Índice para September 2023 em Caravan

"Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures"Henry David Thoreau Welcome to the September issue of Caravan! I hope you are still getting out and about despite the unpredictable weather we seem to be having… A couple of weeks ago I went to the Ferry Meadows club site in Peterborough to review two new caravan models. The members of staff were so helpful and friendly and the site itself was beautiful, peaceful and clean. There was also plenty of wildlife to see. It was thankfully a gorgeous sunny day that day, too, so I could go and explore on my break to the café and shop, which is just a short walk from the campsite. It was a really lovely site and I’d love to return…

Witches, black magic, King Arthur’s sorcerer, Merlin – all those things that float around on the murky, sometimes dark edges of myth and mystery – I wouldn’t have expected them to be filling my head while the sun was shining down on my clifftop path, and the blue of the calm sea below almost matched the blue of the sky above. But this is Cornwall, a place where the lines between legend and history become muddled. Not only that, but I’d just emerged from Boscastle’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic… This lovely little village, known for its unusual curving harbour safely cradled between two natural headlands, has been home to a museum dedicated to witchcraft since 1960. Originally run by a folk magician called Cecil Williamson, it now houses one…

The Altea range caters for families, in the form of the six-berth Avon, and, for both couples and families, with two models: the Tyne, with twin beds, and the Dart, with an island bed, and a shower room in the centre of the layout. This is the Altea model to go for if you want the versatility of transforming the lounge into a bedroom. That’s because those sleeping at the front can get to the shower and toilet area without walking through the bedroom. So, luxury for two, with excellent four-berth capability – and an all-up weight of a modest 1,650kg. We’d come to Barnsdale Leisure, where a Dart is on display inside the showroom to explore this model in detail. (Whatever the weather, caravan perusing is easy here, and…

When I am away, I am always thinking of how I might share my experiences with readers of Caravan. Normally I write about wildlife because it interests and excites me, but I have another passion and that is photography. I like to think I know my way around a camera and that I can wield it competently but it always fills me with self-doubt when I send photos in because I know they want high-quality, inspiring images and these can be really difficult to get, especially on a short break in a rural area (it’s easier to get interest-filled shots in cities, generally). So, I thought I would put myself to the test on a trip to one of our most photogenic areas of countryside, the Yorkshire Dales. You’ll be…

I’ve wanted to see the Rock Houses at Kinver Edge for years — fantastic caves transformed into homes, now owned by the National Trust. People lived inside them until the 1960s and I thought they looked fascinating. We found Clay Farm campsite at Clows Top, where we stayed for a week. The site is small, basic, and quiet. There were only three units on site for most of our stay. There are no shower facilities, so we used the shower in the caravan — it’s basic but fine for a week. The peacefulness of the site made up for its lack of facilities. Upon arrival, we pitched up and went for a walk around the Wyre Forest nearby. There are walks and cycle routes through the woodland. Parking is a…

Sitting between a mountain range and the sea, Barmouth, in Wales, is an absolutely stunning place to visit. From its old town to the harbour, there is so much to explore. Barmouth’s beach is an area bustling with water sports, walking and cycling trails, as well as plenty of places to grab a bite to eat, drink and shop with a wide range of independent spots to fill your day. In addition to the usual seaside amusements, including arcades, fish and chip shops, rides and a large sandy beach, it is filled with history to investigate, with links to the shipping and slate industries and plenty of museums. Included in the spectacular views in this area is the beautiful Cardigan Bay, with its clear waters, intriguing rock pools and exciting…

Windermere holiday park launches green energy project Park Cliffe Caravan & Camping has invested £200,000 in over 200 high-efficiency solar panels. The 25-acre park, which is three miles from Bowness-on-Windermere, has invested in the system, known as a solar array, which will save 21 tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere each year – the equivalent of planting 970 trees. The array will generate around 100kW of power, which is up to 70% of the park’s electricity needs, and is supported by a 60W battery storage facility, which means that electricity can be saved and drawn on during periods of high demand. Sited on a south-facing section of Park Cliffe’s camping area, the owners of the park, Susan and Derek Dickson, have built 40m of traditional willow fencing around the…

Every summer, my friend and I leave our busy partners behind and head south in search of new places to explore, fresh delicacies to sample and a little more sunshine than we would normally get at home. We tend to stumble from place to place and never stay anywhere for too long, always leaving with the feeling that we have even more to discover in each area. One region that has kept creeping into our tours is Burgundy, where we have followed the footsteps of other tourists in Chablis, Noyers and Sens. This year we decided to break with tradition, to stay there for long enough to dig down to the lesser-known roots of Burgundy and we were delighted with what we discovered there. It’s a five-hour drive from the…

I really hope I am not alone in this, as that would make me very tragic. But, when you live somewhere, I think it’s natural that you don’t necessarily always get around to visiting all the attractions on your doorstep that someone visiting the area probably would. For example, I lived in Cambridge for many years. A city where people flock from all over the world to see its famous university colleges and renowned museums, and go punting, of course – it’s very important that you go punting when you visit Cambridge. Although I did explore these things over time, it was never of my own free will. Either I had friends and family staying that wanted to visit all the typical stuff, so I would take them along, or…

GWINEAR CAMPING & FISHING Gwinear Farm, Cubert, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5JX T 01637 830172 W gwinear.com OPEN 1 April – 28 October An ideal campsite for a fishing and beach holiday rolled into one, Gwinear Camping is located in the countryside, a few miles from Newquay, and less than three miles from three stunning beaches – Crantock, Holywell Bay and Polly Joke. Enjoy all the action of Newquay and then return to this peaceful, rural site for relaxing evenings and some fishing. There are two fishing lakes at Gwinear. One is a specimen lake that’s been established since the eighties with a maximum of six people allowed to fish at any one time. The second, the pleasure lake, has large pegs, a path all the way around it and an…

ULTIMATE CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD INGREDIENTS FOR 4 2 large chicken breastsHalf a stale focaccia, cut into1in squares6 rashers streaky bacon1 cos lettuce, quartered40g Parmesan shavingsSunflower oil Chicken marinade: 3 tbsp olive oilJuice of ½ a lemon1 tbsp soy sauceSalt and pepper Caesar dressing: 3 anchovies, minced20g Parmesan, grated5 tbsp mayonnaise1 tbsp white wine vinegar½ tsp Dijon mustardJuice of 1 lemonSalt and pepper METHOD 1. Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. ‘Butterfly’ the chicken breasts and add them to the bowl. Cover and place into the fridge overnight to marinate. 2. Add all of the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set aside. 3. When ready to cook, light the burners on your barbecue. Set to ‘high’…