One (wo)man and her (cara)van

Possibly a tenuous link, but I’ve just got back from the most incredible week visiting Jordan, and specifically, Petra.

I’m sure many of you will relate; from the first time I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when I was a kid, I’ve wanted to visit the site it was filmed at, and about 30 years later – I did it!

The tenuous link to this blog is that Petra is one of the original caravanner routes and home to the Bedouins, who traditionally moved about from one site to the next to graze their animals. Seeing the link now?!

Deep within Jordan’s desolate desert canyons and rugged mountains lies an ancient treasure, the stone city of Petra. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is a giant metropolis of tombs, monuments, and other elaborate religious structures directly carved into sandstone cliffs. Believed to have been settled as early as 9000 B.C., Petra developed into the thriving capital of the Nabataean kingdom.

The prosperity of the Nabataean kingdom and its magnificent capital, Petra, rested on the trade routes that passed through the city. From Yemen came incense, aromatic plants such as myrrh, and aloe—essential ingredients in perfume and medicine. Spices came from India and beyond, while bitumen from the Dead Sea was essential to the caulking of ships across the Mediterranean. Vast caravans poured through Petra on their way to the lucrative markets of Rome, Alexandria, and other great cities of the Mediterranean basin.

(Thanks National Geographic for the succinct description above)

I had a full six days in Jordan (two travel days either side) and the itinerary looked something like this…

DAY 1 – Arrived in Amman, the capital of Jordan after midnight and got to the hotel for some sleep! I can already feel the heat and loving it. Sadly, on arrival at the airport, my friend and I discovered that we are one of FORTY-ONE other people on this touring holiday – not happy about that as it’s far too big a group. We knew the average age of the other people would be higher than ours, but we didn’t expect that number of them!

After all of our hand luggage and suitcases being x-rayed at the hotel (it took quite some time) we were allocated our rooms, and went to bed.

DAY 2 – Today we woke up to a fabulous view from our hotel room – not quite believing our eyes when we saw how far the buildings stretched in each direction!

First things first – breakfast. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was hoping for some real Middle Eastern food, rather than the tourist food you usually get overseas.

We were lucky – I did start with a bowl of cereal (I have to calm my stomach first thing in the morning before trying anything different) and then went in for the falafel, hummus and breads – delicious!

On to the coach and we were introduced to our local guide for the week, Hassan. He was fantastic and full of information about his country, religion and family. We also met our tourist police member, who would be with us all week, Safe (what a great name with that job!). He wasn’t there because we would be in great danger, just to help with any problems with begging, as Jordan has suffered badly due to the Syrian, Iraq and Saudi conflicts over recent years.

Our first stop was Jeresh, one of the largest and best-preserved Roman cities in existence. You can read more about Jeresh here on Wiki.

My first thoughts as we began to walk around is how similar it was to Pompeii in Italy, a place I’ve been lucky enough to visit previously, and that turned out to be unsurprising as it was a Roman built city! The name we would recognise is Hadrian, as in the wall we have here in the UK, he has a triumphal arch here!

It was incredible walking around and seeing where thousands of years ago people walked in very different situations. The colonnaded streets felt like they could come back alive with shoppers and restaurants and gladiator fights could take place in the amphitheater that evening.

On the way to our next stop, we had lunch at a huge family-run restaurant, which was disappointingly a lamb sandwich with chips! We also tried a lemon and mint drink, that was refreshing, but so tart! No alcohol here, this is a Muslim country so none is served apart from in hotels.

Next we moved back to Amman, where we saw a Roman amphitheater and the magnificent citadel, which towers above downtown Amman. The heat was pretty intense as there wasn’t much shade anywhere we visited, so water was the drink of the day. We also visited a museum of costume at the amphitheater and saw the traditional dress of different areas of Jordan. They were all beautiful, handmade and stitched by the local womenfolk.

Back to the hotel for dinner and an early night – it was a very hot and long day!

DAY 3 – Our first stop was to the King Abdullah Mosque.  As we were entering a Muslim place of worship, we were asked to dress modestly and also wear a full body smock and for the women to cover their hair.

 

We all had to remove our shoes before entering the mosque and remain quiet throughout the visit to not disturb anyone praying inside.

The interior was beautiful and Hassan explained everything we could see inside, including the official times for prayer, the books in there and the direction in which they pray.  He also answered, calmly and respectfully, the pretty weird and at times disrespectful questions some of the group asked! Suffice to say, everyone in the group left having learnt that the Muslim faith is non-violent, respect women and choose to pray that many times, they are not made too and don’t get in trouble at work for doing it!

On to our coach now and we drove to Mount Nebo, from where Moses sighted the Promised Land. And we also visited Madaba, where we saw the centuries-old stone mosaic of the Holyland. You can find out more about these on the internet. The mosaic work we saw was incredible and almost hard to believe the pictures were made up of tiny squares of stone and not painted on.

In between we had lunch at a local restaurant and it was delicious. I seem to LOVE proper Middle Eastern food and enjoyed every mouthful.

On to our next stop (have you noticed how much we moved around? Exhausting!) and the Dead sea to have a float! We stayed in a lovely hotel here and our first activity was walking down to the Dead sea and attempting to float in it! This sea is at the lowest point on earth and the temperature was rising the whole time we were there.

The advice was;

• Don’t shave anything for 48 hours before you get in the dead sea
• Wear an old swimming costume
• Wear reef shoes – it’s not a sandy bit of beach/sea
• Walk in to the sea and turn towards the land. Next, just sit down!

Luckily we did it! Here I am having a float! It felt very strange and the water was very oily. You literally just sit back and your legs float up, so you can’t help but float!

We relaxed by the pool after spreading mud all over ourselves and then had dinner at the hotel and bed.

DAY 4 – The big day is close! Headed south today, towards Petra, where we stayed in a hotel right next to the entrance.

Before we arrived there we visited the ancient fortress of Shobak, and Little Petra (Siq-al-Barid), which was thought to be a suburb of Petra.

Shobak is one of the largest and most impregnable of the chain of forts built by the Crusaders and is an impressive example of architectural military genius. Every stronghold was built to be a day’s journey from its neighbour, and at night, beacons were lit to signal to Jerusalem that each was safe. It was great to wander around on our own (we did get told off by our guide, but we were fed up of walking around like a school trip and hundreds of people getting in our photos) and would never have been allowed to do this in the UK. There were fallen stones, sheer drops and un-even steps – H&S nightmare but really added to the experience.

Little Petra made me very excited for big Petra! It was a great taste of what was to come. The landscape as we travelled there was moon like and you can see why the American studios chose this area to film ‘The Martina’ in.

On to our hotel, so close to Petra, it just heightened my sense of excitement! We then found out that we had the opportunity to see Petra (The Treasury) by night, which only took place twice a week. YES!

We had about 20 mins to get ready and then 20mins to eat our dinner before we set off. Oh my goodness. We walked, in the pitch dark, with only candles lighting our way, around 2km to the Treasury. As we had our first experience of walking through The Siq, huge cliff faces either side of us, the stars above, and as we turned a corner, our first glimpse of the Treasury, surrounded by candles.

We sat on blankets on the sandy floor, drank sweet tea and listened to Arabic music, singing and then a story before the front of the building was lit up in beautiful colours. Spectacular – if a little touristy! A long walk back to the hotel and bed after washing our very dusty feet!

DAY 5 – The BIG day!

I AM GOING INTO PETRA!

So excited for the day ahead, we set off with our group and Hassan and entered The Siq again, but this time in daylight. I don’t think I quite realised what we were walking through last night! I honestly can’t describe how unbelievable this place was. It is breath-taking and a sight I won’t ever forget.

I am just going to put my photos here and let you marvel at the sights I actually got to see in real life.

That evening, after walking over 8km in the boiling sun, we enjoyed dinner in the air conditioned hotel and then sat outside to have a drink. I, stupidly, ordered a Baileys and got a shot of it for about £8! Won’t make that mistake again! A truly remarkable day for me.

DAY 6 – Nothing was ever going to beat my day in Petra, but today we headed off into the Wadi Rum and onwards to Aqaba.

What an incredible landscape. We stopped at a view point over Petra and then moved on to see the original train used in the Laurence of Arabia film. I must watch this now I’ve been there and seen that!

We had lunch at a great camp where you can stay in tents under the stars (sadly, we weren’t) and enjoyed some more lovely Middle Eastern food, surrounded by the most incredible mountain and sandscape.

Our final destination was the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, which we reach in the afternoon. Big hotel with some Middle Eastern food, but catering more for the tourist. I want the breads back! When we walked outside, it felt like we were walking into the air from a hairdryer – it was 40c!

DAY 7 – Rest day! We spent all day by the pool on the roof (away from everyone else!) in the shade, reading and relaxing – bliss. I was reading a book called ‘Married to a Bedouin’, all about a woman who visited Petra and ended up staying there! Was also in prime position  to sit in the warmth nd listen to the ‘Call to Prayer’, a most haunting and exotic sound that will forever remind me of my week in the Middle East.

DAY 8 – Homeward bound today and I was very sad to leave Jordan.

I look back on my photos and still can’t quite believe I was there! A childhood dream fulfilled, another thing off my bucket list and an amazing memory I will cherish forever.

Sunday

I’ve been enjoying a couple of lovely days out so thought I would blog about them in case any of my readers are near to where I live at any point and it’s useful.

I can’t really recommend any campsites near here as funnily enough I haven’t stayed in them! But I can tell you about two places that are worth a visit and don’t feature as prominently on websites about local tourist attractions.

The first one is Kelmarsh Hall.

Owned by the Kelmarsh Fund, this is a beautiful country house in Northamptonshire that’s only open on certain days of the week and at certain times of the year – so check before you visit!

Run by volunteers and all profit is fed straight back into their projects, one being the recent opening of the servant’s quarters and laundry.

I went along with my Mum and was lucky enough to decide to visit on a day when they had a Dahlia festival, so got to enjoy the house and the lovely flower displays in the gardens.

Kelmarsh Hall is a Grade I listed country house built in 1732. You can find out about its previous owners on their website and when you visit, but the most recent was Nancy Perkins (married name Nancy Lancaster) who created the design term ‘Country House Look’. Using oriental wallpapers, fresh flower arrangements and her own signature paint colour, she made the house a home. As the Niece of the famous Nancy Astor, good taste was in her blood and her house was legendary for its home comforts, including en-suite bathrooms (very rare in the 20s) and central heating.

The house certainly felt special, which would be why people choose to get married there and the volunteers are doing a great job of opening up more and more rooms in the house.

The servant’s quarters and laundry were very modern and informative and it was great to look around house so local to me that felt like you could easily move in to.

The gardens were also beautiful and much larger than I expected and we also went along to watch a flower arranging talk from a volunteer who often creates displays for the house.

We also enjoyed a slice of Victoria sponge between us and a latte in their lovely tea rooms – always time for tea/coffee and cake.

Monday

I’ve started a new year’s resolution near the end of the year! I want to achieve at least 10,000 steps every day while I have the time to do it, so have been walking around my village, plus I’m beginning to investigate some local parks. I recently badly sprained my ankle, so still can’t go for a run, so a hearty walk every day is in order!

Today I went to Sywell Country Park.

First things first – parking charges. Its £3 for up to 4 hours – which is fine as you need that long to get around it!

Sywell Country Park exists on the site of a former drinking water reservoir near the village of Sywell in East Northamptonshire, England. The reservoir was built at the turn of the 20th century to supply water to the Higham Ferrers and Rushden areas. It operated between 1906 and 1979 and is now a lovely country park.

There is a great play area of the kids of you have them, plus some wildlife areas and the Pump House Café, which I didn’t try but served all sorts of things from sandwiches to snacks and ice creams. Also has free Wi-Fi on a sign on the door!

I was most interested in the walks around the park , starting with the circular walk that takes you all around the reservoir.

It was a beautiful day, so this helped highlight how beautiful the scenery was, but it truly was lovely! There was wildlife galore and a mecca for bird watchers. The walk took me about an hour at a medium pace over grass and unfinished paths, which they are trying to do up at the moment. There were plenty of benches and picnic tables around the route to enjoy the views from.

The second, shorter walk took me around the old buildings and reservoir workings, which was very interesting.  You can find a PDF of this here.

It was a fabulous walk (if a little warm!) and one I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

More to come soon – I’m off away again, but not in the UK and not in my caravan….

So, I am home and looking forwards to a night in my lovely bed. Not that I was uncomfortable in my wonderful caravan, in fact I am already missing her, but it will be nice to be in familiar surroundings and hearing familiar noises!

Absolutely no problem getting off my last site or getting home – thank goodness! I might of slept in my caravan in my parents driveway (where she is resting right now) if it hadn’t gone to plan, just to get one perfect set-up/pack up – in case I was too scared to try again! Luckily, everything went to plan.

It’s now time to reflect on the last few weeks and what an amazing time I have had. It feels like months ago that I set out (well, it was summer then, I’ve had autumn otherwise!) and it’s hard to believe how much distance I travelled and how much I have seen. I have loved every second and actually felt a little sad leaving my caravan on the driveway and driving away.

Here are some statistics….

• ONE woman and her caravan
• ONE car
• TEN campsites
• THIRTY-TWO nights
• ONE THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX miles driven (not including reroutes and days out)
• TWO guests joining me
• THREE castles visited
• THREE English Heritage sites seen
• SEVEN National Trust locations
• FOUR washing machines to figure out
• SEVEN pegs bent out of shape
• ONE lamppost broken
• FORTY-FOUR showers (SIX in my caravan)
• ONE coffee mug broken
• ELEVEN books read
• ONE jigsaw unfinished
• ONE boat trip
• A FEW mistakes…
• One HECK of an experience

And here are my reflections, in no particular order….

When chatting to a fellow camper one day, after they had heard what I was doing, they said ‘So considering most people use their caravans twice a year on average, you’ve experienced what takes most caravanners about 5 years to experience in 5 weeks’. So true! I have moved on and off of 10 sites (I just looked that up – 10 – go me!), towed over 1000 miles and done it all myself!

I am a kick-arse driver – With or without the caravan on the back, I have been in some pretty hairy situations and have dealt with it! The number of times I’ve had complete idiots trying to cause an accident, just to get past me (when I’m doing the legal speed of 50mph on a single carriage way) and I’ve had to take quick, evasive action is startling – I’m glad I have the reflexes and clear mind to be able to react so quickly.

I love my car – Its quick, it’s comfortable and it looks good J

I think I love my caravan…… Ok, I do love my caravan! It’s kept me warm and dry, taken me to some amazing places and given me some amazing experiences; I never would have had if I’d played it safe in hotels or B&Bs. I just wish it was less scary to tow and manoeuvre!

I think my biggest fear when I am away is that I haven’t set the van up properly and I will end up skidding down a hill, causing my van to topple over or the legs will give way. I’ve never been worried when staying in my family’s caravan, so I can only conclude I scare myself and don’t trust my own competence.

There have been times where I’ve just wanted to turn around and head for home (even once without my caravan!) as it would be easier and there would be people around to help me with stuff, but I know that my family and small group of close friends have my back and are always there being my cheerleaders and reminding me how brave and strong I am. No matter where I am in the world, they will always be there. Never has ‘Feel the Fear and do it anyway’ meant more to me than over the last 5 weeks.

Special shout out to my Mum, who was my most ardent blog reader and commenter (and sender of encouraging messages) and my Dad, who without his help, none of this would have been possible. Love you both x

Thank you for reading, your support and messages and for joining in with my first caravanning adventure. What next? I am already looking at campsite for next week!

You will see an update soon…. Here’s to my next adventure!

 

 

A slow morning for me with a lovely egg and bacon roll for breakfast 🙂

After picking up my lost sunglasses from the site owners (I left them on the picnic bench last night) I was off to my paired down day in Gloucestershire.

When visiting the Forest of Dean, if course I need to visit a forest or wood, so my first stop was PuzzlewoodPuzzlewood.

Puzzlewood is a maze of mysterious pathways cut between moss-covered rocks called Scowles, which are unique to the Forest of Dean and give Puzzlewood its enchanting, magical feel. Scowles get their name from the English word Crowll, which means cave or hollow, or the Welsh word ysgil, meaning a recess.

The rocky, quarry-like archaeological features were formed over millions of years through the exposure of underground cave systems and iron ore mining. Puzzlewood was used by Iron age settlers through to Roman times for the extraction of Iron Ore. Evidence of Roman occupation is supported by the discovery of over 3000 3^rd century AD Roman coins at Puzzlewood. Once the Romans left, nature reclaimed the old workings with moss and trees.

There is a mile of pathways first laid by a local mine owner in the early 1800s to amuse his family and friends and more recently the fabled forests of Middle-Earth that feature in J.R.R Tolkien’s books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are said to be inspired by Puzzlewood.

It was pretty incredible walking through the pathways – I felt very small next to the huge boulders and did expect Gandalf or a fairy to suddenly appear! The scenery was very special and although the weather is the absolute opposite to yesterday (wet and horrible) it didn’t detract from the atmosphere – in fact it probably added to it.

I only had a mild panic once when I realised I had no clue how to get back to the entrance! You aren’t given a map and there are no signposts, but luckily after wandering around for a bit, I found the way back by using my ears to listen out for children running about at the park near the entrance – kids making noise is helpful for some things!!

I also met some lovely donkeys, who were not interested in talking to me at all.

Next on my (short) list of things to do was to visit Ross-on-Wye, a recommendation from one of my BIL’s who has passed through previously.

Did you know (I didn’t)…

Ross on Wye is hailed as the birthplace of modern tourism as it was central to the 18^th century Reverend Gilpin spotting a great opportunity and then establishing the Picturesque Wye Tour. In 1745, the Rector Dr John Egerton, started taking friends on boat trips down the valley from his rectory at Ross. In 1782, William Gilpin’s book ‘Observations on the River Wye’ was published, the first illustrated tour guide to be published in Britain. Once the book was published, demand grew so much that by 1808 there were eight boats making regular excursions down the Wye.

I looked online and found a vintage trail around the town that takes you to second-hand shops and antique/vintage shops too, and spent a lovely hour walking around, going into all the shops to get out of the rain! I found these lovely 1960s brandy glasses in one shop, at £6 for the pair, they were a bargain.

I popped into the shops to pick up something for dinner and headed back to the van, as by this point, I was rather bored with getting wet and wanted to dry off and relax for a bit.

It’s my last night in my caravan tonight (on this trip anyway) so will spend the time writing down my thoughts on this journey to write up tomorrow, once I get through one last 3 hour drive home. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

 

I am writing this blog post while sitting on a picnic bench provided by the campsite owners of the site I am now staying at for 2 nights. Pretty nice, huh?

So, it was moving in day again today and I was sad to say goodbye to Tenby and the views, but not so much the campsite. The owner there was a really lovely man, but didn’t quite make up for the cold showers and being on a totally wonky pitch for 4 nights. I could have tried harder to make it a little less unbalanced on the pitch, but when I spoke to someone nearby who did have the equipment, he said it wasn’t really making that much of a difference and just made him nervous the van was going to topple over!

All in all, a lovely time in South Wales, but when I return I will find an easier to get to, cleaner and more level site to stay on! Only help I needed at the site was to un-tighten the legs on the back of my van. I must have screwed them in too tight when I arrived to make sure I didn’t topple over! Took 2 men to loosen them who complimented me on my strength tightening them – not so much the other way.

Easy trip, all on main roads to my next stop – hooray! I still managed to make a mistake again by not trusting my sat nav though. I was lovely and a little exciting to go across the Severn bridge twice though and go from Wales, to England, back again to Wales and then back to England all in about 30 mins! Again, managed to laugh about it – then had to pay £8 for the privilege of using the bridge back into Wales – ouch!

Really easy to find the campsite I am staying at next – Valley View – and easy process getting in as they had emailed me instructions in advance – perfect.

I drove in to the spotless, brand new site and could literally pick my pitch as it was empty! Speaking with the owner, they have been fully booked since they opened in May, and this was the first empty week – lucky me!

So, I chose my pitch and set up and on checking my spirit level, found the pitch was perfectly level, without having to adjust hardly anything at all. This made me very happy. The water and electricity supply were on my hard standing pitch too, so really easy and quick set up process. Means I had time to enjoy the view and eat some lunch with a cup of tea.

This is the view of my pitch (with all the others empty!) and I just walk through to the camping area (also empty) to enjoy the picnic tables and view of the valley and Forest of Dean.

Had some time to go and explore the local area and had seen a sign for a ‘scenic route’ earlier so headed back that way. Only one photo of this as I was driving, but it would have been difficult to get any good photos anyway as I was driving in roads with high verges of trees either side!

Eventually came to a town called Newnham-on-Severn and stopped to admire the view across the Severn and walk along for a bit. Here are some lovely photos.

Newnham on Severn was one of the five ancient boroughs of Gloucestershire west of the Severn.  It has always been convenient for the Forest of Dean, so many Kinds stayed here for the hunting, these being William the 2^nd, Henry the 1^st and 2^nd and Edwards the 3^rd.

Eventually made my way back to the van via the scenic route again and enjoyed the evening sunshine.

I headed for the showers when I got back, which were spotless and with real shower cubicles (not the horrible curtains) all for £1. Yes, they deserve a photo!

And now here I am, with a pizza waiting to be heated up in my fridge in the van and relaxing after my long journey. Will tuck myself up with some more wine and a good TV show (hopefully) later while I plan my day tomorrow. See you then!

 

 

 

 

It is official, I am all Castle-d out.

Wales is full of them – ruined ones, lived in ones, big ones, small ones, famous ones and un-known ones. And today I went to one of the best known – Pembroke Castle.

I decided that I should move away from the coast for a bit and see some of the history of this area of Wales and thought this was a good place because, as we learnt yesterday, Henry Tudor (later King Henry the 7^th and Father to King Henry the 8^th) was born there.

Found Pembroke easily and parked in the castle car park (Pretty sure it wasn’t there when it was built though!) and paid £2 for 5 hours 🙂

Walked up a pretty steep hill to get to the entrance and paid £6.60 to get in and bought myself a guide book as I’d missed the tour by 10 mins and the next one wasn’t for two hours – damn.

Made my way inside the castle walls and started climbing the first of the stone spiral staircases (to keep the fighting arm free when under attack and to make it harder to get into the tower) and got lost within the confusing twists and turns of the exhibitions! There were rooms and rooms, staircase after staircase and I ended up not sure what I had seen and what I hadn’t! Lots of information boards in each room and plenty of wax models (which make me feel a little uncomfortable) but I mean LOTS of information.

Ended up walking out onto the castle ramparts to get some air and take a walk around the parameter of the first few towers. The sunshine was out and the castle looked glorious.

I made my way around all of the rooms and the ruins, all buildings from different periods of time and different owners of the castle. It was great to be able to do this and not have lots of areas taped off.

There was a wax work tableau of where they believe Henry Tudor was born. This shows Henry in the arms of his nurse, together with his Mother Lady Margaret Beaufort seated before the fire and a maid servant warming linen. This tower didn’t know what it was witnessing – the start of the infamous Tudor dynasty! If only walls really could talk.

Where did that saying come from? – ‘They are very Upper Crust’

We already know that in medieval times, people used bread as a plate, called trenchers. White was considered superior to brown and was solely for the wealthy. However, the very best, the uppercrust, was reserved for the Lord and Nobles, hence the term ‘upper crust.’

The Great Tower is one of the earliest, tallest and certainly finest cylindrical Great Towers (or Keeps) in Britain. Built around 1200, it was the work of the great Earl William Marshall – the greatest and most famous warrior in the world.

There was also some graffiti carved into the wall of the Monkton Tower during the Middle Ages, showing the arms of the de Barri family of Manorbier (Where I visited yesterday).

There was the First archaeological dig at Pembroke Castle for over 70 years – you can read more on  the link.

After a couple of hours exploring, I left the castle to take a stroll around Pembroke. It didn’t take long. The only thing I found I wanted to linger at was the small museum in the Town Hall, where there used to be a courtroom.

It was free to get in (small donation welcomed) and had some interesting items from Pembroke over the years. There was a whole wall covered with photos of the Mayors and Mayoresses over the year. Some amusing images that were clearly of their time!

There were also some beautiful hand-painted murals on the history of the town too. They were very interesting to look at.

And I found an old picture of the high street, that I then went and took a modern photo of – here they are…

I was in need of lunch and there was one place I couldn’t get out of my mind since visiting there yesterday afternoon for tea and cake, so I made my way back to ‘WaveCrest’ at West Angle beach.

This time I was in time for lunch and the sun was so beautiful that I sat outside. I had their vegetable platter, which was delicious. If you ever go near here – go there”. I spent a wonderful hour eating, drinking, reading and contemplating life. (I still don’t have a clue about life, but what a wonderful place to contemplate it!)

Back to the campsite next as I wanted to go back into Tenby before its time for me to leave Wales tomorrow. So, I walked back towards town and found some steep stairs to climb down that took me on to the beach.

No narrative needed for these photos – just breath taking.

Check out the size of this jellyfish! That, my friends, is why I won’t swim in the sea!

Found a lovely small church on the harbour side, St Julian’s – very pretty.

I walked through town and towards the other beach and again, no words needed. I managed to get nearer the island you’re not allowed on too…..

Back to the van to relax and watch bake-off!

I’m slightly concerned that I have developed a small obsession with guidebooks. Please check with me before you visit anywhere in the UK as I probably have the guidebook you can take with you. For all my fellow book sniffers – they smell glorious.

I woke up today to heavy rain 😦 Fine usually, just find something to do inside, but the reason I came to South Wales is because it’s by the sea and I assumed would have some spectacular scenery.

I had a nice breakfast and got ready for the day (including a lovely hot shower in my caravan again – thank goodness) and set off just as the clouds looked like they were going to break.

I decided not to plan for today, but to just drive towards the coast and see where it led me. So I headed out West of Tenby as it looked like there wasn’t much there on the map, so I figured it would be full of viewpoints and cliff edges, possibly beaches.

The first place I drove through was called Penelly and as I made my way through the small village I noticed a brown tourist sign that said ‘Castle’. So, I followed it…

Suddenly, ahead of me was Manorbier Castle.

The castle was originally built on land granted to Odo de Barri, a Norman knight, at the end of the 11th century. Initially he constructed a Motte-and-bailey on the site which had a wooden keep defended by a palisade and earthworks embankments. In the early part of the 12th century, William de Barri, Odo’s son, used locally-quarried Limestone to strengthen the fortification.

In 1146 Gerald of Wales, the great 12th century scholar known as Geraldus Cambrensis was born at the castle. He was the fourth and youngest son of William de Barri, who was related on his mothers’s side, to the legendary Welsh princess Nest ferch Rhys. Gerald wrote of his birthplace:

‘In all the broad lands of Wales, Manorbier is the most pleasant place by far’.

In the castle’s history, it was only attacked twice; both were minor skirmishes. In 1327, Richard de Barri assaulted Manorbier in a dispute over family succession. Then 300 years later during the English Civil War, the castle was seized in 1645 by Parliamentarian forces. It was then slighted to prevent further military use by the Royalists.

Through the 17th and 18th centuries Manorbier fell into decay. However, in 1880 the castle was partially restored by J.R.Cobb, a tenant who carried out repairs to the buildings and walls.

The castle is open to the public for a small fee (I paid £5.25) and also holds weddings. It’s effectively a ruin, but it’s great to be able to walk up and down the original stairs, along the uneven floors, all at your own leisure. It was actually very pretty and had a lovely feel to it. There was also a tea room and outside seating to rest your legs and nerves after climbing some of the stairs – they were pretty steep in places!

Where did that saying come from? – ‘On the Dole’

In the 12^th century a large lunch was served in big houses and castles mid-morning. The food was eaten off of pewter pottery and silver platters. For the lesser folks, food was served on a hunk of bread, to act as a plate, known as trenchers. Once the trencher had soaked up the juices and fat from the meal, they were distributed to the poor or put in Doley boxes next to the churches for travellers. This is where the saying came from!

Did you know – Latrines

You probably know that latrines were toilets. This is a double latrine from the castle. Latrines had a dual purpose because the guardarobe meaning in Latin ‘Guarding The Robes’, were used for hanging furs and ermine trimmed cloaks above the latrines, as the methane and ammonia kept the moths and fleas away.

Next I went up to the Norman church just beside the castle.

I didn’t send too much time here as there wasn’t much to see and I could see blue sky coming over so wanted to be outside! Left the church and followed a public pathway towards what I hoped would be the beach.

Found the beach and you can see the blue sky gradually come over while I was there. Beautiful beach and very calm water – some people wake boarding and pretty much deserted.

Spent some time sitting on the beach, admiring the view and then got back in the car and started to drive again.

Only drove for around 10 mins when I saw a National Trust logo and thinking it might be a nice coastal path, I turned into the car park.

I had discovered ‘Stackpole Court’, originally a medieval stronghold, then a fashionable Georgian house and finally a sprawling Victorian mansion. Until now…..now it was where a Victorian mansion once stood, before it was demolished by the son of the owner after their death as he couldn’t afford to keep it.

I first followed a sign post to the ice house and discovered a rather ornate building in the woodlands that looked nothing like an ice house and more like a summer house!

I followed the path around until I got to what I believe were the old walled gardens (you can see the gate posts in the photos) and walked through this area towards the site of the house.

This is now a lovely green space with only the service buildings left of what used to be a bustling estate. Still standing are the Game Larder, Brew House and the old dairy which now holds a small exhibition of the estate. You could see the few remaining photos of the house and its interiors in there and more information on the surrounding land.

The Brew House was still there with a few of its original equipment and some rooms for visitors to use to eat their picnics come rain or shine.

I next walked to what would have been the back garden. What a stunning view! As you can see from these photos, it looked like a painting rather than a view! You would be forgiven for thinking I had gone into an art exhibition and taken a photo of one of the paintings.

Luckily the National Trust has thought to put photos of how the house would have looked up, near the space it would have stood in. You can see this in these photos.

It was actually quite sad to think that this house, that was full of life, servants and history, was demolished and now all that’s left is a green space and its outbuildings. I wonder what the family that lived in it so long ago would have thought of that?

Onwards following the coastal road and I eventually came to some more incredible views, just as I had hoped!

Freshwater West was a HUGE beach and quite stunning. Again, the beach was pretty much deserted so I spent some time sitting and enjoying the sunshine. It was right next to a military shooting range, but I didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary!

I carried on between the sand dunes to yet another gorgeous beach, this time in ‘Angle’. This is the furthest point of the area I was visiting, so there was nowhere to go from here!

I was very happy to see a building that looked like a tea room and was actually a hidden gem of a restaurant. The ‘Wavecrest’ serves full lunches, as well as snacks alongside alcoholic drinks if you so desire. I wish I had found it earlier, but it was 3.45pm by the time I got there, so I had tea and a fridge cake whilst enjoying the fabulous view from their inside area and reading my book . You could also get a takeaway or sit outside, but it was a bit windy for me.

There was also an old fort that you can see in the photos, that I couldn’t get to, but found out it was one of two that protected the estuary from attack and dates from the 1500s.

Took a walk along the beach and then headed back to my car to make my way back to Tenby. I stopped on the way to take some land shots whilst the sun was out – here they are….

Back at the campsite and I sat outside my caravan to relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.

This is the photo I took outside my caravan in the morning….. and the same view later this afternoon, once the sun had come out.

Lovely, sunny day in South Wales 🙂

I woke up feeling a lot better after about 9 hours sleep! Decided that today I would avoid using my car and walk into Tenby to take a look around. Weather wasn’t great, so had a leisurely breakfast, rather than rush out. Also used the shower in my caravan for the first time! As the rain was so heavy, I didn’t fancy heading out, so decided to stay in and use my own facilities! Lovely – just had to make sure the bathroom was well ventilated and dry up afterwards.

I headed into Tenby around midday, which took about 10 minutes. On the way I stopped to take a few photos of the entrance and road into the campsite to show you how narrow it is…

 

I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that if I leave early enough, there will be no one trying to get in the other end.

Downhill all the way to Tenby (getting back up will be fun later!) with lots of layers and my waterproof on – hood up! What a beautiful view on the way down!

 

I love being by the water – something relaxing about it and something that says ‘holiday’, regardless of the weather. I could feel my mood lifting more as I was out in the fresh air and taking in the lovely sights towards the town or out to the sea.

Tenby is wonderful! The main streets are pedestrianised throughout the summer, so you can wander around with no exhaust fumes or crazy drivers. This makes it much easier to walk around like a tourist, your eyes up, down and everywhere, without having to worry about getting run over!

Tenby was a walled town and you can still see the walls and entrance gates as you walk around. These walls were built by the Normans in the 13^th century to protect the town from attack from the local Welsh population and were built using money from taxes levied from ships using the harbour.

 

Some of the walls were demolished when the town became more of a fashionable seaside resort to give the tourists better sea views!

The buildings throughout the town were all painted in lovely pastel colours and there were some lovely cobbled streets to look around and some nice shops to take a look at.

 

I made my way towards the sea and found even more beautiful views.

 

The island you can see in some of the photos is St Catherine’s. It was originally a fort to protect the town and sea around here, but has been later used as a private house and as a zoo! It is now privately owned, but going to ruin, which is a great shame. You can walk over to it when the tide is out, but the public aren’t supposed to go on there. I saw a few try though!

I had a lovely stroll across the sandy beach and spotted a Lifeboat station ahead, so made my way there.

The station has been established in the town since 1852, the most recent station being built in 2005. It houses two lifeboats, the ‘Georgina Taylor’, a D-Class lifeboat and ‘Haydn Miller’ a Tamar lifeboat.

It is called the ‘Haydn Miller’ after a farmer from Kettering left £3m to the RNLI in his will. There was no connection of him and a sea rescue, but people who knew him always said he had an interest in ways of saving lives.

You can also still see the original station in Tenby too. The Tamar is a huge lifeboat and at the time Tenby acquired it in 2006, was the worlds most advanced lifeboat and the first of its kind to be used in the UK. There were information boards all around the station to give you more details on the boat. One of the facts I found interesting was that the Tamar is self-righting, so if a wave hits her and she overturns, she can right herself. She can carry up to 44 survivors and still do this! The boat is actually big enough to carry 118 survivors, but no longer able to self-right herself with this amount of people on-board. Incredible.

 

There were also boards telling you about past and present volunteers of the RNLI at Tenby and details on rescues throughout the years, plus a very good reminder of the power of the sea and the risk you out yourself in when you are on it.

 

Next I made my way up a hill I had spotted earlier with a tower and statue on. This was Castle Hill and the tower was part of a ruin of a stone castle built by the Normans in the 11^th century. You could also see cannons situated on the hill to protect the town. The building at the top was the old coastguards house and is now a private residents (which can’t be that private in the summer – poor them) There also used to be a metal bandstand on this hill as it became very popular in Victorian times as a place ‘to be seen’. The metal was needed in the Second World War so it was dismantled and another was built further along in 1991.

 

The statue was of Prince Albert and built a few years after his death as it was felt that there should be a Welsh memorial of him, along with the English, Scottish and Irish ones! The seagulls seem to be enjoying the view from his head.

I made my way down the hill to the towns museum which was just over £4 to get in and full of local history. You can re-visit for free within 12 months too. Great for both adults and children, the exhibitions ranged from iron/stone age history through to present day, with a great video showing lots of images of the town through the years.

 

History facts!

Did you know – during the Pleistocene Era, which started about 1.3 million years ago, the ice age saw the rise of giant sized animals and birds.  Today biologists call them Megafauna and some of these survive today in the form of elephants and giraffes!

Did you (also) know – Tenby played its part in the War of the Roses (1455 – 85). Henry Tudor was born in Pembrokeshire Castle in 1457. He was of royal descent on the Lancastrian side so had a claim to the throne. In 1471, Yorkists attacked the castle. Henry and his Uncle, Jasper Tudor, fled to Tenby. From here, with the help of Mayor Thomas White, they escaped to Brittany. Legend has it that 14 year old Henry and his uncle escaped through tunnels that are now under  ‘Boots’ on the high street. Henry won the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and became King Henry the Seventh and established the Tudor dynasty.

After all the education I was feeling a little peckish, so went and got myself some sausage and chips to enjoy on the seafront.

I then settled down on the beach for a couple of hours of reading as magically the sun appeared!

 

Early evening I set off back for the campsite (it had clouded over again!) and stopped off at Tesco for dinner. Do this count as Welsh/local food?!

Enjoyed the beautiful views again as I climbed the very steep hill and arrived back feeling like I’d walked for miles. Maybe a full shopping bag wasn’t a good idea with such a long and steep walk!

 

I did my chores at the van (emptying things, washing up etc) and then settled down to enjoy the view from my window as I ate my dinner.

I did try to go and have a shower at the campsite after my climb up the hill had left me feeling rather warm, especially as I dressed for rain and got warm sunshine, but they were possibly the worst facilities yet (almost want to apologise to the toilets at the last place, they were great compared to these!) plus NO HOT WATER?! Will 100% be using my own facilities while I am here. I feel very sorry for the people here in tents who have no choice. Good job we have the view.

I tried to watch Vanity Fair on ITV as I’ve been looking forward to that, but my TV was having none of it as it had got a bit windy and the signal kept going! I will have to save that one for when I get home. Weather doesn’t look good for tomorrow, but will keep my fingers crossed. Goodnight!

Friday

What a lovely, restful day today 🙂

Decided to take it a bit easy today and didn’t rush to get out for the day. Cooked myself a bacon sandwich and a nice cup of tea and sat outside in the sunshine.

Started reading a new book today given to me by Mum and ended up finishing it!

Amazing read – made me laugh and cry and had some really good messages within its stories. Definitely a book to make you think but also a hugely enjoyable read.

Sat reading outside for a couple of hours until I decided it would be nice to go and take a look at a smaller National Trust house close by. I like large mansions and palaces, but sometimes it’s lovely to go and see something a little smaller.

Sunnycroft was originally built by a brewer on three acres of land and on a modest scale in 1879. The house was extended in 1899 to its present layout by Mary Jane Slaney, the widow of a wine and spirit merchant. In 1910 it was bought by JVT Lander and stayed within the family until it was given to the National Trust in 1997. You really feel like you are stepping back in time as you walk in and really at home.

This house was built to entertain! As soon as you entered the house, there was a huge billiard room and towards the back was a pretty sitting room – separate areas for men and women. It’s thought that the men’s room was made so impressive, to encourage them to visit. In a certain time, women didn’t generally go out alone and as the owner liked to entertain her friends, she had to entertain their husbands too!

The final owner, Joan Lander was a Nurse during the Second World War and a huge medicine cupboard is shown in the house alongside her uniform. She was also well known for her embroidery. Not only did she have her own business, designing patterns and selling embroidery sets, as well as teaching, she was also one of the Embroiderers from the Royal School of Needlework who was part of creating Queen Elizabeth the Seconds coronation gown.

I had a great tour by a Gentleman called John, who took us through the house pointing out interesting furniture and telling some great stories.

Do you know what this is?

It’s called a ‘modesty lamp’. It was a gas lamp that was far enough into the room so that if anyone there was undressing by gaslight, you wouldn’t be able to see the silhouette in the curtains from the outside.

Enjoyed an hour reading my book in the beautiful garden (after buying another one in their second hand book shop) with a cup of tea and a slice of cake – in blazing sunshine – bliss!

I headed back to the van for dinner (thanks Mum) and early to bed. I think my relaxing day made all of my tiredness come out and I was in bed for 9.30pm. Probably a good thing as I have a long drive tomorrow. Trying not to think about it until then….

Saturday

It was all going so well 😦

Yes, I’ve had a few panicky moments on my journeys and reasons to be anxious about my movement from one site to another, but now I’m going to worry about leaving the actual campsite.

It was time to leave Shropshire today and head towards South Wales. I knew the journey would take about 4 hours in all, so prepared well with a packed lunch, drink and wrote down all the roads I should take, after checking them online and on a map. Sat Nav was for once agreeing with me and I was packed up and ready to go.

Drove up to the electric gates to start my journey and had to suddenly move to the side slightly to let another camper back into the site (electric gates remember?). Because of this small distraction, I forgot to move back over before moving off, which meant I was actually now too close to a lamppost they have right by the exit button and the corner on the end of my van hit one of the lantern lights and knocked it off.

How embarrassing – the owner walked over (I didn’t just drive off, I stopped to admit it!) and was really lovely about it, but it was not a good way to start the journey. Felt like a fool and the silly ‘woman driver’ who can’t tow a caravan properly. Dented my confidence again, which isn’t what I needed before a very long journey.

Also mistakenly took the advice of one of the men there, who told me an ‘easier’ way to get to the main road, as I was worried about meeting one of the many tractors that had passed the campsite during my stay, on the narrow roads. To be fair, he may have been right, but in my heightened state of anxiousness, I went totally wrong and ended up on back roads again and adding 30 minutes to my journey.

This meant my directions were now wrong and the sat nav was trying to send me on ‘B’ roads all the way. Luckily found a lay by big enough to stop my car and caravan in and took a look at the map and found my way back to the right ‘A’ roads. Added more to time to an already long journey, but the rest of the journey went ok.

Until I got to Tenby, my next stop. The campsite I have chosen is in the centre of the town, so I can walk, which really appealed to me. I followed the directions and came to a narrow road that looked like it might lead to a field, but I wasn’t sure. I was too scared to turn up it so went past it and ended up in a bloody cul-de-sac! Luckily I was wide enough for me to turn around in without taking the van off the back. I stopped to calm down and called the campsite for directions. Once again I’d created a problem for myself I didn’t need too. Lane was too tight to get round on the way back, so I had to go about 20 mins out of my way to find a roundabout and head back again.

Encountered a car on the way up the narrow road, who tried to pull over, but I swear I squeezed past with about 2mm to spare – didn’t help the nerves. The sign to reception wasn’t clear, so I stopped, got out my car and walked up to try and find it, rather than cause another issue for myself if I went the wrong way. Drove up eventually to be met by the guy I’d spoken to on the phone who couldn’t find my name on the whiteboard so I didn’t have a pitch!

I pointed out that my name was in front of him in the booking diary, so I should have one and he then discovered it was an admin error and someone else who worked at the site had allowed someone else to stay an extra night – on the pitch destined for me…..

I decided not to get involved in the debate/discussions and walked back to my car so they could sort it out. Eventually they directed me to another pitch, apparently empty because the people in it had left early. Lucky for me, otherwise I wouldn’t have had a pitch!

Not a great start, but the view started to make up for it.

Time to set up and try to calm down – easier said than done when the pitch is on a very steep hill and I can’t get the caravan to level up. Calls to Dad followed who tried to help, but I am just going to have to deal with a wonky caravan and legs on bricks (Slightly scary).

Cut my hand setting up and there is no room for my awning (not the end of the world) so they better not try to charge me for it! I haven’t paid yet and they haven’t chased – will go into reception tomorrow. Also found that a tub of cream had fallen over in my fridge and had leaked all over the content of my fridge, plus the carpet in front of it. Tried to clean it, but I now have a very bad smelling caravan.

All in all, I feel like I shouldn’t have got out of bed today and I’m feeling rather sorry for myself so I am going to write this, have a large G&T while enjoying the view and go to bed. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

 

 

Tuesday

Left Conkers today after a lovely stay. Clean site with acceptable facilities and lots to do in the surrounding area.

My BIL had to leave early as he has work today, so my sister and Nephew stayed behind to spend the morning with me and my parents. As the weather was lovely, we went for a walk along the old railway line again.

We walked in the opposite direction to yesterday and it was lovely to get some fresh air before heading in our separate directions. We looked for bugs, threw stick in a pond and spotted railway tracks and as my Nephew got tired, my sister and I took turns with him on our shoulders as his buggy had gone home with his Dad earlier – he is getting big! After we got back to the site, final preparations were made to leave the site and my family left, just before I made myself a sandwich and headed off around midday.

 

The journey should have only taken about an hour and a half. I had planned it in advance, down to every detail, so should all go swimmingly. I was still anxious though.

Are you all as bored of my journeys not going to plan as I am? If you are, sorry, it’s another one of those stories, but nowhere near as traumatic as in the past.

I’ve learnt many things on this trip, but specifically about booking websites, these are;

• The campsite may look lovely on the website, but if it doesn’t show you any images of their facilities – it’s likely they are not worth photographing and will most probably put you off staying there.
• Always ask if they have a ‘no kids’ or ‘adults only’ area and if they do, ask to be pitched there (unless you have kids). This stops you being almost maimed by kids on scooters and bikes, who don’t care if you are walking on a path/road, or if you are driving on the road, they will still career directly towards you, expecting you to move. Same applies for playing outside – they won’t play outside their pitch, they will play right next to you, trying to read a book peacefully, as their parents have told them to ‘go and play somewhere away from them’.
• Yes, the website shows the site has fabulous views and is in a nice peaceful location, but that also probably means it’s in the middle of nowhere and difficult to get too. This is especially true if they give you no specific directions to follow on their campsite, again, if they did tell you how hard it is to find them, they wouldn’t get anyone to stay.

All things to remember next time!

Anyway, the journey started off well, directions followed to a T. As usual it’s the final part of the journey that gets me, when I get into ‘B’ roads, but this time, it was my own fear that got me there 😦

I was driving towards where the directions told me to join the ‘B’ road and took one look and was too scared to go down it! So I carried onwards, which meant the nav then directed me down an even narrower road. How silly am I. This eventually led to me having to turn around in a pretty tight spot and rather over-using my clutch on a very steep hill start. I got there in the end, but another stomach-curling moment. Later found out that, yes, the lane is rather narrow if a tractor or another caravan meets you there, but otherwise, the best way to get to the campsite.

Warm welcome from the site manager who read through the site rules with me and then I was left to set-up. Very strict about anything being out on the grass, but this mean the site is very green and well maintained. Sadly I found out later that the same couldn’t be said for the facilities. They weren’t the worst I have seen, but were effectively wet rooms and not in the best condition. But, I will only be spending 10 minutes in there every day for a shower, so I will get over it! Worst thing is, I have a friend staying for two nights who isn’t a regular camper and I’ll have to apologise for them. Hope it doesn’t put her off.

Another lovely view from my pitch, this time of the Shropshire hills.

After setting up, I went in search of some food as my friend won’t be arriving until late this evening, so made my way into Much Wenlock and found a small store. I will definitely be returning as it’s very pretty with a few things to look around.

Back at the site, I spent a couple of hours finishing the set-up and relaxing. New series of the Great British Bake Off at 8pm tonight, so watched that as I waited for my friend to arrive. 9:00pm, she arrived and I got told off for letting her into the camp myself, rather than her pressing an entrance buzzer and talking to them. This was because someone beforehand had let travellers on to the site once and they wouldn’t leave, so they no longer give out an entrance code. Very annoying for them but means you have to ask permission to enter the campsite each time, which is a little tiresome. Understandable I guess under the circumstances.

A quick dinner and catch-up, an introduction to the facilities (which she took very well), and then off to bed, in my warm, comfy caravan 🙂

Wednesday

Hurrah – we actually got to eat breakfast in the sunshine today!

I had some help doing the washing up which was excellent as it took half the time and after discussing potential plans for the day, we were off.

Much Wenlock

This is a Medieval town and played a major part in the 19^th century revival of Olympic Games. It’s the home town of Dr William Penny Brookes, the inspiration for the modern Olympic movement and founder of the Wenlock Olympian Society.

 

Our first stop was the local museum, free to enter, just a donation as you leave. Set up in what used to be a place where dances and meetings were held, and also a cinema in later times. It now houses lots of interesting stories about the town and its history, from when it was a small settlement, up until present times.

We read more about the link to the Olympics here as Dr Brookes, who used to live here, instigated the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850 and they still take place each year! In recognition of their sporting heritage, the 2012 London Olympic Games named one of their mascots Wenlock.

Next we found a brilliant second hand book shop where we spent a happy half hour sorting through the books and CDs in there. I bought a couple to listen to on the journey to my next destination in a few days. We also took a look around a brilliant antiques shop that was full of beautiful crockery, but so full of it that we were scared to walk around!

We continued to wander around the town and noticed a small film crew in the churchyard – no idea what they were filming but they were in WW1 uniform in a tent – maybe one day we will find out?!

Wenlock Priory is an English Heritage site of the ruins of an originally Anglo-Saxon monastery, founded in about 680 by King Merewalh of Mercia, whose abbess daughter, Milburge was hailed a saint. Her relics were re discovered here in 1101, by which time the Normans had founded a priory of Cluniac Monks. The ruins you see today are from their buildings. It was lovely to walk around and imagine what it must have looked like in its heyday.

Our next stop was a National Trust property, Dudmaston. There was no photography allowed in the house as it is still a family home, so you will have to google it if you want to see it! I managed to get a few shots of the exterior of the house though…

There were a few rooms open, including the beautiful library and entrance hall and a modern art exhibition, all collected by the late owners Sir George and Lady Labouchere while Sir George was working for the British Embassy in Brussels.

We enjoyed a light lunch before looking around the house and gardens and of course the second hand bookshop!

Bridgnorth

Beautiful Bridgnorth – so glad we decided to visit this town and take a look around.

We took a leisurely stroll through the town centre and popped in to a couple of antique and gift shops before making our way towards a church we saw at the top of a hill. On the way there I noticed a small information board next to a garden on the street.

On closer inspection, it told us that on the 29^th August 1940 (strangely we were visiting on the 29^th August 2018) at around 1.30am, a total of around 12 Luftwaffe bombs fell on Bridgnorth. One of these bombs fell on number 9 Church Street, which demolished the building and killed Mrs Elizabeth Hand and severely injured her husband. Number 9 has never been re-built but remains a garden of remembrance for Mrs Hand and Josephine Maynard, also killed on that night by a bomb.

A sad reminder of the lives lost in the war, but a lovely memorial.

Walking further up the hill we came to St Leonard church, which was surrounded by some beautiful buildings like the old grammer school houses and the house of Richard Baxter (famous as religious non-conformist).

The church was very pretty, but no longer holds services, the last one having been held in 1970. This was because the tower of the church had become unsafe, so in 1976 the church was declared redundant and is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.

We visited another church next, high on a hill in the town, dedicated to St Mary Magdalen, and found that it was designed and built by Thomas Telford between 1792-96, who was a famous civil engineer architect and stonemason. He also designed the Menai Bridge that I wrote about when I was in Wales that connects Wales to Angelsey.

As we left this church we noticed a large piece of building to the side and walked round to take a closer look, we followed a path around the side of the church, which gave us some lovely views across the town and led us eventually to the old castle grounds.

Here we found a lovely memorial to the men who died for their country during the First World War and some beautiful gardens. There was a band stand in the centre, surrounded by benches that would be a lovely place to sit in summer and listen to music.

As we walked along, we eventually came to….The Leaning Tower of Bridgnorth!

There has been a castle in this area since the 12^th century, but this specific castle relates to when the Civil War was taking place and Bridgnorth was loyal to Charles 1^st. When the town was attacked in 1646 there was a fierce fight and the Royalists retreated to the castle, using the church as their ammunition store. After the eventually surrendered, Parliament ordered the castle to be demolished. All that remains are the ruins if the Keep, and you can still see damage caused by cannon ball fire in places.

More beautiful views as we walked further around the castle walls walk (and glorious sunshine!) and then we came across the Cliff Railway! My friends face literally lit up as she is very partial to trying strange/unusual things, especially if they look a little dangerous, so on we went!

£1.60 each for a trip down and back up again, but we stopped at the bottom for a rather marvellous G&T in a pub at the end of the (very short) line. Seville orange gin and fever tree tonic, sat next to the river in the sun – fabulous.

Back up the hill on the cliff railway and back to the car to make our way to somewhere nice to eat. We couldn’t find a nice looking pub/restaurant anywhere, but did find the local Indian restaurant in Much Wenlock and enjoyed a nice curry there before driving the short journey to Wenlock Edge.

Wenlock Edge is a narrow limestone escarpment that runs for 18 miles from Craven Arms to Ironbrudge, the National Trust owns 8 miles of this stretch that has a number of pathways you can walk along.

It was close to Dusk so we didn’t want to walk too far, as it was through woodland and getting dark, but we needed to walk off some of the food we’d eaten, so did a quick 20 mins hike and took a couple of photos before heading back to the car.

We went back to the caravan to watch ‘The Exception’ on my friends IPad and then to bed. A lovely day.

Thursday

Woke up today and decided to re-visit somewhere we had been before, Shrewsbury, because last time we visited there, we had a fab breakfast and wanted to have it again! So, we made our way to there and I enjoyed Eggs Benedict (one of my favourites) and my friend enjoyed scrambled eggs on toast and bacon – both with a lovely latte.

We revisited some of the vintage/antique shops we had visited before and also some homeware places, so enjoyed half an hour mooching around in the sunshine.

On to Attingham Park, a National Trust property not too far from the city centre. I dropped my friend off and made a quick return trip to the campsite as I’d forgotten to turn off the heater in the caravan before we had left (it was only on low) and I couldn’t stop worrying about it burning the element out and leaving me with no heating for the rest of the trip! Only a 30 minute round trip and I was back!

We arrived just in time to take part in a ‘Road to Ruin’ tour, led by John and amazing National Trust tour guide (Who I didn’t ask permission to photograph, sorry John if you ever see this).

He was fantastic! He really bought the story of the family who built, and nearly lost the house, to life and had us hooked for an hour. The tour really made the day for me, as I love to hear all about the stories behind the buildings and the people who lived and worked there. Suffice to say, they were quite a few Lords of Berwick who were not good with their money. Luckily, the 5^th was a little better and managed to save the house we now see today.

We heard about the Lords through the ages and also the most recent Lord and Lady, who left the property to the National Trust. Fascinating – one of the Lords married a courtesan (she was 17 and he was 41) and made her live alone in the house and a Lady Berwick, who opened the house up to an Adult Education centre, after the Second World War.

Also, my Instagram photo of the door with the statement… ‘Behind Every Closed Door…..’. The answer to this is nothing! During the time the house was built, the fashion was symmetry, so if there was one door, there had to be another directly opposite or next to it. So, most doors led to nowhere, just a brick wall!

There were also servant’s rooms where we found out about their yearly wages (not great) and the hierarchy that was just as strict downstairs as it was upstairs. Loved the kitchens and wandering around the grounds. There was also a fantastic second hand book shop and we enjoyed some a cheese scone each as a snack too:-)

We had spent most of the day here, but had just enough time to go and visit a rather famous landmark around here – The Ironbridge. I have actually been here before on a school trip and LONG time ago, but none of it rang any bells!  Unfortunately, English Heritage are currently restoring the bridge, so we had to resort to googling what it looks like!!

We both agreed we would be back once it reopened for a proper look as the area around the bridge was also very pretty.

Quick soft drink each and we shared a big plate of cheesy nachos before heading back to the campsite as my friend was heading home 😦

I’ve had a lovely couple of days and hopefully my friend did too! Now writing this blog and planning my day trips for tomorrow. More on that, um, tomorrow!

Today’s meaning behind the saying;

Servants in big houses usually had an ale allowance each day. This was one pint for men and half a pint for women. If they didn’t want the ale, and chose tea for example instead, they would put their ale allowance on a wagon on the table, hence the saying ‘On the Wagon’.