Friday 18th September
We spent an hour in the garden clearing the bottom corner and then went to the organic farm to get some meat for Sunday and some lunch for today.
We drove to Kegworth where we parked by the canal. We started by walking across a ploughed field towards the railway where we had to go under a very low tunnel. I could just about walk upright but John had to duck. We carried on across fields emerging onto the road at Kingston. After finding a cache we sat by the memorial and ate our lunch - bacon puffs and a scone. We found the next footpath which went between some lovely cottages with pretty gardens. We crossed a little bridge and watched some fish and then headed towards the power station. We crossed another bridge where another cache was found and John spotted a yellow frog. We continued along the footpath towards the power station and then followed a zig zag path through lovely woodland and then across rough ground to the road.
The map was very unclear at this point and we headed towards the A453 but decided it was wrong so headed back but still could not find a path. We went into Ratcliffe village and found the path which was very overgrown but which went past a garden with llamas. The footpath signs disappeared and we suddenly came face to face with some very big and loud dogs. We hastily retraced our steps but could still not find the correct path through. Consulting the map we found a different way through but when we found ourselves at the river there was no way across so we walked back up onto the A453, crossed the bridge over the river and eventually found our way down onto the other side of the river. We enjoyed the stroll down the river watching the ducks and swans. We reached the canal and crossed back to the car after 8.1km.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Saturday 17 October 2009
Llandudno 3rd to 11th September
Thursday 3rd September
We had a slow morning but were eventually packed and ready to go by about 11.30. When going to the car, I heard a dreadful commotion, it was a sparrowhawk with a blackbird. As I moved the hawk dropped the blackbird who hid in the hedge. I then could not find my house keys so we spent ages looking for them,they were eventually found tucked in a map on the floor of the car. We left home at 12.20 and arrived at Llandudno at about 3 having stopped for a sandwich and taken a wrong turn which luckily we could turn round in a petrol station. We are staying on Bodolfan fields which is right on the promenade. It is a THS run by the BCC-ribblesdale section. It was very windy, the tail end of hurrican Bob, so we did not put up the awning this time.
Saturday 5th September
I popped out to get some rolls and Emily and Mike arrived whilst I was out. They were staying at Penmaenwahr in Sylvia and Jeffs caravan. We had a cup of tea and then walked along the prom and took the tram up to the top of Great Orme.
It is a cable tram ride in two parts. You have to get off halfway up to get onto another tram which takes you to the top. We had lunch in the café and then strolled around the top which was very windy. 
We found a couple of caches and then headed back down on the tram. Emily and Mike went back to change and shower and then we went out to find a restaurant for dinner. We went into a Mediteranean restaurant with a good selection of meals. Emily and I had tovuk rule, which was chicken with spinach and walnuts in a cream sauce. John had swordfish and Mike had sea bass.
Monday 7th September
It was a very windy night, but surprisingly warm and dry when we got up. We decided on a walk around Great Orme. I packed a picnic - Mike had bought us pork pies yesterday, and we set off along the prom. We walked towards Happy Valley and headed up through the gardens. After finding a cache we sat and ate our pork pies, enjoying the views. It was very warm, and we had worn coats thinking it would be windy so overheated a bit.
We climbed past the ski slope and followed the path towards St Tudno church. We diverted through the heather to find a cache, and then went down to the church. It was very small and pretty but had a very large cemetary, considering there is only a small population on the Orme. We were pointed towards an unusual grave of a lady, Buzzin Bee, Ms Hot Rod of the 20's who buzzed round Wales on her Beezer bike. Her gravestone was a motorbike wheel with wings.
We headed from the churchyard up towards the summit stopping under the cablecars, which were running, to eat a muffin, and then headed to the summit café for a cup of tea. We walked off the top and explored a small disused quarry where the rocks were full of fossils of big shells.
We had collected all the information for a multicache, so set off on a pleasant walk around the headland. The views were stunning and the heather and gorse beautiful. As we approached the cache area we walked through sheep tracks in the heather and finally found the right place, an ammo box hidden in the gorse. We had a lovely view of the lighthouse which was castellated!
After this we headed back towards the church and then followed the tram lines back down to Llandudno. It was very steep walking down the hill. We had walked 16km.
Tuesday 8th September
It was a lovely day so we decided to finish our walk at Conwy that we had started on Sunday. The entrance into Conwy is stunning as you drive over the river and beside the castle. We parked near the castle and walked into the town to buy some huntsmans pies from the butchers. We then found a path heading along the shore. We diverted into Bodlonbed woods to find a cache, where we had very good views across the sea.
We followed the path to the marina where we stopped to eat our pie whilst watching a shag. As we walked off to find a cache we disturbed a flock of lapwings -2 adults and several young. We walked round to the marina again to pick up a clue about the wartime Mulberry harbours. This clue led us back into the town and then out the other side, up a very steep hill to a trig point. We found the cache and enjoyed an alternative view of the castle.
We finished with a walk around the town walls and then went for a drink at the Liverpool Arms near the harbour. We had fish and chips sitting on the harbour walls whilst watching the birds.
Wednesday 9th September
We had a quiet morning, it was sunny but very windy. In the afternoon we decided on a walk to Little Orme.
We walked across the road from the site and found Bay View cache, and then walked along the road to enter a nature reserve. We walked to the trig point on Little Orme and then across the top to find a cache. We then followed the North Wales footpath to find another cache and walked around the cliff top looking for another. Unfortunately it was 50m away at sea level and we could not see a way down. We back tracked and followed a path down an inclined plane to the sea. We found the cache and then tried to work out how to get back. We decided to go back up the inclined plane and follow the NW path. It started to rain near the top and then the path disappeared. The rain got heavier, we were soaked and unsure of the way. I spotted the trig point and we followed my instincts which were right. We eventually regained the right path and got back to the van, soaked through having walked just 7.84km.
Thursday 10th September
It was a beautifully day so we decided to stay a bit longer rather than go home. We decided on a day on Anglesey starting by driving to Beaumaris, where we strolled along the water and round the castle. After lunch we drove to Din Lligwy where we stopped to do the neolithic village and butial chamber earth caches.
They were very atmospheric. We drove down to the beach and walked along the coast path for a while and then decided to drive home.
We had a slow morning but were eventually packed and ready to go by about 11.30. When going to the car, I heard a dreadful commotion, it was a sparrowhawk with a blackbird. As I moved the hawk dropped the blackbird who hid in the hedge. I then could not find my house keys so we spent ages looking for them,they were eventually found tucked in a map on the floor of the car. We left home at 12.20 and arrived at Llandudno at about 3 having stopped for a sandwich and taken a wrong turn which luckily we could turn round in a petrol station. We are staying on Bodolfan fields which is right on the promenade. It is a THS run by the BCC-ribblesdale section. It was very windy, the tail end of hurrican Bob, so we did not put up the awning this time.
Saturday 5th September
I popped out to get some rolls and Emily and Mike arrived whilst I was out. They were staying at Penmaenwahr in Sylvia and Jeffs caravan. We had a cup of tea and then walked along the prom and took the tram up to the top of Great Orme.
It is a cable tram ride in two parts. You have to get off halfway up to get onto another tram which takes you to the top. We had lunch in the café and then strolled around the top which was very windy. We found a couple of caches and then headed back down on the tram. Emily and Mike went back to change and shower and then we went out to find a restaurant for dinner. We went into a Mediteranean restaurant with a good selection of meals. Emily and I had tovuk rule, which was chicken with spinach and walnuts in a cream sauce. John had swordfish and Mike had sea bass.Monday 7th September
It was a very windy night, but surprisingly warm and dry when we got up. We decided on a walk around Great Orme. I packed a picnic - Mike had bought us pork pies yesterday, and we set off along the prom. We walked towards Happy Valley and headed up through the gardens. After finding a cache we sat and ate our pork pies, enjoying the views. It was very warm, and we had worn coats thinking it would be windy so overheated a bit.
We climbed past the ski slope and followed the path towards St Tudno church. We diverted through the heather to find a cache, and then went down to the church. It was very small and pretty but had a very large cemetary, considering there is only a small population on the Orme. We were pointed towards an unusual grave of a lady, Buzzin Bee, Ms Hot Rod of the 20's who buzzed round Wales on her Beezer bike. Her gravestone was a motorbike wheel with wings.
We headed from the churchyard up towards the summit stopping under the cablecars, which were running, to eat a muffin, and then headed to the summit café for a cup of tea. We walked off the top and explored a small disused quarry where the rocks were full of fossils of big shells.
We had collected all the information for a multicache, so set off on a pleasant walk around the headland. The views were stunning and the heather and gorse beautiful. As we approached the cache area we walked through sheep tracks in the heather and finally found the right place, an ammo box hidden in the gorse. We had a lovely view of the lighthouse which was castellated!
After this we headed back towards the church and then followed the tram lines back down to Llandudno. It was very steep walking down the hill. We had walked 16km.Tuesday 8th September
It was a lovely day so we decided to finish our walk at Conwy that we had started on Sunday. The entrance into Conwy is stunning as you drive over the river and beside the castle. We parked near the castle and walked into the town to buy some huntsmans pies from the butchers. We then found a path heading along the shore. We diverted into Bodlonbed woods to find a cache, where we had very good views across the sea.
We followed the path to the marina where we stopped to eat our pie whilst watching a shag. As we walked off to find a cache we disturbed a flock of lapwings -2 adults and several young. We walked round to the marina again to pick up a clue about the wartime Mulberry harbours. This clue led us back into the town and then out the other side, up a very steep hill to a trig point. We found the cache and enjoyed an alternative view of the castle.
We finished with a walk around the town walls and then went for a drink at the Liverpool Arms near the harbour. We had fish and chips sitting on the harbour walls whilst watching the birds.Wednesday 9th September
We had a quiet morning, it was sunny but very windy. In the afternoon we decided on a walk to Little Orme.
We walked across the road from the site and found Bay View cache, and then walked along the road to enter a nature reserve. We walked to the trig point on Little Orme and then across the top to find a cache. We then followed the North Wales footpath to find another cache and walked around the cliff top looking for another. Unfortunately it was 50m away at sea level and we could not see a way down. We back tracked and followed a path down an inclined plane to the sea. We found the cache and then tried to work out how to get back. We decided to go back up the inclined plane and follow the NW path. It started to rain near the top and then the path disappeared. The rain got heavier, we were soaked and unsure of the way. I spotted the trig point and we followed my instincts which were right. We eventually regained the right path and got back to the van, soaked through having walked just 7.84km.
Thursday 10th September
It was a beautifully day so we decided to stay a bit longer rather than go home. We decided on a day on Anglesey starting by driving to Beaumaris, where we strolled along the water and round the castle. After lunch we drove to Din Lligwy where we stopped to do the neolithic village and butial chamber earth caches.
They were very atmospheric. We drove down to the beach and walked along the coast path for a while and then decided to drive home.Thursday 15 October 2009
South West Holiday: Powderham Castle, Devon - edited highlights
Sunday 16th August
It was the last day of the Temporary Holiday Site so after going to the DA coffee morning we hitched up and set off. We decided not to go to Cornwall as it would be too long a drive along busy, narrow roads but headed instead to Powderham castle, near Exeter. The journey was very good until the end when I missed the turning. We ended up driving to Dawlish before we found a place to turn round. We set up in the middle of the field with a view of the river,the deer park and the castle.
Tuesday 18th August
After breakfast we set off for a walk along the river. We crossed the camping field and left at the footpath onto the road. We followed the quiet lane to Powderham church which we could not look round as it was locked but did have a chat with a couple with a batty boxer dog. We then went to look for a cache but found another couple in the place we were looking. It turned out they were cachers called HikerCAI. We were wondering how to get the cache which was called Go Commando, and decided we had to "crawl" under the bridge. We made it under, it was very low, pebbly and seaweedy, and found the cache on the other side. Hiker returned under the bridge but we walked North along the shore line and were able to get up onto the cyclepath a bit further on. We found the next cache "Lonesome pine" which John went to get as there were cows nearby. We then walked on to the Turf Hotel where we met HikerCaI again and sat with them while we all had lovely crab sandwiches. We left after Hiker CaI and followed the canal towpath to the next two caches. The path was very uneven and we could tell that it had been very muddy as there were very deep cracks in the path. We followed the towpath up to the Olde Topsham lock, where I discovered we were only 100m from another cache. We found that and then crossed the bridge and headed across fields to the Exminster marshes reserve. We found the Exminster RAF cache and then walked down the lane which took us back to the canal. We walked back past the Turf and back to the caravan talking to some birdwatchers on the way who said there was an osprey in the area. We saw lots of egrets and a heron but no osprey. We walked about 12km.
Friday 21st August
Today we went for a walk in the Haldon forest. We followed the directions to the start of a cache where we found a car park. As we got there it started to rain so we sat in the car and ate our rolls. When it stopped raining we followed the clues for a multicache around the sensory trail. The views from the obelisk were wonderful - across to Dawlish, Exmouth and beyond.
We finished off the sensory trail,dodging the showers and getting bounced by a dog with muddy paws. The final cache turned out to be near the carpark. We left the forest and drove toward Teignmouth. We parked in Little Haldon (NT), as it looked an interesting area on the map, and discovered there was a cache 60m away. It was a small offset so we walked off to do it. My gps said it was 100m E, Johns said 30m N, we checked Johns first and it was definitely wrong. We eventually found the cache and found there was another 500m away. We walked along the path and found Lidwell chapel ruins in a small wooded area in the middle of a field. It was very muddy and overgrown but we found the cache.
Saturday 22nd August
We pottered around in the morning and then decided on a walk around Exminster. We parked at Exminster marshes and walked across the marshes for a while, across a field of cows - very brave, and then emerged into Exminster, which was quite a pretty small town with lots of thatched houses. We took a footpath between houses and found a small cache and then walked beside the church but didn't find the way in. We walked across a road bridge, finding another cache. We walked beside the railway and headed towards the motorway bridge. We were in search of a cache called Kerplunk. John found the cache which was a long tube with cocktail sticks, in the bottom was a film cannister. We had to feed a magnet down and pull the cannister back up, feeding it through the sticks. It was more difficult than it sounds and took about 1o minutes to extract the canister and 15 minutes to feed it back in. After playing for a bit we walked on only to find that the footpath under the motorway had been blocked by workmen. We managed to get to the footpath by climbing over the fence but the path had obviously been blocked for a while as it was very overgrown. We worked our way through and then managed to find the way under the M5 and onto the canal path. We walked down the towpath to Topsham lock and then across the fields back to Exminster marshes.
We left for home on the 25th having had 3 weeks holiday for total site fees of £150 - not bad!
It was the last day of the Temporary Holiday Site so after going to the DA coffee morning we hitched up and set off. We decided not to go to Cornwall as it would be too long a drive along busy, narrow roads but headed instead to Powderham castle, near Exeter. The journey was very good until the end when I missed the turning. We ended up driving to Dawlish before we found a place to turn round. We set up in the middle of the field with a view of the river,the deer park and the castle.
Tuesday 18th August
After breakfast we set off for a walk along the river. We crossed the camping field and left at the footpath onto the road. We followed the quiet lane to Powderham church which we could not look round as it was locked but did have a chat with a couple with a batty boxer dog. We then went to look for a cache but found another couple in the place we were looking. It turned out they were cachers called HikerCAI. We were wondering how to get the cache which was called Go Commando, and decided we had to "crawl" under the bridge. We made it under, it was very low, pebbly and seaweedy, and found the cache on the other side. Hiker returned under the bridge but we walked North along the shore line and were able to get up onto the cyclepath a bit further on. We found the next cache "Lonesome pine" which John went to get as there were cows nearby. We then walked on to the Turf Hotel where we met HikerCaI again and sat with them while we all had lovely crab sandwiches. We left after Hiker CaI and followed the canal towpath to the next two caches. The path was very uneven and we could tell that it had been very muddy as there were very deep cracks in the path. We followed the towpath up to the Olde Topsham lock, where I discovered we were only 100m from another cache. We found that and then crossed the bridge and headed across fields to the Exminster marshes reserve. We found the Exminster RAF cache and then walked down the lane which took us back to the canal. We walked back past the Turf and back to the caravan talking to some birdwatchers on the way who said there was an osprey in the area. We saw lots of egrets and a heron but no osprey. We walked about 12km.
Friday 21st August
Today we went for a walk in the Haldon forest. We followed the directions to the start of a cache where we found a car park. As we got there it started to rain so we sat in the car and ate our rolls. When it stopped raining we followed the clues for a multicache around the sensory trail. The views from the obelisk were wonderful - across to Dawlish, Exmouth and beyond.
We finished off the sensory trail,dodging the showers and getting bounced by a dog with muddy paws. The final cache turned out to be near the carpark. We left the forest and drove toward Teignmouth. We parked in Little Haldon (NT), as it looked an interesting area on the map, and discovered there was a cache 60m away. It was a small offset so we walked off to do it. My gps said it was 100m E, Johns said 30m N, we checked Johns first and it was definitely wrong. We eventually found the cache and found there was another 500m away. We walked along the path and found Lidwell chapel ruins in a small wooded area in the middle of a field. It was very muddy and overgrown but we found the cache.Saturday 22nd August
We pottered around in the morning and then decided on a walk around Exminster. We parked at Exminster marshes and walked across the marshes for a while, across a field of cows - very brave, and then emerged into Exminster, which was quite a pretty small town with lots of thatched houses. We took a footpath between houses and found a small cache and then walked beside the church but didn't find the way in. We walked across a road bridge, finding another cache. We walked beside the railway and headed towards the motorway bridge. We were in search of a cache called Kerplunk. John found the cache which was a long tube with cocktail sticks, in the bottom was a film cannister. We had to feed a magnet down and pull the cannister back up, feeding it through the sticks. It was more difficult than it sounds and took about 1o minutes to extract the canister and 15 minutes to feed it back in. After playing for a bit we walked on only to find that the footpath under the motorway had been blocked by workmen. We managed to get to the footpath by climbing over the fence but the path had obviously been blocked for a while as it was very overgrown. We worked our way through and then managed to find the way under the M5 and onto the canal path. We walked down the towpath to Topsham lock and then across the fields back to Exminster marshes.
We left for home on the 25th having had 3 weeks holiday for total site fees of £150 - not bad!
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