Brean Down, Weston Super Mare - 24th June 2012

After a particularly scary nights sleep but feeling oh so smug in our super tent we woke, had breakfast, and started to make our way to Brean Down.

Tim and I have often taken a walk down to the shore of his hometown and looked out across the water to Brean Down. I’ve heard Tim talk about how beautiful the finger of land is and how he used to go walking there with his dog when he was younger. Plus the promise of a fort was a good call.

Owned by the National Trust you do have to pay for parking but access to the fort and to Brean Down is free and I do have to wholeheartedly agree with Tim; it offers spectacular views across the Bristol channel and it’s so lovely to see the Weston Coast from the (almost) opposite side .

We met up with our friend Nia and then made the way up the steps and along to the the Victoria Fort (stopping of course to feed the pregglington Nia and have a massive chin wag whilst the boys kept at it).

We wandered about the fort and to the end of Brean Down, and we saw some swallow chicks being fed in their nest which was amazing!  

It was ka beautiful walk and a sunny day bit hugely windy, although that was quite refreshing due to the sun having its hat well and truly on.

This is what happens when you don;t bring a bobble. 

Then we drove down to Weston and had lunch in the Old Colonial which was okay for a two for one pub (we had been there previously with Tim’s Da a while back).

 

I'm not sure why Nia's looking so appalled?!

Then we went for a wander down to the sea front and Tim climbed down to mess about on the rocks, we decided it might be a little too treacherous for Nia and I pretty much couldn't be arsed to climb down so the boys went and we attached the, from the top of the wall looking down. It mainly consisted of Tim skimming stones. The view from the top was beautiful. I do love the Weston coastline. 

 

Then it was time to say good bye to Nia and set back off to camp.

The weather was glorious when we arrived back and the boys set about making a fie with Slashington using his bellows (read: air bed pump) as a tool of the trade. We all made hobo pies for dinner which were cooked on the fire and tasted delicious.

It was the perfect evening to round off the last night for Rob and Slasher, much scrumpy was consumed, much laughter was had and I toddled off to bed before the boys so I could be fresh faced and smug for our trip to Wells the following day.

Full set of photos from our camping trip here, more info on Brean Down can be found here. 

Cheddar Camp & Cheddar Gorge - 23rd June 2012

We set off around 9ish, to relatively clear roads and weather. We did pack an awful lot. I don't do camping lightly apparently (tent, table, chairs, heater attachment for stove, stove, pans, pots, water carrier, small table, lights, lantern, washing up bowl and bits to go with it, massive airbed, pump, suitcase...etc etc).

We arrived at Cheddar Camp slightly dubious about out ability to find a dry patch after checking the weather and seeing that it had been raining non stop for two days before we arrived.

Tim jumped out at reception and we were led up to the top field by the owner and she pointed us in the direction of what she thought was a dry patch. It wasn’t. Although did manage to get one on the top of the hill which meant we had a beautiful view out over the Cheddar countryside.

CheddarCamp is a lovely site which comprises of two fields and a toilet block. There are no showers but they do allow camp fires, which seemed to us to be far more important than having a shower for the three nights that we were there.  

There is a bridleway running through the centre of the two fields, cordoned off by fences and not too busy at the weekend (photos below from a sunnier day!)

The toilets are basic and there is no hot running water but this is explained when you book in. The only problem with the loos is my mortal fear of moths and the fact people kept leaving the lights on and the doors open. Pretty much my worst nightmare right there! 

Do you think the electric box looks like a boo from Mario or is it just me? 

The owners are friendly and helpful and at £5 per person per night you can’t complain. Logs for the campfires can be purchased for £3.50 per bag from reception.

We had the tent set up within half an hour (Tim’s first time of putting it up) and everything else we up and inside in the grand total of an hour.

Our friends showed up a little later and set up their tent, and then we decided to go down to Cheddar and have a wander about the gorge. Unfortunately we got there too late to go into the caves but we did have a wander up the road until it started throwing it down so we diverted to the local scrumpy shop and decided to fill up for what was going to be a very wet and windy evening.

We thought fish and chips would be good idea and picked some up before heading back to the camp.

Why is there always a one off scary child's shoe in these places?

By the time we got back the camp site was buzzing with life, a school trip and a fathers and toddlers group had taken up the majority of the back field and ours had a few more additions to it. The rain came down, more and more until the ground was ridiculously boggy but we were smugly in our tent all dry and with the heater on and scrumpy in hand.

The wind howled and the rain  poured down and unfortunately for our friends their tent didn’t stand up to it, so one slept in the car, the other came and slept in our tent (after a lot of re-jigging…I did say we don’t pack light right?). It was a disturbed night’s sleep with the rain lashing at the side of the tent and it didn’t let up all night, but we were safe and sound in our super tent with the steel poles (I really did make the right choice!). It really was a case of go-to-sleep-as-fast-as-you-can-this-will-all-be-over-in-the-morning thoughts as I lay my head down and drifted off.