Tag: Staycation

Northumberland day 4 🌳

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A little bit late to the blog party for yesterday’s activities!

The morning was spent doing a walk which I found on Alltrails (if you don’t have this app, I highly recommend it!) and it was a lovely 3.5 mile loop to bag another trig point. We were treated to amazing views of The Cheviots, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh and this would be the perfect place for a sunrise or sunset. It also featured St Cuthberts Cave; an overhanging outcrop of Sandstone rock, supported by an isolated pillar of stone and surrounded in mystery due to its spiritual past. Unfortunately due to some idiots it has got quite a lot of fire damage so is recommended not to enter the cave, but it is still a very interesting site to walk around.

The last part of the walk was very overgrown so we had to go a different way back to the car. This meant we were later than planned getting back and ready to head to Cragside (thanks to Debbie for this recommendation) and wow the place was absolutely enormous! You definitely need a whole day here to explore and not just the few hours that we had. There is an option to do a 6 mile drive around the grounds but we opted for a walk to the house and formal gardens. It is definitely like stepping into another world, with its craggy and forested landscape giving off North American vibes. The queue for the cafe however was enormous, so bear this in mind and consider taking a picnic.

To finish off Momma’s birthday celebrations we had lunch in a treehouse! There are plenty of menu menu options here and we opted for the three course set menu 🐷 Santa enjoyed an Alnwick IPA and we toasted the occasion with a bellini. The restaurant was very quirky and decorated with hundreds of fairy lights and was the perfect setting for a celebration 🍾

We visited many beaches during our stay but the one at Bamburgh was out firm favourite, so we decided to return here for a few beers and a Schloer! It was the perfect way to end our adventure and another part of the UK ticked off.

Day 5 – This morning we started with a Full English at a farm shop which was definitely worth the wait. Momma and Poppa left us to head home whilst myself and Mark (who joined us yesterday post nights!) head to Newcastle to watch the Mighty Magpies (🤣🤣) take on Leeds tonight.

Northumberland day 3 🏰

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Mummy and Daddy decided to get up super early for a sunrise this morning. I chose not to see 5am as this only happens on night shifts or airport runs!

There was no need for the emergency jumper today as it was scorching! This morning we drove to Craster; a small little fishing village and the start of the beautiful coastal walk to Dunstanburgh Castle. Parking was a bit of a nightmare as it’s super busy, the car park machine only takes coins and there is absolutely no signal so you can’t pay on the app – so bear this in mind if you ever visit. We hadn’t planned on spending so long here, but being an English Heritage Site means free entry for members! It was worth the twitchy arse climb up the stone spiral staircase for views of the wave battered coastline. Again there is a vast variety of seabirds, particularly gulls. So don’t forget your binoculars! After the walk we went to the Shoreline cafe for a coffee and a cake. There aren’t many places to eat here so be prepared for a queue, however it was so worth it as the cakes were delicious.

Next on the list was Amble, another fishing town and a very fragrant one! If you like seafood then this is the place for you. Unfortunately we do not.. so quickly whipped around the pier to the lighthouse and back to the car. The High St was full of independent shops and it was so lovely to not have a Costa in sight!

As we were driving to Amble we drove through a gorgeous village called Warkworth, so we had to stop for an explore. The giant sign saying brew house also helped! We had a lovely walk to the church, medieval Bridge and another castle (did you know, Northumberland has 70 of them!) and of course stopped for a beverage. Santa enjoyed 2 local brews with views of the castle.

This evening we went for a drive following a recommendation from the Airbnb owner. The sunset over the Cheviots was stunning and it was great to have a different view other than coast and castles.

Dinner was finally something other than Co-op! We managed to get a chippy, and wow it was one of the best we have ever had.

Northumberland day 2 🏰

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Our poor little trotters! Today has been very packed and we have walked 14 miles. This morning we headed to Berwick to check out the Royal Border Bridge; a grade 1 listed railway viaduct. The river was well behaved and gave some fabulous reflection shots, which of course momma loved. We then headed to the lighthouse and it was a twitchers heaven! The area surrounding the lighthouse was rich in seabirds and is definitely somewhere you could sit with a picnic and pair of binoculars. I think we probably saw more varieties of seabirds than when we were on Skomer.

When in Northumberland you have to visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne – it’s the law! The constant signs to check the tide times gives you slightly twitchy arse, but as long as you know you will be treated to a lovely walk around the island. As the castle is a new trust and another stamp in the passport, we made sure we had our slot chosen. Luckily we managed to shimmy in before the ridiculously large tour group beat us to it. As well being steeped in history, it gives great views over the island. Its not a dramatic walk, but is perfect if you love the coastal air.

Back in the Juke, across the Lindisfarne Causeway and onto Seahouses – the gateway to the Northumberland Coast. Its full of pretty fishing boats and more seabirds, and the most important thing; a doughnut van! We stopped here for a beverage and Santa was most excited to find they had Directors on tap. The Olde Ship Inn was perfect for a rest and views of Farne Island.

The final stop for today was exploring Bamburgh and the beach surrounding the castle. As I still didn’t have a coat, I had to be an honorary Imp and wear Santas Lincoln City top! The sky and light tonight was very dramatic and the photos just don’t do it justice. You can’t beat a walk along the beach with the noise of crashing waves and a fabulous castle in the distance. There is a lovely walk to the lighthouse to see Stag Rock and back along to the castle and it was definitely worth doing this at sunset.

We had hoped for a pub meal tonight, however the first pub in the village stopped serving food at 7:30 (and did look a bit local shop for local people!) the second doesn’t serve food in the week and the third didn’t have a chef! Thank god for the local Co-Op!

En route to Northumberland 🧭

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Another week of annual leave means another week of exploring somewhere new! Luckily my Grandparents used to be B&B owners so we were sent on our way with a top notch breaky. Within 5 mins of the journey we realised that the Trust we had planned to break up the 5hr drive was closed 😭 so a quick re-think meant Fountains Abbey was our new stop point.

Over the past 18 months we have visited a fair few Abbey’s, but this was certainly one of the best! It is absolutely enormous. There is a lovely walk around the grounds and the river, and plenty of willies on statues to keep you occupied 🍆 with loads of water around there is so many chances for a reflection photo – perfect for the Gram 😉 this is definitely a must visit for anyone going to North Yorkshire.

Unfortunately I forgot how much colder it is Up North and how 18 degrees actually feels like -10. Luckily Ripon had a Mountain Warehouse so I was able to get an emergency fleece 🤣 and thankfully Momma also packed x2 coats. Whilst in the area it would also be rude to not have a look around the Cathedral, where there’s beautiful display of 10,000 origami angels – a dedication to key workers and loved ones.

Back to the Juke and we headed to our final destination – Belford. We have the most fabulous Airbnb and we are very much looking forward to calling this home for the week.

Pembrokeshire day 4 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Today we did a coastal road trip and spent most of it fog dodging! We have been quite lucky for most of the day, but it definitely caught up with us this evening making the coastal roads a total joy to drive on.

This morning we started in Tresaith to hunt down the beach waterfall. As is tradition with this trip, we couldn’t find the car park. If anyone decides to visit here, keep an eye out for the A5 sized sign which is just past the bus stop. I promise it’s a car park and not a building site like we originally thought 🤣 head to the beach and climb over the rocks to the right and you’ll find the fabulous falls that cascade on to the beach. There’s also a burger van with a very enthusiastic chap so it’s well worth spending time here.

Our next stop was the Dinas Head coastal walk. Luckily the fog was clearing by this point so we were able to actually see some of the views! We also managed to bag another trig. It’s a fantastic 3 mile walk which I would definitely recommend. And an added bonus.. there’s a pub at the car park overlooking the beach ⛱

Next stop.. Fishguard and time to wrap up as the temperature had definitely dropped. We had a little walk around the harbour before heading to another watering hole for a delicious burger and a real ale for Santa.

Back on the road and to St David’s- the smallest city in the UK. The fog was particularly thick now, but this meant the cathedral looked a lot more dramatic. Luckily there was a group of lads lads lads making a vlog, so we had a cheeky earwig to learn all about the place. Unfortunately we got there after 5pm so santa was unable to have a mooch around the cathedral. But it was still great to see it from the outside.

The last stop was a walk around Carew Castle, which again looked very dramatic against a misty backdrop. Parking here is free! And even after opening hours you are still able to get a very good view of the ruins.

Santa’s Sesh 🎅🏻 Santa enjoyed Jemima’s Pitchfork. A 4.5% ale named after the Welsh heroine Jemima Nicholas. A man of many words.. he described it as very very good 👍 and he’s currently munching on his 4th Welsh Cake of the day 🐷

Pembrokeshire day 3 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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From glorious sunshine to thick fog and rain. Not the conditions we wanted for today; however it turns out seabirds love this weather! One good thing about Rona is they have now set up a booking system for Skomer rather than turning up at 6am hoping to be one of the lucky few on the island that day.

After a rather choppy boat ride across we arrived at Skomer and got our first glimpse of the puffins. Skomer isn’t all about the puffins however, and we were lucky today to see…

  • Manx Shearwater (these are usually out at night so incredibly lucky to see them)
  • Kittiwake
  • Variety of crows
  • Gannet
  • Oystercatcher
  • Shag
  • Guillemot
  • Razorback
  • Grey seal
  • Variety of plant life

The island is also home to a wide variety of gulls. It was lovely seeing them in their natural habitat, and not feeding on McDonald’s out of the bins outside the Guildhall in Worcester!

Despite the weather we still had a fantastic day. If you want to experience an island that is rich in seabirds, wildlife, plant life and all things nature then you need to jump at the chance of being one of the 250 allowed per day.

https://www.pembrokeshire-islands.co.uk/boat-trips/land-on-skomer/

We finished our soggy day off with a fabulous meal next to Pembroke Castle. Unfortunately they didn’t have any local cask ale, so Santa settled for one of our local beers- Hobgoblin!

Pembrokeshire day 2 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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This morning was all about coastal Trusting again. The car park however was a nightmare to find and a nightmare to drive in to. I’m convinced I’ve done rather a lot of damage to my car thanks to the million pot holes in the road!

We started with the Lydstep circular which gave us more spectacular views across Pembrokeshire, then headed along the coastal path to Church Door Cove. The steps up and down certainly got the old ticker going! It was a gorgeous cove with more unsual rock formations (for those who went to high school with me.. this certainly would be in Miss Humphries’ wank bank) Make sure you check tide times if you plan on visiting here.

This afternoon was all about Tenby. After lunch in a pub which had its own brewery (obvs) we headed to the beach for a spot of sunbathing and an obligatory ice cream. Unfortunately I am now one crispy ginger because I neglected the factor 30 again.. Tenby is full of charm, colourful houses, and one of the most pissy smelling multistorey car parks. I particularly enjoyed the shop selling Center Parcs rubber rings outside. I’m intrigued to know how they acquired these!

This evening we visited St Govans Chapel which is build into the cliff side. Legend has it that if you count the steps on the way down and up, the number is never the same. Unfortunately mid way, somebody decided to talk to Santa about his football shirt which totally threw the count. This is definitely worth visiting as it’s so unique!

On the way back to our gaff we stopped by Freshwater West again – this time to visit the grave of Dobby. Yes it’s just a pile of rocks for a fictional character.. but just reading the tributes on the rocks shows how much the world of Harry Potter means to people. In the words of Dobby – it’s such a beautiful place, to be with friends.

We finished off our super long day with alcohol beverages on the beach. Such lads lads lads!

Santa’s sesh 🎅🏻 Lunch & beer was at Harbwr in Tenby with its own brewery. Santa enjoyed the Caldey Lollipop – a 4.5% American style IPA. He’s purchased yet another glass to go with his ever growing collection 🍺

Pembrokeshire day 1 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Today we were meant to be arriving at the airport 5 hours early to board a plane for attempt number 2 of our Croatian adventure. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.. so we jumped in the Seat Leon and along the M4 to Wales.

We are staying in Freshwater East; so decided to keep today nice and local and explore the coastline around Barafundle Bay. After firing up the Alltrails we found a 6 mile walk (including the instagramable Lily Pond) and set out for our first adventure. The views were spectacular and luckily so was the weather. A mixture of coastal national park, beaches, woodland and the most enormous lake made it one of our most varied and enjoyable walks.

As its the law to have fish and chips when you’re by the sea, we grabbed a takeaway from Pembroke and took our greasy feast to Freshwater West. Although a fair few chips did end up on the beach.. we still enjoyed the obligatory meal and finished the day off with the beautiful sky.

Staycation day 3

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Today I’ve been a bad ginger and totally forgot to put suncream on…

This morning we went to have a look at some of the stations on the West Somerset Railway line – you can’t beat an old fashioned station! Unfortunately due to Rona, all the stations are locked and you are unable to get a decent look without potentially getting a cheeky fine. As we all know about our ‘fine history’, we decided not to chance it.

As we were heading home today, we chose Glastonbury as our stop. Surprisingly none of us have ever been! It certainly is a quirky place.. there is a constant smell of insence wafting down the street and so many people walk around with bare feet! If boho is your vibe then this is definitely the place for you. Obviously we had to climb Glastonbury Tor and the views were amazing. On a clear day, which for once we were lucky with today, you can see for miles. Unfortunately most of the people I moved out of the way for (to ensure social distancing) on the narrow path up/down didn’t say thank you! Not even a nod of acknowledgement..

I have often driven up/down the M5 and wondered what the big grass mound is and J22. Well know I know its called Brent Knoll and its a little bitch to climb! Thank god for the practice in the lakes. Although it’s not a long walk, it certainly is steep in parts. But so worth it as it offers views for miles! This was where we decided to picnic. Unfortunately half way through my coronation chicken sandwich, and after a discussion about the smell I realised I trodden in dog shit. Why people cannot pick it up is beyond me. It totally ruined my favourite lunch!

No pub for Santa today.. can you actually believe it! Its been a lovely few days in Somerset and was a county we have loved exploring!

Staycation day 2

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Today we totally misread the weather and all headed out in jeans. Massive mistake!

This morning was spent in Dunster, which of course is home to another new trust. Dunster Castle sits on top of a steep hill so offers great views of the Bristol Channel and surrounding area. It operates a one way system, which does involve some queueing to get into the castle, but it is definitely worth it. There is also a lovely river garden walk, where Santa found out that gunnera’s are also known as dinosaur food 🦕 and he has not stopped going on about this all day! From the castle you can head down the hill into Dunster village which is full of cute shops and cafes. Unfortunately most of them were closed… but we managed to find one with lovely views of the castle and we enjoyed an obligatory cream tea!

Dunster Castle

As the weather was super scorchio we decided to head to Dunster Beach. Unfortunately it seems I’ve turned into a bit of a beach snob.. it wasn’t Cornish standard but was still nice to walk along. And parking on the road adds a free cheeky bonus when you’re feeling a bit tight 😉

Due to our attire error, we had to return to horse caravan to change into something a bit more appropriate! The afternoon and evening was spent in a beautiful yet quirky little place called Porlock Wier; and a much nicer (pebble) beach. For those with pooches, this is a dog friendly beach 🐕

Porlock Wier

There are a few options for food so we went with The (bottom) Ship Inn. Santa was loving the beer selection and went with an Exmoor Ale 5.2% The fish and chips was lovely and it had a great selection of puddings – and not bad prices either!

Tomorrow is the last day of mini Staycation and we have to be out of horse caravan by 9am!! Gutted as I do enjoy a lie in.. and still no idea what the plan is for tomorrow!