Hallgather Farm CL, Crackington Haven, Cornwall

    CL site - big field for just 5 caravans! Gently sloping with country views, can also see the sea if you stand up.  Entry OK but some single track road use to get from A39.
   Crackington Haven is small and down into a steep valley through which runs the river.  This hamlet also flooded in 2004 along with Boscastle down the coast.

Not the place to lose your brakes or clutch!

   On waking on Friday morning, it was raining so we decided to drive to Bude.  We took the coast road which was a narrow single track one and was very windy and steep in places.  (30% in places!)  At one point, the car struggled for traction on a left-hand switchback.  the clutch needs doing!  At the top, we could see the whole of Widemouth Bay and Bude in the distance and... surfers in the water!
   Bude had a wonderful 'ethnic & eclectic' shop.  I could have spent a fortune!  Bude also has a canal as well as a river and plenty of surf shacks offering lessons.  Not many other shops.

   Saw a field of sunflowers and also some mosaic sunflowers on a fence.  They gave me an idea for a mosaic for the house - clematis on the wall of the house.

We then went to Camelford which was had a car park, charity shop, Spar, one pub and traffic calming areas which led to tailbacks at either end.
   On to Wadebridge , which we've visited before.  We walked around having a mooch around the shops before getting the shopping for dinner.  The Co-op here isn't a lot better than the one back where we live...... and a lot politer too.  Went back to the caravan for a cuppa and a read of the papers.  Short walk after dinner.

   On Saturday, we woke up early so started reading our books and dropped off again.  We didn't wake until 10 and after a leisurely breakfast, we set off for Boscastle & Launceston.  Boscastle was lovely but with loads of tourists, probably because of the floods.  It's no bigger than Crackington Haven bit suffered just the same.  We went for a walk around the harbour and up the to the RNLI look out point on top of the cliffs, which is also National Trust.  Boscastle harbour must be difficult to navigate in storm as there are a number of bends and plenty of rocks!  We saw the salt pans carved into the slate and also the 'stitches across the land.  Boscastle has a very good Information centre.  On either side of the valley there masses of Montbretias so the weather in Cornwall must be ideal for them.

   Launceston was a lovely town too.  We had just missed the market and most of the shops were preparing to close but we still managed to look around.  The parish church St Mary Magdalene looked very old (built before reformation) with intricately carved granite outside walls.   It did look a bit run down, especially with one of the stained glass windows covered up.  Hopefully they are restoring or mending it.


   On packing up on Sunday morning, we saw a real oddity, out at sea a cloud was forming.  It really looked like the sea was burning.  Mike thought that it may be a smoke canister from a submarine but couldn't see any reason for it as there was no military activity around.

Appledore Devon

Friday 2nd August 2010

   The CL site was very well kept and maintained.  We approached site from south to avoid taking caravan through Appledore (contrary to what it said in the Caravan Club book).  Site level(ish) but long and narrow so was a little awkward to position caravan but once in place - what a view!  They were so stunning they more than compensated any hassle positioning the caravan.  Mr. Harris the site owner is very nice and very talkative!  Re-joining the main road means having to do a hill start on a T junction to the right.
   Mike had booked this site by mistake.  He had been looking for CL's online and had selected the drop-down menu for Dorset and had selected Appledore for the details.  On phoning up, he asked whereabouts in Dorset was it and was given the reply that it was near Barnstaple in Devon! Mike had selected the wrong county.  While he was on the phone, he found out the Appledore Regatta was on at the same time   Good mistake though.
   Once we had set up the caravan, we went for a walk into Appledore for an explore along the shoreside path.  Lovely village; typical Devon coastal village.  Little cottages, in fact, one time, Irsha Street had no fewer than 10 pubs, a few shops and the street was a entirely self-contained community.  It's a very lovely village with narrow roads and tiny cottages.  A few pubs, a few craft shops and quite a few art gallery type shops.  The Post Office also had a local 'deli' selection although it was more of a general store.  There was a lovely 'local' feel to the village although some grockles have been spotted.

     We stopped for a drink in the Beaver Pub.  Mike had previously earmarked it for an evening meal.  Unfortunately, they were fully booked for that night so we managed to get one for Saturday evening.  I also noticed a bad smell in the pub although Mike couldn't smell it.  We returned to the caravan via the coastal path but this time it took us across the slipway for the lifeboat.  That evening, we watched the the sun go down over the island of Lundy in the distance.  Excellent location.

Saturday

   Went into Appledore again as we needed batteries for the camera. The locals were setting the town up in readiness for the regatta.  Mike also sampled the local fried fish.  He said it was good.
   The regatta started about 2 pm so we returned about that time  There were races , primarily for row boats, sculls but also for gigs, although we didn't see these.  There were plenty of kids crabbing too.   One of the days of the Regatta includes a crabbing Championship.
   We returned, again, in the evening for our meals.  Mike had steak (what a surprise) and I had skate wing.  I wasn't impressed!  No substance to it all.. I'm not sure what it sure what it should be like though.  Walked around the town afterwards and then back to the caravan to watch the sunset..  It was lovely!

Sunday

   Took the car round to Northam Burrows (£3,50)  This promontory is directly opposite our caravan and is intriguing.  We walked right the way around (it was low tide) across sand, round rocks and stones.  The sand stretched for miles.  Lots of sand hollows filled with captured sea water and contained tiny fish which were  camouflaged so well  that you could hardly see them.  We walked right out to the Atlantic rollers coming in.  It was a long walk but well worth it.