Karen Wright discovers the delights of the Yorkshire and Kynren Escorted Tour, including exploring York and Barnard Castle then enjoying the spectacular open air experience of the Kynren show
Earlier this year I enjoyed one of the Caravan and Motorhome Clubs Escorted Tours in France and I absolutely loved it. As soon as I got home, I decided to try another but this time in the UK. The club has plenty of tours to choose from, but I plumped for the Yorkshire and Kynren Escorted Tour.
I live in Yorkshire and over the years I have travelled around the county a fair bit but there is always so much more to see wherever you live so I was especially keen to stay local and see some of the places that have escaped me thus far.
The tours vary in structure and length; for example, the one I went on in France was quite long and we were based at one site the whole time. This Yorkshire tour took in two sites: York and Barnard Castle. For the first half of our tour we were based at the York Beechwood Grange Club Campsite. On the first day we all made our way to the site where we were greeted by both the wardens and our tour hosts, club members Andrew and Imelda. After pitching up and settling in, we all gathered outside for an hour or so to meet each other and enjoy a drink together which was lovely. There were twenty-two members in our group, which included our hosts, nine other couples and two single travellers. With a range of motorhomers and caravanners in the group it was great to discover where everyone lived and to learn more about each other.
Our first day out found us gathering at nine in the morning. We enjoyed the coach drive to Pickering where we boarded an old-fashioned train. The carriage was reserved for our group so we could sit together. The line runs as far as Whitby, but we disembarked at Goathland, famous as a location in the TV series Heartbeat. We wandered around the lovely village where a few sheep were ambling around and walking in the road which we all found amusing. The coach had driven to meet us, so we jumped back on board and were taken to another fantastic location, Castle Howard, which was the setting for Brideshead Revisited and is an incredible stately home. We had a look around the house and the wonderful expansive gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
The next day it was all aboard the coach again and this time right into the city of York. We met our blue badge guide opposite Clifford's Tower, which is a historical landmark, and she took us all around the city regaling us with the stories, myths and legends that York has in abundance. After two hours the tour ended in the magnificent York Minster. Then we had the rest of the day to spend as we wished so me and my husband decided to make our way down towards the river to sit and watch the world go by.
The next day was a ‘free’ day, where everyone did exactly what they wished under their own steam. The park and ride service is very close to the York site so getting around without taking a car into the city is a breeze. We spent most of the day relaxing on the site, and gearing up for the next day’s journey when we’d be moving to the Teesdale Barnard Castle Club Campsite. The town of Barnard Castle is within easy walking distance of the site and is dominated by the spectacular ruins of the castle that sit way above the River Tees below.
By this time in the tour the group were becoming quite pally, and it was especially good to observe friendships in the making. My husband John really enjoys socialising with people and he would go off to fill up the water container and come back an hour later after finding himself helping peg an awning or fix a bike and generally really enjoying the camaraderie within the group.
Our next day out was on the coach once again and the first stop was the Wensleydale Creamery. We were treated to a demonstration about the origin and the manufacture of the famous “more cheese Grommet” crumbly and delicious cheese before a tasting session. This was followed inevitably, well for me anyway, by a shopping spree where I bought lots of cheese and a bottle of fancy port. Next up was lunch in the restaurant which was, as you might expect, quite cheesy and very scrumptious too!
After we finished at the Creamery, we headed back towards the campsite calling in at the Bowes Museum. Built by a local philanthropist and his French wife, the museum is very grand and imposing. It houses antiquities and curiosities in every nook and cranny. It was a very good trip, and everyone said they thoroughly enjoyed it.
The next day was another day of leisure, it was interesting to see how our group chose to spend their free time. Exploring far and wide on foot, cycle, bus and car and all returning to site all full of their adventures, keen to share their experiences with each other. I decided to spend some time baking in my caravan and whipped up a Yorkshire tea loaf and (inspired by the trip to Wensleydale) a batch of cheese scones.
Our last visit on the tour was much anticipated. We were taken in the late afternoon by coach to the location of Kynren. After a very tasty and classy three course meal, we took our seats in the outdoor auditorium. Our seats were very close to the action and once seated the anticipation grew and grew. So, what is Kynren?
Kynren is an epic piece of theatre which is held in the open air just outside Bishop
Auckland. It is a ninety-minute show which tells the story of England from the Saxon days right through the key historical moments right up until after the Second World War. Narrated mostly by a young King Arthur it is a wonderful, spectacular piece of theatre with a huge cast of men, women and children who are local volunteers. There are also horses, sheep and geese in the cast plus an array of costumes, special effects, lighting and fireworks that set the mind boggling. I expected it to be good as I have had some many recommendations for it, but it really did blow me away. Everyone in our group said the same, we all absolutely loved it. Our hands were sore from clapping and our arms tired from waving our flags to Land of Hope and Glory at the end of the show, it was just wonderful.
The Yorkshire and Kynren Escorted Tour price included hard standing pitches, the coach on excursion days, entrance fees, tour guide in York, the talk at the creamery, the train ticket and the show ticket plus the meals that I have mentioned. The priceless thing that I took from the tour was the new friendships made and that lovely glow of companionship that inevitably grows when a few likeminded people spend time together. I have loved my Escorted UK Tour this year and highly recommend them. I am already flicking through the brochure to see where my next trip will be!
