Woof Camping Blog

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It’s July 2021 and we were finally able to plan our yearly camping holiday. We were meant to go to Scotland in May but due to some family issues that could not happen. And the restrictions were still in place then anyway, so plans had to change.

We decided to go back to Anglesey, as I was desperate for a beach holiday, we have not had one since beginning of 2019 and I missed the beach so much.

It didn’t start that well, half an hour into our journey we got stuck in traffic and then it started absolutely pouring down. We thought “Welcome to Wales” ?!

We had booked 5 nights of camping on Anglesey. We’ve been before and it’s on this blog, so apologies if you have the old one and feel it’s a bit repetitive… it’s a bit like that advert “I’ve been here before” 🙂

First 3 nights we spent at Dafarn Rhos campsite by Ligwy Beach Dafarn Rhos Caravan & Camping Site – Home (lligwybeachcampsite.co.uk) – amazing site, very very close to the beach and of course dog friendly -although their definition of dog friendly is a bit odd – you’re not allowed to walk the dog on the actual campsite, just go to the beach the shortest way possible. That’s not dog friendly to me, but hey, let’s not go there. The gate to the beach was really close to our pitch and Harley loves the beach more than tents  we were ok.

One other thing we love about this campsite is the walk from here into the village of Moelfre – out the campsite by the beach, turn right and take the coastal path till you reach the village. It’s a good hour walk and at times a bit overgrown (wear long sleeves and long trousers, there are a lot of nettles around!) but the views are amazing.

You get a very useful and accurate weather forecast about half way into Moelfre too!

You walk past the famous Moelfre Lifeboat Station

And you will be so ready for a beer when you get to Moelfre and visit the pub  which is what we did of course on that first afternoon, although the weather wasn’t great and it looked like it was going to pour down again at any moment. However we were brave and walked there, actually without getting soaked. The pub is called Kinmel Arms and we definitely recommend it.

The Kinmel Arms a great Robinsons pub in Moelfre (robinsonsbrewery.com)

It was Sunday afternoon and we got there just in time to get a table, it was getting full. The meal we had was really delicious. I had the burger (really not like me to have a burger in a pub but am glad I did) and it was probably the best burger I ever had! Hubby had a ham sandwich with chips and he said that was definitely the best ham sandwich he ever had! The next day we found the ham, freshly sliced ham, being sold in the local shop and we bought a few slices as it was indeed amazing – as one of the pub staff said, it’s none of this “pre-packaged malarkey”  it was funny but so true!!

H was tired that night and slept well, snug like a bug in a rug… or his own sleeping bag! Yes, he does have his own sleeping bag, am sure I’ve mentioned this before.

The next day, on Monday, we walked back into Moelfre (the sunny pictures!) as we wanted Fish and Chips from the famous chippy but were not so lucky as it was closed on Mondays! Ah well, never mind… we had another drink instead! Harley was trying to decide whether he goes for beer or wine 

The next day, on Tuesday, we walked the coastal path in the other direction and got to a lovely cove… it was quite hot this day so we didn’t walked for that long as H was getting hot and bothered.

Another nice attraction close by is the Ancient Village of Lligwy – very close walk from the campsite, from the road follow the signs for it as it’s well signposted.

On Wednesday we moved on to the next site – Pen Y Bont in Valley – again a campsite on the coastal path, lovely and friendly owners and absolutely immaculate site. We stayed here for 2 nights.

We walked into Valley – you can either walk on the road or on the coastal path – the second one is a bit of a longer one and you kind of end up on the road anyway. We had a drink at the Valley Hotel, which was nice. Their food menu looked really good as well.

On Wednesday night we watched the football, of course  and were very happy at England’s win.

On Thursday we walked to the Anchorage Hotel for a cup of tea and coffee… and then, as it was kind of approaching lunch time, we decided to walk to the White Eagle in Roshcylin… 2 miles walk, but it’s on the road with no pavement… anyway, we did it and we’re glad we did, the pub is lovely, has some amazing views and it’s dog friendly.  Proper dog friendly .

We had a really nice lunch there and then the 2 miles walk back… this was a bit strenuous for me and H as it was getting a bit hot too, but we had plenty of breaks, plenty of water and we made it back in one piece. We had the best snooze that afternoon!

On Friday we returned home. We really enjoyed our break in Anglesey, were grateful for the good weather we had and am sure we will return.

Second camping trip of the year 2020, hurrahh!! Going away at the weekend could not be taken for granted anymore, so we were happy to be able to do this! I know am late writing about this, again, but hey… better late than never 🙂

We love the Lake District and we decided on Glenridding, by Ullswater. Ullswater is a gorgeous lake but being a bit of a longer drive we don’t always go there.

Campsite: Gillside Farm Campsite Gillside Campsite | Ullswater | Lake District (gillsidecaravanandcampingsite.co.uk)

We parked by the river first, which was great but had to move as it was too noisy! Campsite was great, facilities were open but with the necessary restrictions in place.

The best thing about the campsite is, that it’s so close to the village of Glenridding. The village is popular with mountain walkers who can scale England’s third-highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from there. We obviously didn’t climb any of those peaks but I bought a t-shirt saying I did! 🙂

We stayed for 2 nights, first night we ate at the Glenridding Hotel – we just about sat down and then heard the manager turning guests away as they were so short staffed! We were lucky, we had a nice meal and a drink, Harley loved it in there too as there was a nice soft carpet on the floor and he just chilled. It was a glorious summer’s evening and on our way back to the campsite we went back to the lake as the sun was setting and the views were spectacular.

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The next night we ate at the pub, the Travellers Rest, it was outside sitting only so it got a bit chilly, but it was nice. I have to say the inside of the pub didn’t look that great as only the bar area was open and the plastic shields they had put up were not the nicest, it looked like a very very old hospital! I hope they changed it since.

We had a lovely time in the Lakes again and am sure we will return to Glenridding by Ullswater.

First camping trip of 2020 was only in July… am sure you all know why! What a year and what a world we live in!

As soon as we could we planned a camping trip – Yorkshire at Riverside Caravan Park in High Bentham. We’d stayed there the year before and loved it so we thought we’d go again – under completely different circumstances… social distancing, masks, sanitizer, etc…

But we still enjoyed it, we were very lucky with the weather and had a great couple of nights camping there.

We arrived on Sunday and went straight out for a nice walk as the weather was so good. We had to book a meal in the pub in advance, never done that before when camping! So we got to the pub – The Couch House– in High Bentham for our Sunday Roast and a nice pint and it was delicious.

Harley made a friend – a doggy called Becks – she was adorable but apparently not very friendly to other dogs, but she loved Harley… well, what’s not to love??

We slept well that night after such a big meal!

The next day we went for some more walkies, again along the river. We walked to Lower Bentham too, hoping to spot the Kingfisher we spotted the year before :-). But sadly we didn’t.

The beauty of this area is, that there are so many nice walks along that river and are so easy to reach straight from the campsite.

For more info on walks read here or details of a nice circular walk in High Bentham here.

We did this circular walk last year when we first visited the area and loved it – well apart from the lengthy diverted route we had to take when we saw the sign “Bull in Field”. Hubby thought “ah well, how bad can it be” and tried to convince me to go the initial route, but I said absolutely not! Luckily, he listened to me and we eventually got to the other side of the field, and he went to have a look – from behind the fence – he said he has never seen an animal as big as that one in his life. And the bull didn’t look happy! So it just goes to show that every now and then it’s a good thing to listen to the wife! 🙂

That evening we had a drink and a -smaller- meal at the Black Bull Hotel, which was also very nice. Being a Monday night, it was quiet but we didn’t mind that.

Given the circumstances, we were very happy with our first camping trip, we enjoyed being out and having meals and a nice pint in pubs again, we missed it!

We had tickets for the dog fest at Arley Hall so we thought we could combine that with a camping night somewhere in Cheshire.

The show was great, it was a very hot day but luckily there were no queues (not like the year before!!) And there was plenty of shade and water provided so H had lots of breaks and rolling around in grass in the shade.

Harley got “assessed” by the Royal Canin people as normal weight but we should be careful…. in other words, oh he’s a little fatty, stop giving him treats! 😁😁 well easier said than done with the little begger, but we are trying very hard to keep him fit. He is bigger than a normal border terrier, even the vet said that.

Harley enjoyed the show a lot, especially as he tried every piece of furniture for dogs the was on show… seriously some of those sofa were more expensive than our sofa at home!!

Then we did the great dog walk together with the Supervet and his little border terrier Keira , Harley got a little kiss from Keira so he was really made up😍😍

After the show we stayed at Belmont Hall Camping, about 3 miles from Arley Hall. It’s a lovely site with friendly staff, obviously that weekend was very popular with dog owners. It is surrounded by fields and fishing lakes and lots of wildlife around.

We had a bbq that evening while Harley just chilled on the picnic blanket 😁😁.

The site is within walking distance of the Cock at Budworth pub, which is a nice eating place and dog friendly in the bar area. We would definitely use this site again when in the area.

 

 

I can’t believe it is middle of November already!?

I said this middle of November last year but never published the post!

So here it is now, even though 6 months late!

What happened to 2017??

I am pretty sure I said this last year as well so not sure what excuses will use this time. Let’s just say time flies?

Anyway….camping this year? Yes we did, and it was great.

But before the camping season started we had our usual trips to the beach…those are always great and Harley still lives it as much as he did when he was a puppy.

He still dives in the sand head first, then rolls around and the looks you as if to say “look I’ve got sand in my eyes!”

And of course he likes a game of chase too.

First camping trip was Little Langdale, as usual. We met the family for a walk there to, which was great. Weather was just ok, but at least we didn’t get soaked. It was  good first camping trip, the lambs were out and Harley would have loved to play with them but don’t think the farmer would have been impressed with that!!

I think Harley knows the Britania pub by now and he was very keen to go for drink 😉… and we had a meal with the family at the Talbot Bar at Skelwith Bridge, which was very nice. We ate there before and always enjoyed the food and ale there 😀.

The walked back the campsite through the wood full of blue bells, so lovely.

 

2017… To be continued…

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August 2016- Bank holiday weekend and we decided to go camping for one night.  We knew it was going to be busy and the campsite we wanted to go to didn’t take bookings, so we set off early on Saturday morning.  We were at the campsite in the Lakes before 10am! We were the last ones allowed on! I was so happy as I really wanted to try this new site: very basic facilities, very laid back owners, stunning scenery and that is exactly what we like. And Harley approves of course, as he always runs around freely and happily on those sites.

We parked up and this was the view from our pitch.

Harley settled in straight away…

After a well deserved cup of tea

We set off on a gorgeous walk to Ambleside. The walk takes about one and a half hours but it’s not flat! It’s up and down hills, the path quite stony and rough in places, but the views are amazing and it really is one of the nicest walks we’ve ever done.

Harley was so happy!

We arrived in a very busy Ambleside! We stopped at the White Lion pub for a well deserved break and a pint, we really enjoyed it!

Then we walked back.  3 more miles back.

For our evening meal we went to Talbot bar for some food. This is not far from the site, probably about 20 minutes walk.

A bit of a wet walk there but hey….it’s always wet in the Lakes!

Harley enjoyed a doggie chat with the resident dog 😀

After a nice meal and yet another pint , we had a lovely evening listening to music and chatting and reading books.

Definitely recommend this campsite, we will definitely go again!

 

 

And we’re in 2015 already…

We couldn’t do our usual week of camping at the beginning of May due to other commitments, but we still went for weekends out.

First trip was a weekend in Seathwaite – a lovely village in the Western Lake District. Depending on where you’re coming from, the drive to Seathwaite is interesting to say the least! For us , a 2 hours journey and the last 45 minutes of it is on a narrow windy road with passing places. You’re glad you’re in a big camper, have better visibility and smaller cars think twice when trying to push through!

Not that easy for hubby though when you have a whining dog in the back…. no, Harley still doesn’t like the drive in the van, still whines every time you indicate, or stop or slow down a little, or try and reverse!

We stayed at the Turner Hall Farm – a really nice laid back campsite, friendly owners and amazing scenery and views. We had a nice big pitch just to ourselves so Harley could run around like a mad dog that he is!

Then of course we went for walkies… the walk by the river is very close to the campsite, and it’s really nice. Of course, weather depending, it can be a nice dry walk and when we went in 2015 the forest was full of bluebells, it was so nice!

Harley was very brave and walked over stepping stones too!

 

and over the little stone bridge, it looks like something from Lord of the Rings, it really is so rustic and proper woodland!

Harley loves water although he is not always keen on swimming. But if there is a river or waterfalls (a lot of waterfalls here) then he needs to have a closer look, much to my worry!

Then of course we had a nice meal and a pint at the Newfield Inn pub in Seathwaite, very close to the campsite. The food was delicious and actually quite posh, although the pub itself doesn’t look posh, but it was really look so we didn’t mean posh :-). They also have a nice selection of local (or not so local) ales.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a weekend in the Lakes without getting wet, so here we go 🙂

But we had a lovely time and will definitely go again – actually we did, in 2016 again (back to present times 🙂 ) but I have no photos from our recent trip, so these will be the only ones for now. The pub was still good though, very yummy food and beer.

 

 

 

It’s my birthday in November so Harley and hubby treated me to a nice 2 nights stay in a lovely cottage in Wales, Betwsy Coed. Being end of November, I really can’t say the weather was good, but we didn’t expect it to be good.

We stayed in a lovely cottage 5 minutes outside the town… really nice and picturesque …

The fire in the living room was so lovely, and after a few hours of walking in November weather it was just great to get back to the cottage and put the fire on and chill.

The walks were nice, quite challenging a couple of them.. we bought a little booklet of walks around Betwsy Coed from the tourism information centre in town, so that was helpful.

Even walking around Betwsy Coed was nice, then stop for a nice coffee….you could take the dog in pretty much everywhere, even in a café of a nice hotel….we sat by the window and had a nice cup of tea and just watched the world go by…

In the evenings we ate out at the pubs that let the dogs in, I really can’t remember the names, sorry, will try and find out… there aren’t that many in Betwsy Coed!

It was nice to go away for a couple of days before Christmas, so we said we’d definitely do it again. And we did, so watch out for more updates here 🙂

I cant believe it’s been two years since I’ve posted something here! Apologies. .. I have a lot of  catching up to do.

Where shall I start??

Update on Harley – he is now almost 5 years old, his birthday is 02.09 and we plan to go for a nice walk and meal at the pub … any excuse for a nice meal at the pub! He is the same spoilt little doggy he’s always been, still very nice and friendly…. the only bit that’s changed is that he sleeps on our bed now! We even bought a bigger bed! I know, I know.. you’ve told me so!

I can’t remember where else we went camping in 2015, one weekend in September we went to Silverdale for a family weekend away and Harley came with us too. We stayed in a hotel though, the Silverdale Hotel and that was ok….just ok at the time, it might have changed since.

We had a nice weekend, got stuck in mud on the beach, then got rescued, then went for a more gentle walk on the grass!