Tag: national trust

Dorset – Day 3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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Day 3 saw us spending the morning exploring Corfe Castle itself, and trying out some of their delicious coffee shops. Perched high on a natural grassy mound, we walked the ruins of this impressive castle that was largely destroyed in 1646. From up there, we also got a different perspective of the steam train crossing the viaduct below. A lot of the castle is undergoing a £2 million conservation project to stabilise the ruins, which unfortunately means scaffolding and red plastic fencing.. but that doesn’t take away the experience of exploring one of England’s most iconic castle ruins.

We chose ‘By the Castle’ for a coffee and cake stop after admiring the treats every time we walked past. Luckily, it wasn’t just style over substance—the cake was genuinely delicious. And of course, it had to be paired with a flat white.

You can’t visit Dorset without stopping at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove—and that’s exactly how we spent the next few hours. We started at Durdle Door and arrived at the same time as a huge coach load of German tourists. We quickly hurried past them (as they would definitely ruin Momma’s photos), only to discover that access to the beach is currently closed due to storm damage to the steps. So, it was cliff-top views only—but it did mean photos with nobody on the beach. Every cloud!

We headed over to Man O’ War Beach on the opposite side of the headland, as access there is still open. Obviously, everyone else had the same idea, so what’s usually a quieter neighbour to Durdle Door was a little busier than normal. That said, it was still a great spot to watch the waves roll over the pebbles and crash into the rocks.

A word of warning—the walk back up to the car park is a seriously sweaty one. It’s a deceptively steep climb and much harder work than it looks!

After a slight overpayment (by £7.50 😭) at the car park because I read it wrong, we headed over to Lulworth Cove, which for a weekday was surprisingly busy (bloody tourists!) We walked up the hill for a panoramic view of the cove, before heading to the pub for Santa to enjoy another Butcombe, and sharing bowl of patatas bravas.

We decided to finish the day at the beach, but after putting the wrong car park into Maps, we ended up at Ringstead Bay instead of Ringstead Beach. Luckily, it turned out to be a happy accident, as this ended up being one of our favourite walks of the trip.

The walk down to the beach was about a mile, with gorgeous coastal views the whole way—and when we arrived, we had the beach completely to ourselves.

On the way back, we passed St Catherine by the Sea Church, a small, picturesque chapel perched on the clifftops overlooking the bay. It has a tiny graveyard for local residents and those lost at sea – which we thought was interesting criteria!

The final stretch took us past some of the cutest sheep, just as the weather started to close in.

Santa’s Sesh 🎅🏻 Origin IPA – 4.3% from the DBC Brewery – The Greyhound Inn, Corfe Castle

Dorset – Day 2 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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The original plan for today was to head over to Shaftesbury to see Gold Hill (aka Hovis Hill). However, a quick Google revealed it was bin day… which would have completely ruined Momma’s photos! So, with a swift change of plan from the side of the road, we headed instead to Studland Bay for a walk out to Old Harry Rocks.

This is a great walk to do as it’s pretty flat, but you’re rewarded with some seriously spectacular coastal views. Think iconic chalk formations—cliffs, stacks, stumps, and arches. You also get panoramic views over Studland Bay and Bournemouth. We did a 4-mile circular, which also gave us views over Swanage, and of course, the all-important trig bagging!

And what else is important at the end of a hike.. a snack! Joe’s Cafe is a very short detour down onto South Beach, and we sat here enjoying the sound of the waves, with a delicious flat white, sandwich, and a homemade brownie.

We jumped in the car and headed over to Knoll Beach, but unfortunately this is where our weather luck ended. The heavens opened and it absolutely poured with rain. We tried to stick it out as long as possible, but being battered by the wind and rain really isn’t fun.. so we sadly gave up, got back in the car, and drove to a highly rated CAMRA pub. The Square and Compass in Worth Matravers is definitely one of the more quirkier pubs we’ve been to. It’s got that proper old-pub feel, with no fancy bar in sight, just a serving hatch, stone floors, and a charm that makes it feel like it hasn’t changed in decades. Everyone was sat around large tables, or a selection of chairs by the fire. Santa thoroughly enjoyed his pint of Butcombe.

The rain had finally stopped and, with a few hours of the day left, we squeezed in a bit of a whistle-stop tour of Swanage. We started with a wander along the remains of the old pier—restored to keep its heritage charm, it’s perfect for a gentle stroll and a dose of seaside nostalgia.

We headed over to the heritage train station, and although we had just missed the train, we were still able to admire the vintage details, similar to those at Corfe Castle.

I dragged Momma to the 2p machines, where we lost our money in record time, before taking a walk along the beach. We rounded things off with a classic chippy tea and headed back to the Airbnb. Note to self – much more time is needed in Swanage!

Santa’s Sesh 🎅🏻 Square Logic (Eight Arch Brewing Company) a 4.2% Pale Ale in The Fox Inn – Corfe Castle

Gower 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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What to do when I have 2 days off? Have a 24hr adventure obviously! After finishing nights and having a few hours sleep, we packed up the car and headed to Swansea for a night in a cheap Travelodge. We dumped our bags and headed out for some food and a pint at Sessions by Mumbles Brewery. Unfortunately, the chef decided he fancied the day off, which meant no pizza. Luckily, the friendly staff offered to whip up a couple of delicious paninis for us instead. Santa was especially thrilled to hear it was Happy Hour, and got his second pint for free! We then returned to the car, ready to catch the sunset at Three Cliffs Bay.

We parked at the Southgate National Trust car park and embarked on a scenic cliff top walk toward Three Cliffs Bay. The natural light was beautiful, and after about 40 minutes walking, the peaks emerged before us. The seclusion of the area, thanks to the relatively lengthy walk, added to its charm, and there were very few people around. 

I took Momma and Santa down a steep and rocky path leading to the beach, which of course they were thrilled about! The golden sands and blue waters, complete with rock pools and steep cliff edges, created a perfect natural setting, untouched by cafes or shops. 
As we strolled across the beach and ventured through the triangular gap in the rock, we remained mindful of the tide gradually coming in.

After some exploration, we returned to the cliff walk to catch the sunset. It was stunning, with the colours changing every moment. Leaving was difficult, as we wished to linger and fully soak in the atmosphere and picturesque views.

The following morning, after a breakfast at Spoons, we headed back to Three Cliffs Bay, but this time parking at Gower Heritage Centre. Here you can stock up on coffee, cake, ice cream, cider and all sorts of other treats – much needed to fuel a walk to the beach. Starting the walk from this point not only provided a fresh perspective of the beach but also allowed us to take in stunning views of Pennard Castle, and a go on the stepping stones along the way.

We then headed to Rhossili Bay – a consistent favorite in Wales’ Top 10 Beaches. 
It’s backed by dunes and overlooked by 200-metre-high hills and jagged sea cliffs. There’s a large National Trust car park on the clifftop, which of course is free for NT members. As we strolled along the coastal cliffs towards the old coastguards station and Worms Head, we encountered wild horses and their foals grazing peacefully. For those who can plan their visit carefully, it’s possible to cross the causeway to the Worm, but this requires timing it within the two and a half hours surrounding low tide. Since we weren’t able to time our visit for that crossing, we took the opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy the stunning scenery in the sunshine.

Walking back along the cliff, we continued to admire the expansive three-mile beach before stopping by The View for lunch. We were fortunate to secure a bench with, as the café’s name suggests, an incredible view. The
food was absolutely delicious. Momma is already thinking about planning a trip to The Worms Head Hotel to capture the sunrise and sunset—ideal moments for photography!

We had initially planned to visit The Mumbles, but in our quest for adventure, we decided to seek out Whiteford Lighthouse, the only wave-swept cast-iron lighthouse in Britain. Measuring 13 meters tall, this decommissioned lighthouse was constructed in 1865 and is situated at the northern tip of the beach. Whilst we knew reaching the lighthouse would be a challenge, we didn’t anticipate just how much of an effort it would require. We parked in Cwm Ivy and set off through the woods, alongside the salt marsh. This area was reclaimed from the sea in the 17th century for farmland and has been protected by a sea defense that has evolved in size and strength over the years. However, in 2014, the sea wall breached, allowing the waters to reclaim the land and transforming Cwm Ivy from a freshwater marsh into a salt marsh.

We knew we would eventually need to traverse the sand dunes, and we spotted a stile that led into them, which seemed like the logical route. However, we encountered several barbed wire fences along the way. Fortunately, many had been flattened in spots by previous walkers, allowing us to navigate through. We made our way through the spiky Marram grass and finally reached the beach, which was completely deserted. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was still some distance away, and access varied depending on the tide, so we decided to take advantage of Momma’s super zoom for a closer look before we searched for a better route back to the woods. After tackling a few more fences, we ultimately found our way back to a proper path.

Once we made it back to the car, we decided that it would be ambitious to try to fit anything else into our day, so we decided to head home, reflecting on a wonderful 48 hours spent exploring Gower.

Day 3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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I came downstairs this morning to Santa asking Momma, ‘Is this wood too big?’.. luckily, he was referring to the driftwood he got from his morning beach walk to go in the garden.

Inner Farne As we’re so close to Northumberland, it would be rude not to take a boat trip over to Inner Farne. We booked with Serenity and paid £30pp, with the additional landing fee being free as we’re National Trust members (13pp for non-members). The tour sails around all of the Farne Islands, then lands on the breeding seabird heaven that is Inner Farne. Momma was buzzing to be snapping away, especially after the camera incident whilst in Antarctica 😬 David Attenborough says this is one of his favourite places in the UK to see magnificent nature, and he’s certainly got that right! On our way to the islands, we were surrounded by many different species of birds bobbing on the sea and swooping in the skies above.

We sailed passed Staple Island which was overtaken by guillemots and kittiwakes, and then headed off to see the seals who were either lazing on the rocks or bobbing inquisitively in the sea. There are an estimated 3,000-4,000 Grey Seals in the Farne Islands!

Next was Longstone Lighthouse, where Grace Darling lived. At the age of 22, she gained national notoriety for her bravery for the part she played in the rescue of survivors from a wrecked merchant ship in 1838. Along with her father, they saved nine people from the wreck of the ‘Forfarshire’ that ran into a horrendous storm on its way to Dundee.

The landing on Inner Farne is 1 hour treat of seabirds.. but first you have to get past the Arctic Tern’s! Luckily, it was raining, which meant our heads were protected by our hoods.. they are incredibly territorial and are only trying to protect their young, but having them swoop, peck, and attack is absolutely terrifying at first! I don’t think any of us have ever walked to the toilet so fast!

Puffins are the star of the show here, and they are absolutely everywhere! Seeing them running around with their bill full of sand eels is an absolute joy to watch. Every year, they return to the Farne Islands for a short window of breeding and raising their young. This is usually between April to late July with the peak time being between May and June.

Other birds we saw inclide razorbills, black headed gulls, and my personal favourite – a shag.

Twizel Before heading back to Eyemouth, we consulted the Alltrails and found a circular that included a castle, a viaduct and a bridge. Twizel Castle is Grade II listed, but all that remains now is a shell of a folly that has been overtaken by nature. Unfortunately it’s too dangerous to explore inside and is completely fenced off, but you can still get close enough to imagine what it would have been like back in 1415 when it was held by Sir John Heron.

The walk continues along the River Tweed, before turning to following the River Till. It’s a very peaceful walk, with just the sound of the river and singing birds. The next highlight is the viaduct, which saw its last train in March 1965, and the track has since been removed. Unfortunately it’s very overgrown so difficult to appreciate it in all its glory.

At the end of the walk we were treated to the Twizel Bridge – completed in 1511, this bridge was the largest single span arch in Britain (90 feet) and remained so until 1727. The bridge carried the main A698 road from Hawick to Berwick-upon-Tweed until 1983, when a modern bridge was completed immediately to the south.

We finished off another fabulous day with a walk around Eyemouth and a big, dirty Chinese feast!

The Norwegian adventure begins… Via the National Trust ⛴

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What do you do when you’re 4 hours early for a flight? Find the local trust and have a mooch. Luckily for us there is one just round the corner from Manchester Airport! Quarry bank site is huge so one we will definitely return to, but probably in the summer as it was a little bit dead and crispy today.

So I’m currently sat in out little cabin, or ‘cell’ as I like to call it on my fold out bed and we’ve not long set sail. Luckily dinner tonight was a buffet so I managed to avoid the array of fishy fish. Tomorrow however is when the set menu starts, therefore operation loose a stone also begins.

Stonehenge

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Today we drove to see the famous stone circle; Stonehenge. Considering it was November, the weather was absolutely beautiful. It was so hot at one point, the coats came off! Something to bear in mind, if you are English National Trust members, you get in for free! Just remember to pre-book.

It’s quite a long walk (just under 2 miles) from the car park up to the stones, so for those who don’t fancy it there is a free shuttle bus. If you don’t mind the walk, you can either follow the road or walk through the neighbouring fields.

As we were incredibly lucky with the weather, the stones looked even more impressive againt the vivid blue sky. Unfortunately you can’t go right up to them but you can get close enough to really appreciate the scale of them. There is so much history here and you can learn about it from guidebooks, audioguides or reading the array of boards around the site.

Obviously after our long walk we had to sample the cafe. My advice is to take your own! Unfortunately is was very busy, very overpriced and very dirty tables. Although it was nice food, it’s not worth the price tag.

Whilst in the area it’s worth checking out the other English Heritage area; Woodhenge. About 10/15 minute drive from Stonehenge it’s another atmospheric Neolithic site. There isn’t much here but if time allows you to, come at sunset as the area looks much more dramatic. The parking is free, although not much of it.