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).
