2014 - THE FINAL TOUR OF2014 – THE FINAL TOUR School's in, the summer madness is over, a THE YEAR

2014 – THE FINAL TOUR

 

 

School's in, the summer madness is over, and now it is safe to venture back on the road with OTRA to search out the warmer corners of the UK in late September and early October.

 

We had planned to leave for Knaresborough CC Site on Monday 21^st, but we were so eager to get back on the road that we left on Sunday 20^th.   M6 south, join the A66 at Penrith, and in almost no time we had crossed into County Durham and were pitching up at Richmond Hargill House CC site for an overnight stop.

 

We left before 10 next morning, and at Scotch Corner joined the A1 south.  The SatNav took us in through Boroughbridge where the Morrisons Supermarket sells Autogas LPG.  There we filled up with provisions and gas and drove the short distance to Knaresborough CC Site.

 

We spent a pleasant three days there enjoying the site and visiting Knaresborough and Harrogate.   The on site Bistro and bar, a novelty for Caravan Club Sites, are excellent, and add to the friendly ambience of the site.   We ate there one evening, and thoroughly  enjoyed our meal.   But all good things come to an end, and we were back on the road again, still following the A1 south before turning east on the A17 towards Norwich and the Norfolk Broads.

 

We love East Anglia, and the Norfolk Broads CC Site is set in the heart of this beautiful tranquil landscape.

 

We visited numerous small villages, walked on river banks, watched boats on the broads at Wroxham and Potters Heigham.  We visited St Benet's Abbey and enjoyed the pleasant climate and unseasonably warm weather.   

 

So it was with a heavy heart we left the Norfolk Broads on Wednesday 1^st October to  begin  the long journey home, where temperatures of 14 degrees and lower awaited us.

 

But first we had a detour to make, and for the third time this year we arrived at Grafham Water Caravan Club Site.

 

This is a magical location set near Huntingdon in the rural heart of England on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire borders.  It is so peaceful, you can hear the silence, and the resident owl can be seen at various times of the day, competing for attention with other wildlife including water fowl and ducks.

 

This is a great place to relax, and the friendly and efficient wardens make this site a joy to visit.  A place to unwind before facing the realities of life at holiday's end.

 

After the two night stop we again joined the A1 north and late on a cool Yorkshire afternoon we arrived back at Richmond Hargill House CC Site.  The rain started falling from leaden skies soon after our arrival, and a short time later a strong wind started whipping across the moors.  Not a good omen for the last leg of our journey over the A66 to Penrith and the road north to Scotland.

 

But next morning dawned dry and calm, if a bit cool.   We packed up and left by 0900, and by 1300 we were home to seasonal Scottish weather.

 

We unpacked OTRA with a heavy heart and prepared her for her rest until March next year.  

 

But the best is still to come – we hope.  This year we have made eight touring trips throughout the UK from North to South, enjoyed the friendship and company of many diverse people, and revelled in the freedom of motor caravanning. 

 

We cannot wait for March, and the start of our 2015 season, when we will be On The Road Again