgoa" where a sheaf of restaurants prepare fresh fish and steaks to order off their charcoal ovens on the street!

San Sebastian-Donostia

Wow! a 40 minute drive and we are in St Sebastian!

Easy drive down to San Sebastian. A massive city (Basque=Donostia), with a great crescent shaped beach and stretching across the bay. A lovely city and we managed t o see both ends, finishing up at the old town which is absolutely stunning!

The city itself is massive, and navigating a car through it proved quite challenging. But there are plenty of car parks, and once we had made our way through to Old Town, we found an underground car-park within a few hundred meters away. 

And this place is busy! We visited on a Tuesday, and it was buzzing. Walking around the old town, you can breathe the history of the place, it is full of ancient, tall, narrow streets crammed with ancients churches, museums, shops, restaurants and tapas bars. Wow! some of these are fabulous. with tapas (picos here) piled high in fantastic array. Delicious and incredibly different!

Thanks to our guide book "Insight Guide to Northern Spain" we managed to find our way to 'Plaza de la Constitucion' where the numbered apartments surrounding the whole Plaza were used in the old days to view the bullfights that were staged right there, in this Square in the middle of the town! Amazing!

 So an enjoyable day in an a lovely city. We drove here but could also have got the train from Zumaia (site next to railway station), in 39 minutes, trains to San Sebastain and Bilbao every hour. Motorway and toll roads about a 40 minute drive. Coming back we took the scenic coast road which bought us back at a leisurely pace through the beautiful seaside towns of Zarautz and Getaria. More of which later!

Second Spanish site-Zumaia

Hitched up and left our first site on Monday. All good getting off-just (of course)! a little altercation with the Jockey Wheel!

So the clamp isn't gripping properly, hence the Jockey wheel has a slight collapse, which can't be allowed to happen! Lyn suggested wrapping duct tape around the ridges for grip. And it worked! 

We will either 1) Sand down and remove any grease and re-fit or 2) Remove it and replace it with the new one! 

Anyway; The two and a half hour trip to Zumaia was straightforward. These Spanish roads are brilliant. Well signed, smooth and easy to navigate the junctions, so you can't really go wrong.Weather was good so we pushed on past Bilbao just to check when we thought we were near. Brilliant! We drove straight to Zumaia. Took the wrong turn at the destination roundabout, so drove another 8 Kg into Getaria, where we were able to access a U-turn. Yet again, trundling along with an 8M van attached and when we came back to the roundabout, we didnt believe the turn, so we went round the town and out the other way again.

When we eventually found the campsite, we were parked up only 500 M away from the site. 

Again campers; Believe the Sat-Nav! And follow the "Kanpina" signs. This is a fabulous little site, but to get to it you have to drive through roadworks and a series of Indusrtrial units-I just did not think the site would be here!

St. Sebastian tomorrow!

Last days in Cantabria

The site comes to life!

Well, what a great couple of days in Cantabria! Saturday started with rain, then remarkably the sun appeared. We were happy to spend the day in the sun, the campsite came to life, we aquired 3 sets of Spanish Motor-homers, caravann ers and camperswith kids and dogs.

Had a tapas lunch at the on-site restaurant, sat in the sun, watched the womens Rugby and the football on Sky (what a result that old 5G router was-have I mentioned it?)

In the evening, drove to Comillas for a beach stroll and a couple of beers in the sun on the beach, then went back to the (by now) buzzing site, and broke out the Pork Chops for the BBQ!

Next morning was pouring with rain, so we sauntered off towards Oviedo, but only reached as far as Ribadesella, up near Gijon, on the coast road. Here, as we haven't got the dogs with us, we were able to take in a bit of culture, visiting the two pre-historic caves and the art and cultural centres, shrouded by the daunting Les Picos mountain range-all very different and thoroughly

enjoyable.

On the way back we made the choice  to have a late lunch on the beach, so we stopped at Oyambre again, and had a very leisurly and delightful authentic Paella, overlooking the gorgeous beach, by now in the sun, so all in all, a great couple of days

4 great days here at this site. Off to Zumaia in the Pays-Basque region tomorrow, so a bit of X-men and an early night tonight!

Camping El Helguero, Cantabria-

Journey to our first Spanish site!

Getting here!

So we have made it to Spain! Getting off the ferry and

out of Santander was very straightforward, helped by the lack of traffic on the roads around the town.

The trip was planned well as we were desperate not to make any mistakes, especially nearing the destination. You don't really want to be trailing your 8M caravan up and down country lanes, into little villages, facing one-way streets, making impossible turns or ending up un-hitching because you made a mistake.

So, having followed the Sat-Nav on the car and on google Maps on the phone, we drove down the lovely, empty roads of Cantabria, Motorway and A-roads, and ended up at the gates of the site. There was a sign for the 'Supermecedo' and the Sat-Nav told us to drive on another 500M to our destination. So instead of driving straight into the site, (with barriers, caravans offices, etc , all clearly visible!), we decided to drive the extra 500 Metres!

Yes! We ended up going up around a bend, up hills, down country lanes, into little villages, facing one-way streets and impossible sharp turns!!

Grrr!

Tip and note to self and other caravanners;

ALWAYS set Sat-Nav to the actual campsite destinations postcode;

...Use your common sense-and to not pull off until you are certain you are in the right (or wrong) place!!

We misjudged this campsite in the week, when it was quiet. When the sun shone at the weekend this was a different place, full of life and with a fantastic vibe!

Plymouth-Santander

Brittany Ferries

So guys, it's easy to get to the terminal. You need just an hour check-in time, so it is all pretty stress-less. Checking on is straightforward and also takes about an hour.

I recommend getting a cabin, for sure, it is a long trip, and I would not take our dogs, Joe and Molly, unless we could have got a pet-friendly cabin. The dogs in the deck 10 kennels were already howling after an hour, so those guys would have been stressed out totally by the end of the trip. Our dogs would have been totally shot-away! So good decision here.

The Pont Aven is the flagship of the Brittany Ferries fleet, large, modern and comfortable. Once we'd parked the rig, we found the cabin-not luxurious but totally adequate, if on the small side.

Food aplenty, served by lovely, helpful (mainly French) staff. On decks 7-8 you have cafe's, a buffet style restaurant and a proper French restaurant; the food was very acceptable and quite wide-ranging. The main bar 'Le Grand Pavois' was comfortable, with a big screen for the Man City game, and entertainment

if a little cheesy, would have been wonderful if there had been a few more children in the audience!

After our supper and a few pints, we were pleasantly surprised to be woken in the morning with an announcement that we would be arriving in Santander in just one and a half hours-total trip then a total of 21 hours.

In general, quite a nice way to start a holiday!

Freathy Fort re-visited!

Launching point and this time with Wi-Fi!

Wow! A very exciting escape from California Country Park yesterday morning! All good in the end and we left 11AM for the long drive down to Freathy in Cornwall! I remember being here last year and we literally could not get any internet connection, so for all you frustrated Campers that struggle, the 5G Router is the answer! Straight in, every time and reliable as clockwork.

The trip down was just long to be fair. No drama's except we tokk a wrong turn coming into Plymouth to the Torpoint ferry. A schoolboy error really, although we did have issues with the new SAT-NAV all the way down.

Not reviewing this site this time except to say that it is quiet, just three units and two tents up on our moat level. I posted a review in June 2022, they are still working on the site, and the lovely bar and restaurant was, disappointingly not open when we arrived!

(Shut Monday and Tuesday).

This meant that we were forced to go and eat at the Finnygook Arms!, getting an early table (normally would have the dogs with us) in the restaurant. Food, Service, Views,  Drinks  and Company just as  good as ever.

California!

Bit of a squeeze here, guys!

Yes, we struggled sometimes when booking abroad-a lot of sites would not accept twin-wheel caravans, dogs etc. but also many sites stated maximium lenghts (typically a maximum of 8.5M). Well we booked California Country Park for the first stop on our Spanish trip. Typical booking and no problem getting here. Only problem, we were given the smallest pitch, as the first pic suggests-ie backed up right in to the bushes and overhanging the drive. Oh well!

Anyway the weather held out, the wedding was good and the site is lovely, set in woodland overlooking a big lake. Very quiet reception-wise, and a quiet site given the amount of caravans and motorhomes here. 

The site is in a great position for striking out to Windsor, Ascot, Legoland, etc, in Finchampstead, although the nearest pubs are a 20-30 minute walk, albeit there are some very nice ones.

There is, however a really nice cafe/restaurant on the 5-acre site, comfortably sitting by the lake and the extensive childrens play/adventutre complex which will get busy in the summer (All this open to outside visitors).

So, very nice overall, small and limited shop, mainly reception closed over our weekend, private and secure. Lovely dog walks in the park and surrounding area with woodland, heath, bog and lake.

Toilets and shower block warm and clean, a bit dated but functioning well.

One negative-SAT-NAV directions-our would have taken us up a dead-end street so worth noting the main entrance is situated on Nine Mile Ride!

Review;

  Ease to find .                      ..08

  Site.                                   ...10

  Services                              ..09

                                Internet                              ..08. (New 5G perfect!)

  Toilets/Showers                ...08

  On site bar/entertainment ..08

  Pitches                               ...08

 Area                                    ...09

 People                                 ..08 

                                   Cost                                     ..08   (£111.00-3 nights)

Total                           ...82

Grand National Weekend

And they're off!

(is that Eevee driving?)!!

So we are off! Down to Wokingham to California country Park-(review to follow), lost a bloody caravan wing mirror on the A34! All good apart from that-we sussed the route last week-so straight here. A nice, pleasant and quite busy site.

After the set-up met with parents of the bride (Niece Abi), Pat and Stuart at the nearby Queens Oak for drinks. Family all coming down today for the wedding.

Good luck to the bride and groom, Abi and Will, let's hope for decent weather and a great day!

We are here till Monday-then off to the Fort at Freathy Cliffs in Cornwall for the second-leg!

5G! What was all the fuss about?

Reporting from the caravan on the new router.

Well here we go on the new AvTex router as now installed in the caravan, from where I post. Fitted and working really well, and such a strong signal that it is sometimes overriding the Wi-Fi indoors!

So hopefully this is just as efficient when we are away, giving me the option to post every day, despite possible (probable) Wi-Fi issues on our various sites.

The trip is still on and just over a week away, and we are running over the final checks, so this post is just a double-check on the AvTex to prove that it works. 

Got me new Jockey Wheel coming today just in case, caravan cleaned and waxed last week.

The Red funnel ferry picture is posted because Red Funnel liked the photo so much, they asked me if they could have a copy to post on their marketing website! Chuffed with that and they are going to share my website and maybe use it on theirs!

Happy days...counting down!

Jock

On the Road

(Well the test-drive at least)!

All good in the hood!

So after stripping the car back to it's bare bones on Saturday, we now have everything fixed and up and running. All the electrics are working, all the bits on the car and the caravan are working, we hitched her up and went on a little mini-drive towards Hungerford. The new car pulls just like the old one-strolled up the hill at Challow with no burps or issues. For interested caravanners this is a Kia Sorento 2.2L Auto Diesel, much like our older 2.5L one, but not quite as Bulky or Chunky. Presents much more like a luxury car, not a van, and is loaded, so very happy with this change.

Moving, hitching, towing and un-hitching was good. The towing was a joy, around country lanes, then back up the busy A34, no problems

Yesterday we had a pre-site visit to our first destination up near Wokingham 'California Country Park', easy to get to and in a very lovely setting-albeit the Satnav would have taken us the wrong side and to an inaccescible entrance-shouldn't have to check but it's always best? Just a week away now till we start the trip. Dotting the i's and crossing the t's now.

Incredible and heartfelt thanks to Rhys and his team at Leisure-Pro Ltd for their work, help and commitment on the Car and the caravan-These guys, if you are looking for a caravan specialist around the Wantage, Newbury and Reading area, are helpful, resourceful and reliable caravan and motorhome specialists.

Nothing is too much trouble, they come when they say they will and can fix, service and fit anything!

Thanks guys-give them a call!

Visit; https://www.leisure-proltd.co.uk

Technicalities

Planning for the trip

So as I am writing this I have Rhys the caravan man and his assistant out front re-wiring the new car (schoolboy error, bought a newer car to give us a better chance of a successful continental towing experience); The new car was only equipped with a 7-pin towbar, so we,ve had another towbar fitted plus a re-wiring kit (£250) and literally the car is in bits as Rhys manipulates the sheaves of wires into the correct places so that the new 13 pin kit gives us everything we need including (the neccesary) anti-snaking device for our safer driving and, more specifically, towing!

...Anyway; We are two weeks away from the start of the adventure-Getting the caravan up to speed we have;

!) Replaced the heating circuit board for the central heating.

2) Once fixed we found the paddle in the central heating liquid had seized, so repalced that

3) (Again, today)-Installed the 3/4/5G Router for a better internet service.

4) I am going to get a spare Jockey Wheel (paranoia kicking in here)!

For the trip;

!) European Comprehensive Car and Van cover (from Caravan and Motorhome Club.

2) 2 x warning triangles, Hi-viz vest, Headlight adjusters, New number plate for caravan, GB Stickers, Breathalizer kits (France), Warning board,

 First aid kit, Maps, travel books

3) Brittany Ferries luxury cabins in and out (Adjustments made by deciding to leave the dogs behind)

4) The three sites in Spain In Ruilboca, Zumaia and now (added) Isla Playa

...and as I finish, the car is finished but the wiring isn't playing ball, so partly working and a review and discussion with the supplier-on Monday!

(Definitely a Marathon, not a Sprint!)

Dogged-Off!

Drastic changes to the plan

So our six-week journey hits it's first snag. I mentioned in previous posts that Joe and Molly are getting on in years. Well Molly is remarkable at 14; Fortunately for us all she is the proverbial 'Spring Chicken', healthy and fit. Joe on the other hand, at ten, has been really struggling with his back legs for quite a while. We discussed scrapping the trip because of his mobility issues.

I mentioned in an earlier post some of the doggie issues that we are to face on this trip, and I am going to list them below.

1) Unhappy with leaving them in a crate on the ferry (28 hour crossing)-(Also when they are allowed out and around the ferry they need to be muzzled, which they are not used to).

2) Rabies Jabs; Not brilliantly happy to give them Rabies jabs at their age anyway. I did state in an earlier post those jabs would cost about £40.00-it is actually £50.00 per dog.

3) Dog Health Certificate; quoted around £315.00-we can get these done with our vet, but need them signed off up to 10 days before the crossing. Our Vet can't do this as she is on holiday, the local Vets in Wantage 'aren't able' to do it as we are not registered. A Vet in Plymouth 'may be able' to do it a few days before we sail. A Vet in Oxford can do it for around £400.00.

They need a Fecal and de-worming treatment before they go around £50-150 per dog. Before we sail back from France, they need de-worming certification, meaning we have to physically locate a Vet around Cherbourg. (Another £150.00)

Then we have been looking at Doggie pushchairs so they will both be able to be accommodated on walks, something we have not done before (and which wouldn't work too well on a beach)! They would be insured for 30 days of the trip so six days short

meaning other insurance or a void policy.

Well, we sat and talked about all these issues, without considering they might neither cope for six weeks away in good health.

It's not the expense, but given all these potential problems, and looking at Joe and Molly's best interest, we thought about scrapping the whole trip. After sleeping on it we came up with a compromise which is;

Leave the dogs at home. We can't leave them for six weeks so we have re-arranged the French part of the trip, cut the trip back to just over two weeks with the following changes; Our daughter Corine and partner Tom will ensure they are happily looked after, fed and walked.

1) Cancel all the French Bookings

2) Change the return from Cherbourg to Santander-Plymouth (with Luxury 4-Berth cabins both ways)

3) Stay in Spain at the two original sites and book a third on Spain's North coast (Illustated-Camping Playa Del Arena)

Yes we have a shortened trip, and the dogs will be at home, but at least they will be happy and safe, plus this give me and Mrs

Jock the chance to do holiday things, such as swimming, surf-boarding, going out at night, on trips, etc, so that we can explore the area and have a fortnight in Spain and put a different slant on this exploratory early-springtime trip with decent food and travel experiences in an area we previousl haven't been to.

I think we've done the right thing. We'll miss them, but it won't be for long! ...and we are both feeling a sense of relief...

Moving Up the Coast

Guys this is part of the planned route-

(bear in mind we haven't started yet)!

Thank you so much for all the new Instagram follows from you fellow campers and caravanners this is really appreciated. So what I'm doing is learning to navigate this new one.com website so that I can rattle of blogs when we are away. Therefore posting words and images of our trip, which starts in the middle of April 2023.

Above was our proposed route from Zumaia in the Pays Basque, our second jaunt abroad which was taking us up to Camping Le Domaine de Bernezac in the Charent-Maritime, on the coast just south of La Rochelle.

Sadly, (see the latest post), we have changed these plans because of the health of the dogs, so we are spinning back into spain to Playa del Arenas, without Joe and Molly and sailing back from Santander

Next time I will be posting some technical and advisory issues of the planning of the trip, and, once again, sorry this is only pre-planning, but soon we will be sharing the actual happenings as we go!

Hopefully I will get quicker and better on these posts and blogs, once again thanks for following-passed 1000 Instagram followers on Saturday!

All Booked

Yes, we have a trip!

Great! So we are all booked up!

So, it has taken about four weeks in the planning, but we have now booked the trip from start to finish!

We have managed to find a site in Spain, one in the Pays Basque, and then a further four sites up on the West Coast of France, before sailing back via Cherbourg to Portsmouth.

Pet owners-please note-we were coming back from Saint-Malo, but upon booking we found another long crossing (8 and a half hours)-and the dog accomodation choices were 1) Car, 2)Large Crate, 3)Small Crate. Given the crossing from Santander (28 hours in a shared crate)-we did the decent thing and booked an alternative crossing which was much more dog-friendly-Booked a shorter trip (4.5 hours) and added a 4-berth, dog-friendly cabin that suits us all better-for just £50.00 extra. Bit of a longer drive to Cherbourg, but we feel it will be worth it and anyway, we love our dogs too much-so why not!!

All confirmed sites are open, accept twin axle-vans and two small pets, so Joe and Molly should be happy-and we anticipate the weather won't be so hot as we will be travelling in April and May (unlike last year with the scorching weather on our Cornwall trip).

Plan well in advance, there are many things that need sorting prior to the European trip, this week we have finalised the sites, Insurance (via Caravan and Motorhome club-£240.00), Additions for Spain and France travelling, GB stickers, trailer warning sign, Hi-vis, Warning triangles (2 needed for Spain), Headlight adjusters, etc, etc.

The dogs are covered for 30 days on their current insurance policy in Europe. So we have a few additions and improvements to the car, towbar, and caravan before a trial trip-and now-

-It's only a month away!

Bring it on!!

Jock!

  Plans afoot...

A ferry to Santander!

Well just like last year on our trip around Cornwall and Devon, we are starting our trip to Spain and France at The Fort at Freathy. This is because we have now started booking the trip, beginning with the sailing from Plymouth to Santander in Northern Spain. A few days at the Fort, then a short hop to Plymouth!

We were always a bit wary about the age and welfare of the dogs, Joe nearly 11 and Molly now 13 years old, but, after researching, we found that they will need doggie passports (around £100 each) and a rabies jab apiece (£40 each approx). For the ferry crossing, we have to book them a crate where they can stay together for the overnight crossing (not ideal-but that's all we can do) (except go onto a reserve list for a dog-friendly cabin, which we have done).

The people at Brittany ferries were very helpful and accommodating. The crossing cost £712.00 one-way, be careful if you are unsure when booking-the deposit is non-refundable.

Anyway, we are going and we have booked our first site, a rambling, ggod-looking site at "Camping El Helgueuro" near the port at Ruilobuca, in Cantabria, which looks like a great camp for our first stay (four nights).

Please don't think it's easy to book your sites! You will need to troll through all the good-looking sites to ensure they 1) Are open, 2) Take dogs, 3) Can accommodate your twin axle and length requirements.(Not as straightforward as it sounds). Anyroad, we have done it and commited, so now in the process of planning the route up through the coast of West France.

Booking sites; 'Pitchup' are very prominent and quite helpful. Our membership with the 'Caravan and Motorhome Club' has not yielded much success so far and is quite disappointing.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe!

Jock

Moving to the next level-

FRANCE & SPAIN 2023

Well Campers!

So this is the start of our fourth year of caravanning that we started from scratch! Those of you lucky enough to have been following this blog, and that of Joemollyandthelane on Instagram will know that from very humble beginnings and after  lots of mistakes, 2022 saw us progress to a 5-6 week tour of Cornwall and Devon.

Our trip started in Freathy Cliffs, just over the Devon border, and we camped here, with the start of the beautiful summer weather on the cliifs of "The Fort." From here we moved down to Chy Carne, next to the fanfastic Kennack Sands, down near the Lizard, a place that we didn't know, and a truly lovely area. Towing the caravan across Cornwall was largely trouble -free, and extremely pleasant, in fact. Our next stop was up to Monkey Tree, near

Perranporth, another delightful area and surrounded by amazing beaches. 

From here we drove up to

Woolacombe Sands, with a beautiful pitch overlooking the sea, and spent another lovely week in the sun. Finally. moving homewards, we finished off at Cheddar on. The whole trip, and a review of the sites and the areas, including ratings, is all documented below on this site.

This year we have decided to go further afield, and are planning to start in Freathy, taking the ferry from Plymouth to Santander in Northern Spain, then working our way up through the West Coast of France

...Of which, more later!

New Years Getaway

Cotswold Hills Camping

Chipping Norton

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting-put simply put my website providers 'Simplesite' (A very easy to navigate and post site, suitable for a dinosaur web-man like me!) have been taken over by 'One.com' and I am really struggling with the changes which I did not ask for!

This new regime is more of a design process, and I did post a complete review of this campsite and experience early in January, only to find that the good old 'Jock E wheel's' post on the page had migrated to every page on the site and
I am currently spending time working out how to succesfully post-it is different and challenging!...

...However, here we go with a review of the site that we visited-Cotswold Hills Camping at Chipping Norton.

Now you know by now that good old Jock does not travel far for any trip in the winter, so we chose this site as it was very close to the lovely Cotswold town of Chipping Norton. Would recommend this site 100% for a summer trip, as on a sunny evening this would be a lovely walk down into the town. It is a 1.5 mile walk, so not really suitable in the dark and the rain

(and boy did it rain!)

Very easy drive and find, great, spacious, hard-standing pitches, so no traipsing in trails of mud. Went with our caravanning mates Ken and Caroline, with our dogs and theirs, Masie and Olive.

There are big, safe field walks for the dogs, and everything was there as it should be; Services were all good, toilets and shower block easy and clean, but apart from the friendly little shop, nothing else here. This suited us all, and Chippy is a very easy drive.

Position-wise the location for touring the cotswolds is superb, you could easily spend every evening in the Chipping Norton Pubs, but the area is full of things to do and see.

But the Rollright stones, the medaeval village of Burford, the canals around Lower Heyford and the canal walks and pubs are worth the trip. We were lucky enough to know the guys in the Chequers, where head Chef Pascal looked after us in the delightful setting of the old pub. Just as welcoming was the Blue Boar and the town has a lovely feel about it.

Distressingly no Internet, which is now prompting me to buy a 5G Router!

Highly recommended, clean, friendly and well-run-adults site. If you want a peaceful touring site in a brilliant position I would highly recommend it. Nice in the winter, I'll bet it's stunning in the summer! Have a look.

Scores on the doors

Ease to find                        ...10

Site                                      ...08

Services                              ...08

Internet                               ...04

Toilets/Showers                 ...09

On site bar/entertainment ...04

Pitches                                ...09

Area                                     ...10

People                                 ...08

Cost                                    ...10

Total                                   ...80%

Total cost (four nights) £100.00

Caravan Site review

Trebellan, Cubert, Cornwall