Up north or bust - Our tour of Northumbria and the east Coast 13th - 19th May

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13th May – Monday

We head to Kielder Water, driving over stunning moorland scenery. We spend the afternoon cycling the 27mile circular route looking out for the ospreys. Great ride, great scenery!

We call in at the visitor centre and then park at Hawsthorpe car park, far side of the dam to watch ospreys at tea time over the dam – all out of Bryony’s front window. Ring side seats.

The car park toilets are open all night. The car park is slightly sloping so we need the ramps. Briefly chat to local fishermen who have caught several good sizes rainbow trout. 

Cost:  £15 for car park

Tuesday 14th

We head to Bamburgh castle. Couldn't book an overnight slot in the car park below. It has to be done on line and there were no spare slots for the next few days. Irritating but serves me right – I left it too late. That’s the problem with trying to be more spontaneous in our travel plans!  

The castle is magnificent. Really spectacular views and history. Well worth the visit. 

The afternoon is spent wondering around Seahouses. We spend a night on a site outside of the town. 

Costs: Castle £32 

Overnight site £25 Springfield Farm (great countryside views, easy walk down into town, flat pitches with services. Clean facilities)

Wednesday 15^th

We call in at Alnwick to visit Barter Books which is a huge second-hand bookstore in the old station building. Great browse and good coffee. Feeling very chilled.  Alnwick is pretty. We parked down in the town in a free car park. Be aware that you have to go buy a time card token from the tourist office. It costs a pound and you can use it in a few other car parks throughout Northumbria. After strolling around town, we make the long journey south to Broadings Farm outside Whitby where we have decided to stop for four nights. 

The farm has well-spaced hard pitches with EHU and water between every other one and sweeping views across the countryside. Sadly, huge areas of grass between the pitches are mown short. Is it a missed opportunity for some great wild grass and flower meadows and an environmental approach? Could there have been wildlife areas where children could be encouraged to explore bugs and butterflies etc? And do the grass cuttings need to be left on the ground – so irritating as we all trample them in to our caravans and motorhomes!  There is some road noise but the facilities are great and it’s only a 20-minute walk into town. Downhill!  I’m probably being a nitpicker!

Costs: £80 fuel   Site costs £112 for four nights 

Thursday 16th

We walk downhill into Whitby and visit the Cook Museum which proves fascinating. Well, I am an ex-adventurer and retired geography teacher!  We can officially confirm there are indeed 199 steps up to the Abbey and they are slightly slippy in the damp fog! In fact this sea fret makes the town fog bound for much of the day which gives it a special mysterious, ethereal air.

We walk the promenades, have coffee and cake in a lovely attic room café with its windows overlooking the immediate terraced house rooftops and then return back up the hill for a lazy afternoon back on site.

 

Friday 17th

Feeling energetic, we decide to do a cycle ride along the cinder track to Robin Hoods Bay. The journey out along the cliff tops is somewhat  fog bound! Having not been here for at least forty years, I’d forgotten how steep downhill it is to the seashore! Maggie is not happy as obviously we will have to cycle back up it. Even a coffee at the old coastguard cottages doesn’t reprieve me!

Actually, the ride back up doesn’t prove that troublesome. E-bikes! What a great investment!! We treat ourselves to a bacon roll back at Whitby, on the seafront and then have another lazy afternoon reading and photo editing back on site.

 

Saturday 18^th 

We head for the Darby National Park Centre and a coffee and read of the Saturday papers. We stroll the exhibition spaces – very informative – and then the grounds where we come across a magnificent dragon. I have found my winter garage project. We have a steep very long garden with around 30 – 40 m of woodland at the top. People walking our road can see the top part of the garden. A very large carved dragon would be an outstanding addition – just poking between the bushes and brambles. Maggie, remains sceptical! 

And then we find ourselves stopping for the afternoon in Pickering. We make use of a great little aire at the back of Big Bear Bikes. £10 per night and there is black and grey waste and water available. We stroll the town (beautiful), listen to a local brass band out on the green, have an ice cream, visit the railway station and browse the shops. 

Its a peaceful night and we feel quite safe. Three other motorhomes have joined us. Safety in numbers.

Sunday 19^th

We decide to go for a bike ride – the cycle track is outside the aire. It’s a good ride through the countryside. We pitch up in Malton for a picnic and coffee. Then, a lazy afternoon reading the Sunday papers! A perfect day! 

For the next part of our trip: https://wherenexthun.blogspot.com/2024/11/up-north-or-bust-our-tour-of_72.html