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.