Scarbados to see James Taylor

 

GTSF

 

Beardy

 

Not walking at Malham Tarn

What should have been a walking day was cancelled due to the terrible weather forecast, including lightning. I'd booked the site so decided to head up anyway - you never know, and I had a book to read.

Friday 5th

It is a lovely drive, quite challenging in places, but so pretty. Headed for the Tarn and went for a 4m loop walk around it. The Tarn is a way up beyond Malham and I think could be quite bleak. Luckily for me it was a day of brilliant sun. Lots of  birdsong, flowers (orchids) and not crowded. At the main house on the route there were some nature boards, and a cage with Ladies Slipper Orchids - extremely rare and a bit creepy tbh, they were very big! I also had a great spot of a redstart in a fields close by. 

Picnic lunch in the car park (see picture above - spot the WildAx), then I headed to Airton, to Hurries Farm CL site and was greeted by a rhea! 

Saturday 6th

This should have been the day of the walk and, as forecast, it poured down all morning. I didn't see a storm but wouldn't have been surprised if one had arrived. Eventually it stopped, and I headed down to Malham to see if there was any space in this notorious honeypot. Ha! No chance, absolutely chocka so drove off to nearby Kirby Malham instead. There is a beautiful church here, with some features that survived the Reformation. See the Churchwarden seat below, with its high back to stop draughts and 3 poles for slapping the congregation and their dogs if they misbehave. Should have them in the cinema these days. Also lots of box pews, with the worshippers' names still on them.

Topped off my trip with a visit to the Town End farm shop and spent far too much money, but it was all just too tempting. When I got back to site it was sunny, so I got to site out in the sun and read a book. Bliss.



 

Alnmouth bird trip

My third trip with the Birdy ladies. and I stayed at Alnwick Rugby Club again, for 3 nights. This year's weather wasn't so good but we saw plenty at Hauxley (my favourite?). We all felt bird numbers were way down at Low Newton, Craster and Cullernose Point. Also saw a bit of Alnmouth this time too.

Low Newton

Cullernose Point

Alnmouth

Milestones meetup, Wicken Fen, Ely

Met up with Jane, Jim, Wendy and Steve at Milestones site just off the A1. (Plus Eddie the lovely hound.) Sunday night we had a catch up and curry in J&Js van, then headed to the pub (attached to the Milestones brewery).

Monday 23rd

We got the bus over to Newark, and headed for the market square for a coffee. There was a rather sparse market in progress but nearly everything else I wanted to visit was closed - even the National Civil War Museum! Well it is a Monday in March I suppose. I'll have to go back. We'd hoped for lunch at the Prince Rupert pub but it was ...closed. However the Castle Barge bar was great - it's on a barge by the castle! Good lunch and several beers later we headed back to the site. Pub in the evening.

Tues 24th

We walked over to Cromwell Lock, which was a good route for Winter and an interesting place, although it is the site of a military tragedy. Plus passed some birdy spots on the old quarry infills. When I got back I used my grill for the first time and did a big brunch of toast, bacon, egg, tomatoes and mushrooms - corrr.... Read a book while the winds blew, very rocky.

Wed 25th

Windy again, and we parted company - I was off to Wicken Fen. The campsite was a bit weird, me and 3 single men on a quite run-down camping area. I guess they were there for work. But it had facilities, was quiet and I could walk to Wicken Fen. I saw marsh harrier, shoveller, pochard chicks. Quite a pretty place but hard to see any birds in the reeds and tangled woods. 

NOTE TO SELF - Don't drive on B roads in a fenland area, they are shocking in places. And some of the A roads are crap too!

Thurs 26

Popped in to nearby Kingfisher Bridge nature reserve for what I thought would be a quick trip, but was there for hours, great place for wildlife: hares, sparrowhawk, Egyptian geese, 2 marsh harriers, mistle thrush, sand martin, horses and water buffalo! 

It was a beautiful but cold day, and sadly the caff was closed so off to my next site for lunch - Heatherbield, which was a lovely place. 

Bus to Ely, and went for a coffee to wait for the fire alarm at the cathedral to subside. Ely is a pretty city in the cathedral quarter, and quite a few independent shops. Spent hours in the spectacular cathedral, must be in my top 3 ever visited. Inside was a great stained glass window museum, very lovely.

Fri 27th - Off to stay with Paul and Sue at Holbeach Hurn for a Garden House gig (Aldern and Patterson).

Kirbymoorside

 

The first trip of 2026, on a site that was hard to locate - it is only on campsites.co.uk

Saturday 24th

On the way I stopped at Pickering, which is a much steeper town than I remembered! Sadly the museum, castle, and train centre were all closed for the season. But I had a nice shopping trip - an inde bookshop, some locally made earrings, and a stonking sausage roll with black pudding. 

The church was open, so I went and had another look at the tremendous murals inside.

Next stop was Cawthorn Roman Camp. Up a filthy track into a circle of trees, then a short circular walk around the remains, plus a grand view halfway round. The remains are little more than hillocks now, and look better in real life than in this photo.

Arrived for the night at the small farm site with 6 hard-standings. Just EHU and disposals. 

Sunday 25th

Woke late and took the lovely 10 minute walk to the village. Found an open public loo! I was so excited I had to use them...

Nosed around, including the church of course, then on the walk back I went to the Gavel and Bean coffee shop, which is attached to Ryedale auction house.  Hanging on the wall was a mysterious guitar that no-one could tell me about, but later research by one of my Facebook pals revealed it to be the bass of Syd Little! He played it in the 1960s and it was also played backstage by Sir Paul McCartney.

Syd Little's bass guitar

Sunday 26th

Home via Iceland at York to stock up on Slimming World frozen meals. Bargains.

Christmassy break in Grassington

Friday December 26th

This is becoming a bit of a tradition. I headed up to Grassington again on Boxing Day, for a 3 night stay, It was my first winter stay in the new van and I was a bit jittery having seen endless posts in the Wildax Fb group about the vagaries of the the heating and its control panel. But it all worked beautifully, and a setting of 13/14 degrees was ample.

Spot the festive Stormtrooper

Saturday

Walked into the village and had a lovely tapas lunch of fresh anchovies and garlic/tomato bread with Spanish beer - this place is worth coming back to. Walked down to Linton falls, seeing a yellow wagtail on the way. Went to the visitor centre and bought a map for the walk to Grass Wood tomorrow, but it looks as if it will be very muddy. Back by 2.15 as it was cold. Ordered some locks for the Heiki vent, to try and stop it rattling in the wind, and booked Steve to come and fix the bathroom tambour, which had jumped its rails. Sigh. 

Sunday

Walked up river to a place called the strid. Egret, kestrel. I didn't go on the walk to Grass Wood, it was bone-bitingly cold with grey skies, but I was out for about 2 hours on the river so that was a good day. 

Dinner at the Gamekeeper Inn for their stonking meat pie, and afterwards I shared a table in the bar with other campers and had a nice chat.

NB Initially I was given the crappest table in the place, a 6 seater, opposite the main door and next to the loos. Then I was moved to one of the nice 2-seaters in the conservatory that I much preferred. Was this because someone saw sense? No. It was because I had been put on a dog-friendly table and had no dog. So basically the crappest table until it was decided I should be evicted in favour of a mutt. So now you know the solo diners place in the hierarchy. 

Post trip update: Steve fixed the door and introduced me to the miracle of silicon spray.

The Trees - but no Rush

A terrible link I know, but I had a lovely autumnal weekend looking for birds (not many) and trees (blummin' loads).

 

First stop was a Saturday meeting with the RSPB group at Nosterfield, which was very empty, both of water and birds. But a nice time with chums and a sunny walk round the lakes. In the end I did see two new spots for 2025 - Golden Plover and Widgeon. Only one more to hit 100!

I was booked in for 2 nights at a stopover at the Castle Arms in a village called Snape - which I'd never heard of but was a revelation! A pretty village, with castle ruins, an interesting chapel and links to Katherine Parr. I had tea in the van, and the next day wandered round the village before a huge Sunday lunch at the pub and then some lolling around doing nothing listening to the rain.

On the Monday it was bright blue skies again, so perfect for Thorp Perrow arboretum and wildlife centre (mainly raptors and meercats). I'd stupidly decided to visit at half-term, during their Halloween trail. But thanks to some advice from the lady at the entrance it was easy enough to avoid the little horrors darlings and do some peaceful wandering. 

The bird centre was slightly depressing, seeing massive birds from hot countries in chilly cages looking glum. I could have cheated and added vultures, kookaburras, eagle owls and more to my bird tally for 2025, but not even I would cheat that badly. 

Isle of Mull - week 2

Monday 8th September

Hopped on the bus to Tobermory and joined Nature Scotland for a minibus trip wildlife spotting. There were seven of us on the bus, with leader Jack. He really knew his stuff, and within the hour we were looking at two white-tailed eagles. Then we were lucky enough to see a female otter with her pups. 

Watching the otters

Golden eagle

The roads were small and high, so again I was glad I wasn't driving! Some beautiful views. And we saw a golden eagle right overhead, very close. Towards the end of the trip we saw another golden eagle. 

We also saw an Irish hare, which was a gorgeous deep copper colour, hooded crows, linnet, fallow and roe deer, yellowhammer, pink footed goose.

The rain came in just as we were driving back to base, and we'd had a fabulous day.

Tuesday 9th

Left the island back to mainland Oban, and filled up with fuel and food. Then I took the back road route through logging territory, down the Kintyre peninsula to Tarbert. I did stop briefly at the Kilmartin museum but they wanted £16!! Too much for a quick visit. The Tarbert site is built in to the side of the hill, and mainly lodges. The cafe wasn't open but had great facilities otherwise. I was hoping for a quiet rest, as I was shattered, but it was like a flippin' racetrack! Vans, lorries and cars zooming up and down past me until 8pm. 

Wednesday 10th

Well the jackhammers started at 7.49. What the chuff? So I very grumpily threw my cable in the van and headed down to Tarbert for my next ferry hop. Excellent cooked breakfast at the Cafe Ca'Dora - beans and haggis on toast. I peered up at the castle briefly but it was cold and rainy so didn't clamber up - Robert the Bruce had stayed there (they think). 

I disembarked from the ferry at Portavadie, and drove through the lovely Kyles of Bute to Dunoon. 

Dunoon is a seaside resort on the Cowal peninsular, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, a bit faded now, but a long and complicated history - visit the Castle House Museum, which has the world's keenest guide, she was lovely. 

Highland Mary (the love of Robert Burns) and Holy Loch submarines are points of interest.

I carried on to Benmore Botanic Gardens, with a fern house and steep hillside planting from Japan, Tibet and Nepal. Also a cafe thank goodness. A red squirrel ran across the road as I left. 

After a tiring day I went off to my final campsite on this trip. It was called Secret Glen, and I approached it with some cynicism I have to say. it was AMAZING! They recommended a pitch near the feeding boxes, and I could park side-on, to watch the red squirrels flitting around for hours. At one point there were 6 of them gambolling about. What a finale to the tour.

Thursday 11th

A lazy day in the van, listening to the rain, doing chores, sewing my cross-stitch, and watching the reds. 

Friday 12th

In to Dunoon for the last ferry - this time a 'turn up and go' run by Western Ferries, a small vessel and a 20 minute hop to Gourlock, near Glasgow. Bought my ticket in the Co-op to save 50%. The Calmac alternative is out of order so there was a hefty queue but they fitted so many on I waited less than an hour. My last view of the holiday was the arse-end of a road truck.

Back in time for tea! 800 miles covered. Celebrated with the traditional pizza and bottle of red. Home is the traveller.