Our new plan to travel up the North East of England and then in to Scotland came to a stop as we monitored the ever changing guidelines.
Being in Lincolnshire, we were not far from Willow Fields so decided to head there. We figured we could stop and regroup. As most other people’s plans had changed due to Stratford being cancelled, it appeared a few others had the same idea!
Unexpected is Best
We ended up having a fantastic weekend, spent with a mix of familiar faces and new ones. Because of the spacious nature of the site (one of the thing we absolutely love about it), we could safely have campfires. In our little groups (or bubbles!), we chatted and drank the nights away.
Those were the weekends we thought were long gone so it was even more enjoyable. It would be coming up for a year since our first ever meet up. Despite being different in the current situation, it was reminiscent of that so it made it even sweeter!
The place had emptied come Tuesday but we stayed on for a few more days. We decided to use the opportunity to have some mail and parcels sent there and then we could crack on. At this point John & Mandy were still there too so we made the most of our days.
Mandy and I went for lovely walks and all 4 of us went for bike rides to check out the nearby pubs. It was great to see a bit more of the local area around Willow Fields as it turns out it really is beautiful and has a lot of character. As great as it was though, we were still itching to get moving. Scotland was calling!
Time To Go!
After a week of staying in one spot, the time had finally come. We were off! Like two excited kids in a candy shop with a bucket load of pocket money, we packed up and hit the road.
Our first stopover was a place called Cod Beck in the North York Moors. Darran’s friend Pete was joining our road trip and he met us there. We managed to stop in a little car park up the road from the reservoir. It was so peaceful and was the perfect way to kick off our travels. We did leave quite soon in the morning though as it’s a popular area with dog walkers.
Next up was Bamburgh. We’ve heard lots about it and how pretty the Northumberland Coast is and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
The Hype Was Right
Sometimes, you can build things up in anticipation and then they don’t live up to expectation. Thats one of the reasons we don’t plan too much in advance. The element of surprise usually adds to the joy of visiting new places!
As soon as we approached Bamburgh and saw the Castle coming in to view, however, we knew we would love it.
The first stop there was at neighbouring Seahouses. They have a lovely big car park with plenty of room for Campervans and Motorhomes (also, the first hour of parking is free!). We stopped off for a lovely lunch at the Bamburgh Inn, which overlooks the harbour, and then went for a stroll around the bay.
It’s a proper coastal town with hilly descents towards the water, eateries aplenty and of course tat shops (my favourite thing!)
It’s All About The Coast
I must say, even though we love the beautiful rolling hills of the english countryside, you just can’t beat being by the water. A sentiment that was amplified when I went for a walk along the beach when we moved down the road to Bamburgh.
Walking along the sandy beach with the Castle overlooking from high up on its crag, it was just perfect! We were lucky with the weather too as it was meant to rain but all we had was crisp and dry conditions. Thats our favourite kind of weather actually.
It was both sad and fascinating along the shoreline that day because it was awash with the debris of both sea creatures and plants. There must have been a big storm or something, it was like an entire forest of seaweed had been ripped up. The roots on the stems were huge!
The further along we walked, the more sea-life we saw. There were crabs, starfish, Plaice and Mussels. Mandy did rescue a Mussel and popped it back in the sea but sadly, everything else we came across had already passed.
Jon hadn’t come on the beach walk so he wanted to go for a wander around the small town and I went with him. The place is lovely! Right up our street with exactly the kind of architecture and character we expected.
By the time we got back, Darran had finally rocked up. He was coming straight from finishing work that morning and we had agreed to meet in Bamburgh. Then there was one more stop and it was officially Scotland time!