Dockray Meadow CAMC Site- Lamplugh

Nido's been parked up at Dockray Meadow (///lift.bibs.wardrobe) for the past two nights. It's a short distance from the village of Lamplugh, a very quiet area on the very western perimeter of the Lakes, about three miles from Ennerdale.  We don't normally use the Club sites, much preferring CLs, but this one is fairly relaxed, with no toilet block.  However, it does have the ubiquitous 'pegs' that you MUST park between on pain of being drummed out of 'the club!'  To be fair the wardens are lovely here.  They're making a real effort to encourage wildlife into the site by leaving areas of grass to develop into wildflower meadows.  In only two years over twenty five different wild flowers and plants have appeared and the whole site is awash with birdlife and red squirrels. As I type this evening, I can see thousands of newly-hatched may flies floating in the still, warm air.

It took about an hour to drive here from Glenridding.  There was a slightly shorter route, but we decided to stick to the main A roads.  Once pitched, we all took a walk of about 3.5 miles towards a small reservoir with a dam and weir, nestled down in the crook of a hillside covered in pine plantation, although much of it had already been harvested.  Dinner was a tuna salad and a quiet night in catching up on some YouTube vlogs.

It was quite a chilly night and it took a while before the sun reached the van, but Thursday turned out to be a still, hot and sunny day.  It was Pete's turn to celebrate a birthday; he and I went off for a 14 mile bike ride.  Although on the western edge of the fells and much less lumpy than the main parts of the Lakes, we still managed to cycle up about 1,300 ft of height gain!  After a shower we went off for another walk with the dogs, this time a circular route taking in Lamplugh Church.  I'd booked a table at The Countryman pub, which is about a 20 minute walk from the site.  It's dog-friendly so Lola the Spaniel came along, but we left Salty in the van for some 'me time.'  We enjoyed our meal and were back in the van by 8pm.  Cathy sat out for a while reading while I sat inside with my feet up after what felt like (to me) to have been a busy day!

We're leaving early tomorrow heading for home via the IKEA in Warrington; not somewhere we look forward to visiting, but we need a few storage things for the van and house.  Our daughter and her partner have been housesitting for us for the past week, so it'll be lovely to see them before they disappear back down south over the weekend.  But first we need to battle the combined bank and half-term holiday traffic with everyone - know doubt - heading for North Wales during this spell of lovely weather.  The butties and flask of tea will be prepared in advance, ready for the inevitable traffic jams!

We've had a lovely fortnight away.  Dumfries and Galloway was outstanding and the Lakes have been quieter than we expected.  And with great weather throughout, with only one evening of rain, we feel blessed.  Once home and assuming the fridge problem is fixed (booked in for a diagnostics check next week), planning will start for a July trip to Central and NE Scotland.

Wildflower meadows everywhere

The Blue Tit next is actually under the cone!  Mum & Dad enter at the top to feed the chicks.

Cathy chatting to one of the wardens about developing the wildflower meadows

Gillside Farm Campsite - Glenridding

Nido's parked up at Gillside Farm Campsite in Glenridding (///conveys.unrated.seatbelt), at the southern end of Ullswater in the Lake District.  He's been joined by another campervan owned by our friends - Pete, Liz and their cocker spaniel - Lola.  This is our third night camped here. It's been fun to catch up after about a year since our last meet up, with a short walk and a BBQ on the first evening.

Gillside Farm is a large campsite that caters for tents, motorhomes, caravans and also has some static mobile homes.  We're pitched together with the statics on a flat area with electric hook up (our fridge is behaving itself on EHU....for now!).  We arrived first, checked in and found a spot for both of us. Pete and Liz arrived about an hour later.  It's £27 per night for two adults, one dog and electric.  There are toilets and showers, washing machines and a washing up area with piping hot water. We're surrounded by mountains, the nearest of note being Helvellyn and Striding Edge.  We're not into that sort of hillwalking any more, so we stuck to the valleys.

On Monday Pete and I unhooked our bikes from the van racks and headed out for a ride.  I'd planned a rough route to take in some minor roads and 'a few hills'.  In the end we covered almost 18 miles and over 1,800 ft of climbing!  The views were spectacular and we had the chance to enjoy them as we regularly stopped to regain our breath and suck in some water!  The coffee stop back in Glenridding was very welcome.

We all later took a walk over the hill to Lanty's Tarn.  The level was low with mud exposed, but Salty managed to find a better spot to get in the water and cool off on what had turned out to be a hot day.  After a refreshment stop at the Lakeside Kiosk, both dogs had a splash in Ullswater, before we returned to the van for food and an early night.

Tuesday was Cathy's birthday and our friends' Silver Wedding Anniversary.  Cathy and I were up early and out walking with Salty by 0730.

We took route from Patterdale along the Grisedale Valley.  It was quiet and still and we were soon moving off the tarmac track and up the stony paths, heading further into the valley.  At the half way point we reached the climbing hut called Ruthwaite Lodge, refurbished in the memory of two local climbers who were killed climbing Mt Cook, New Zealand in 1988.  We enjoyed the break with a cup of tea and some snacks before heading back, following a path on the other side of the beck, with hot sunshine on our backs.

Back at the van we just had enough time to grab some lunch and shower before our friends Dave and Angie, with the cocker spaniel Fudge arrived.  We haven't seen them for about a year and I think it's several years since Pete last saw them. Both Dave and Angie also served in the Royal Navy (as did Pete) - between the four of us we had about 130 years of Naval service!  We walked down the road to let the two spaniels have a play in the lake (Salty stayed in the van for some 'me' time!) before carrying on to the Patterdale Hotel for a drink and a catch up. Returning to the van I broke out the birthday cake and cremant, enjoyed sat outside in the sunshine before they headed back to their home about 40 minutes drive away.

I cooked dinner and Cathy later had a Zoom meeting with a number of different organisations about learning Welsh.  At the end of the day we're all really tired, so it'll be an early night. We leave here tomorrow and move to a CAMC site at Dockray Meadow, near Lamplugh, on the western edge of the Lakes, for our final two nights.

A Patterdale in Patterdale!