Caravan November 2022

“November the last month of autumn, but the beginning of a new adventure”– Unknown This month, I'm delighted to be including our supplement – The Essential Guide to 2023 Caravans. Inside, you'll find a round-up of the newest and best models available for the new season. It’s an exciting time to be a caravanner as today’s models are packed with luxurious features so it’s really more than a home from home, it’s a complete getaway. Relax in comfort in your spacious lounge, lay on pocket-sprung mattresses while admiring a gorgeous view and cook in a kitchen that’s full of innovative space-saving ideas. And when you're on site, you're sure to make friends with other like-minded people. This sense of community runs through everything we do here at Caravan and that’s…

Standing stones, tumuli, hut circles, burial chambers, chambered cairns and copper mines are marked repeatedly in rustic italic font on the Ordnance Survey map of Anglesey. They’re to be found on windswept clifftops, in quiet corners of meadows and tucked away in ancient woodland clearings. It’s easy to see how they’re so often linked to romantic fairytales and dark druid legends. A stay at Lady Margaret’s Park on the outskirts of Chirk in Welsh border country was the first wave of a magic wand preparing me for crossing the Menai Strait to find them. I followed the route of the A5 to Anglesey. For centuries, this was arguably Britain’s most important road as it linked London and Dublin. I immediately succumbed to the magical charm of the Pen y Bont…

A cold snap in very early January may not be the most promising time for a short break but, after the excesses and logistical nightmares of the festive season, we decided very much on the spur of the moment to take off for three days. Where to go? A short break shouldn’t involve too much driving and should have plenty to offer in a compact area – so, the Cotswolds it was then! While Mel completed her shift in our local food bank, I (Stuart) dewinterised the ’van, loaded the bedding and food and we were off. We’ve rarely done a journey where the predicted sat-nav time and our real-world progress coincided, especially when the M25 is involved. However, due to the clear roads, we pulled into the Moreton-in-Marsh Caravan…

This well-maintained, large site offers the utmost privacy with trees providing natural screening – ideal for those who love quiet holidays. Seasonal pitches are available and there are low-season discounts, together with a large winter storage compound. Facilities include heated amenity blocks with bathrooms, baby care units, spacious showers and some individual privacy cubicles and hair care units. A launderette, well-stocked shop and café, offering hearty meals, alongside daily essentials, free WiFi and well-stocked tourist information centre are also on the site. Less than two miles away from St Helens is the North Yorkshire Water Park where you can enjoy the large inflatable water-based assault course, SUP boarding, kayaking, pedalos, open-water swimming and much more – not forgetting four fishing lakes where you can try your hand at coarse, predator…

The warden at the Sherwood Pines campsite asked us where we'd like to pitch. “At the edge,” was my immediate reply. There is something appealing about camping on the edge of the forest, watching it gradually darken as evening falls, hoping to catch a glimpse of a wild animal, or maybe an outlaw, hiding among the trees. From the map, I could see that the campsite was just a stone’s throw from Center Parcs, which we used to visit when the children were young. There may not be a swimming pool at Sherwood Pines, but there are plenty of places to walk and cycle in the forest. Following some of these paths at random, we found ourselves at a café, offering a tempting array of snacks, with a balcony overlooking…

The Lake District is all things to all people – just as popular with outdoor adventure seekers as it is with those looking for peace and quiet. History and literature buffs rub shoulders with fell walkers, while groups of teenagers share campsites with young families enjoying a summer holiday. In the northern lakes is Keswick. This busy market town, whose fortunes were founded on graphite and slate mining, lies between the towering presence of Skiddaw’s hills and the serene beauty of Derwentwater. Keswick has a wide range of shops, restaurants and a Saturday market which began in 1276. It’s also a great place to explore the northern Lakes. The popular stone and slate-built town of Windermere, and its environs, has lots to offer the enthusiastic touring fan, including a wide…