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.