Bellingham

Our first proper outing

Friday, 26th July

We both awoke really early and were up at six a.m. Which meant that we were able to leave the house at 8 am. Collected the caravan and were on the road just after 8.30. Took the A617 and the the A1. The journey was fairly smooth with quite a lot of traffic, several lorries overtaking each other with 1 m.p.h. difference in the speed! Attempted to stop for coffee at Scotch Corner but couldn't park the caravan so ended up in a layby with coffee from a roadside vendor. A lot cheaper. Arrived at Bellingham at about 12.30, booked in, found a space and set up. Although we booked a grass pitch we are on hard standing in view of the weather forecast. Lunch on site and then tried out the awning that Cyril Pick has given us. It took a bit of working out and there is a suction cup missing from one of the poles. In the late afternoon we walked into the village. We found two little shops to source a mallet and a walking stick rubber, to substitute for the missing suction cup. In the first shop we bought a mallet for £2.99, in the secong the identical item wwas £1.99!  Bought a few bits and pieces from the Co-op. Walked back. It was a lovely evening. Wine and barbeque. 

Saturday, 27th July

A really fine day. Sunny and warm with a few clouds. We spent the whole day on site, the car didn't even get started. It needed a day of rest after hauling the van for four hours. During the day we completed the erection of the awning by filling in the front and sides. The zips are difficult to handle but it is very good for free awning. In the long term it is probably not us but for the time being it'll do. Later in the day I managed to get the CCC flags along the front. My 30 or so was knocked into a cocked hat by the new arrival with getting on for a hundred spread on his awning.

Bellingham Camping Club Site

Today's funny incident was when the canvas gave way on one of our ancient beach chairs as Vicky attempted to arise from it. Looking at the weather forecast it maybe the only day we have to laze in the sun, especially while we are on this site. Bellingham site is very good. Fairly small, fairly quiet, excellent facilities and within walking distance of the village. The buildings appear to have been part of a school in the past. The building outside the gate is called "The School Masters House". I speculate that it was an outward bound school or for some sort of military training. Perhaps I will find out. There don't seem to be many one night stands although it would be a good stopover on the way to or from Scotland. In a fenced of area there are a number of camping "pods" at £40 per night. Glamping? The shop is well stocked but expensive. Bread, marmalade, map, rock pegs cost over £20. It is good stuff though.

Sunday, 28th July

Tower Knowle Visitor Centre

It started to rain at about 3 a.m. and continued until lunch time. Whether it was coincidence or not units left the site as if the plug had been pulled out of the bath. We just sat it out, snug in the caravan and awning. It would not have been so pleasant without the awning neither would it have been without the hard standing - no mud or grass inside.

When the rain ceased we decided to explore the Kielder valley. First stop was Tower Knowe visitor centre. We paid £1.50 for an hour's parking. Not much to see really but had a soup with an excellent cheese roll for lunch. Mistake of the day was realising too late that the £4 all day car parking applied to all the Kielder car parks. With the weather brightening all the time then travelled along the deserted lakeside road up to Kielder, where we did get a £4 ticket. Kielder Castle is a hunting lodge which was a bit of a folly really. It is small and well set out as an information centre/museum and cafe. There is a well qpreserved Austin A30 in the courtyard.  We whiled away a pleasant hour there and after a snooze in the car walked part of the Duke's Trail through the forest. The forest is a good activity centre with a network of walking and mountain biking trails of varying difficulty. In order to get full value from our £4 we then stopped twice on the way back. The first was at Matthew's Linn which is a canoe centre with a good view across the lake. Leaplish is quite a centre with a caravan park, a large car park and The Boat Inn where we had a drink to the accompaniment of the shrieks and yells from the audience of a childrens' entertainer in the bar. A very good pint of Wylam's Angel. Finally we drove across the dam and had a look there. Quick visit to the Co-op and returned to the site for tea. A very beautiful evening with a good sunset. Lamb chops with new potatoes and cabbage for tea and a good glass of Gran Calero.

At The Boat Inn

Monday, 29th July

A showery day. As yesterday quite a bit of rain in the morning, but not as bad, then brightening to a lovely evening. Sat out the showers for most of the morning, then set about the main task of the day which was to walk to Hareshaw Linn. Hareshaw Linn is a local beauty spot, about 2.5 miles from the campsite. We set off under brightening skies and walked through the village and beyond along a well used and maintained path. Some of the early path was closed due to slippage but there was a gravelled road parallel alternative. We met one or two people on the way up and were overtaken by a young man walking a dog. The way follows a stream crossing and recrossing via a series of wooden bridges with several waterfalls serving as an overture to the main show. Most of the path is through woodland so although we were aware that it was raining overhead we remained quite sheltered. At one point there was a curious stump embedded with hundreds of coins. You could imagine the Victorians processing up with their servants and horses loaded up with picnic paraphernalia on a pastoral idyll. About 150 yards from the destination, just before the last bridge, there was a slightly larger clearing where I imagined the horses and lackeys being left while the main party carried on with just a couple of servants to carry the hampers of food.

Lunch at the Linn

  Hareshaw Linn did not disappoint, it was just like a Constable painting with a 100 foot waterfall surrounded by cliffs. There was a stone bench on a natural platform overlooking the scene where we ate our lunch - cheese and cucumber sandwiches, crisps and a couple of biscuits washed down with orange squash. We spent about an hour eating, taking photographs and sitting. Eventually we were joined by another couple, Scandinavian I think, our cue to begin the descent and leave the scene to them. On the way down we encountered more folks coming up, including a Dutch family. The only blot on the experience was that Vicky was bitten on the leg by a vicious insect that got trapped inside her trouser leg.

The Fountain Cafe

On returning to the village we called in at the chemist to get a relieving cream to apply to the bite then took afternoon tea at the Fountain cafe - a delightfully old fashioned establishment serving Earl Grey, scones and a delicious lemon drizzle cake.  Bellingham has a number of small shops including a butcher who sold us a mountain of barbeque meat for £4 and an appetising pie. That's the next two dinners sorted. He also told us that, as we suspected, the camp site is situated on the site of an old boarding school for troubled youngsters. Back to the caravan for little rest then I went to find the driving range on Bellingham golf course where I hit a few balls in preparation for the August Mesters. A basic country club. A clubhouse with bar etc. but no pro shop, a four ball driving range and a four hole putting area. The course itself looks well maintained and interesting.

The barbeque consisted of a large piece of steak, a thick piece of pork, a chicken breast and a locally made sausage and beef burger. It was superb, followed by a Rolo mousse. Best dinner of the week.  

Tuesday, 30th July

A bright, breezy day. Hadrian's Wall day. Started at Housesteads fort. Another £4 for parking, but you can park at all the wall sites on the same ticket. The engineering feat of the roman wall is incredible. Built, literally, by the hands of soldiers with no machinery and primitive tools in a very short time it has lasted a lot better than contemporary structures. The sun was out but the stiff breeze necessitated the wearing of a jumper. A new, and still being developed, visitor centre abuts the car park then you have to walk about 1/2 a mile across a valley to the fort. Another new building is there containing a small museum and an informative film. We spent about an hour exploring the ruins finishing with a little picnic of flapjack, fudge and coffee. A short drive down the road is Once Brewed National Park centre which we called at for more information.

 Vicky thought that Lanercost Priory might be worth a visit so we drove the 15 miles or so see. She was right. FREE parking. Pleasant lunch in a modern cafe and shop. The priory church is an interesting building in red stone. An open, light and airy space with a William Morris dossa behind the altar and a view though the east window of the ruined choir beyond. The Bechstien was being tuned. We declined paying the admission to the rest of the site. Bought some local ale in the shop then drove back to the site. The pie from the butchers was very good.

Lanercost Priory