It has been a long time since I wrote in this website, but this should change as I have now bought a motorhome, actually a Devon Monaco which is a converted van. So I am eager to start travelling again!
For my first outing with the camper, I have taken the opportunity of Emilie’s going back to Durham university to take her there and have a little adventure on my way back to Sussex where I live. You will find the details of this trip below, together with the places where I stopped.
If you are not from UK, you might not know that a postcode here only serves a few houses, and so if you type it in your satnav, you will arrive at your destination
Day 3: Bourton on the Water, Cotswolds
List of the campsites and car parks
Day 1: Durham
Durham is a nice city and a important university in the North-East of England. You can visit the cathedral, the castle, stop in one of the many cafes this city boasts or walk along the river Wear; you might even sometimes see some rowing teams training. There is also a beautiful botanical garden. As this is quite a small city, it’s easy to walk everywhere once you have parked your motorhome.
I have used the car park The Sands, from there it is easy to walk to the town center, you have to pay, but it is easy to access.
I stayed at the Caravan & Motorhome Club campsite, I am now a member. You don’t need to be a member to stay there, but, as for any Caravan & Motorhome Club campsite, it is cheaper if you are. The campsite is right outside the A1(M), so it is very easy to access, and it is only a few minutes from Durham by car. It is open all year round.
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Day 2: Castleton
After leaving Durham, I headed to the Derbyshire National Park, to a beautiful village, Castleton. My plan was to do a circular walk around the village, via Mam Tor. Unfortunately I happened to arrive in Derbyshire at the same time as a really big storm, and the idea of a walk on a ridge became a lot less appealing. I cannot remember the last time I was hit by so much rain ! So I just walked around the village, which was stunning even in this weather, and I will go back there when the weather is a bit better.
There too, I stayed in a Caravan & Motorhome Club campsite. It is situated just outside the village, and this mean that you can walk there and leave the motorhome in the campsite.
Please note : follow the directions given by the campsite to get there in order to avoid Winnatts Pass which is not suitable for motorhomes.
From the East, turn onto A619 (sp Bakewell), in about 9 miles at roundabout in Baslow, turn right (second exit), onto A623. In about 7 miles, turn right onto B6049 (sp Bradwell, Castleton), at T junction turn left onto A6187. Site on the right in 2 miles.
From the West, leave A6 onto A623. Continue past first sign for Castleton at Sparrowpit as this will lead to Winnatts Pass, in about 6 miles turn left onto B6049 (sp Bradwell, Castleton), at T junction turn left onto A6187. Site on the in 2 miles.
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Day 3: Bourton on the Water
On my last stop before coming back home, I wanted to visit the Cotwolds which I didn’t know. There are so many places I have never been to in UK, even though I have lived here since 1997! I decided to go to Bourton on the Water
after having read that it is called the « Cotswolds Venice ». I was not disappointed, it’s very pretty, the golden stone reminded me of Dordogne in France.
I think that there is a campsite in Bourton on the Water, but according to what I found on internet, it’s only for tents. So once again, I stopped at a Caravan & Motorhome Club campsite, a few miles from Bourton on the water. It’s a very quiet campsite, in the countryside, but there is no toilets nor showers. However, there is a motorhome service point and a drive over waste disposal, and, as for all the Caravan & Motorhome Club campsites I have been to so far, it’s really clean.
To visit Bourton on the Water, I parked at the Bourton Vale Car & Coach Park, you have to pay but there are spaces specially for motorhomes, and it is only a few hundred meters from the high street.
As I like walking, I did a small walk to Lower Slaughter, and from then to Upper Slaughter, and back. This was also very beautiful, going along a river, passing a old mill, two churches…
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List of the campsites and car parks
Durham Grange Caravan Club Site
Durham Grange Caravan Club Site
Meadow Lane
Durham
County Durham
DH1 1TL
Durham Grange Campsite
Castleton Caravan Club Site
Castleton Caravan Club Site
Castleton
Derbyshire
S33 8WB
Castleton Campsite
Campsite near Bourton on the Water
Bourton-on-the-Water Caravan Club Site
Cheltenham Road
Bourton-on-the-Water
Gloucestershire
GL54 3BU
Campsite near Bourton on the Water
Car park The Sands
Durham County Council
The Sands
Walkergate
Durham
DH1 1SW
Car park The Sands
Bourton Vale Car & Coach Park
Bourton Vale Car & Coach Park
Station Road
GL5 42EP
Bourton-on-the-Water
Car park in Bourton on the Water
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Les ballades en camping-car de Véro 