Iona goes to Leicestershire

After the bad weather we were looking for somewhere fairly near with electric, just in case the sun failed to shine and charge the batteries. We found Hill Top caravan site. This is a small site with minimal facilities and very little walking options apart from the village of Thrussington but for £9 per night it was an easy decision.

Due to the bad weather there was a shortage of bulk LPG in our area, all the local garages had run out of supplies. I admit I was a bit worried because we only had about 9 Litres of gas onboard. I think this would have lasted the four days away but I was still a bit nervous. On the drive to the site were going to pass a petrol station that should have LPG but it seemed  a very compact site when I stopped there before in a car. I decided to try and get some LPG from there on the way to the site. Yes, they had some and although it was a bit tight getting between the pumps I managed it and then I was faced with a type of pump nozzle that I had not come across before. Luckily I had watched a video when I first got the system added to the van, so it turned out to be easy enough. Fifteen litres and £10 later we were on our way.

The site is on a slight slope so ramps on one side of Iona were required , the views over Leicestershire were worth the extra effort. We set up and apart from waving at the owner on his tractor it was very quiet. 

Day 2:

There was a light frost last night and we woke to bright sunshine. It looks like the site is used by people working in the area, our neighbours on both sides had left by 8.00am. Today we are going to walk into Thrussington to see if there are any footpaths and walks nearby.

The walk into Thrussington was only about a half mile , we carried on through the village past the village green , the delicatessen and a gastro pub.

We continued through the village and over the river Wreake towards Rearsby. We found a footpath that ran past a Convent and the church in Rearsby.

At the end of the path the road crossed a stream by a ford and a listed bridge; according to the plaque it was built by six men in nine days and cost £11 in 1714. Next to the ford is an old farm with classic buildings amd stables, and the remains of a hoist derrick on the apex of an old Barn.

We walked along the stream and turned to head back to Thrussington, passing over the level crossing and walking along the raised footpath across the flood plain. The fields either side of the road were divided by electric fences, these are part of a large dairy farm that sits on a hill overlooking the river. We visited the church where nearly all the grave headstones are made of slate and heavy carved. This was a wealthy community in the 1800s.

We left the church and walked back towards the village green, past the Red Lion pub that was closed. Sue went to look at the menu of the gastro pub but we eventually went into the delicatessen come bistro for a drink but we ended up ordering one of the specials, chicken, avocado and onion on sour dough bread. The meal was very good and well worth a visit if you are passing the village.

That was about the end of our walk, we arrived back at Iona and sat down to read and write these notes.Tonight we have fish curry with rice and naan bread.

Day 3:

Sunshine today, the last of the snow has nearly disappeared. We went for a walk along the lane but after a couple of miles it only lead us to the A46. There were no footpaths to the village so we had to turn around and walk back the same way. There was not a great deal to see apart from what looked a memorial but because it was the other side of a hedge it was difficult to see if there was any inscription.

Back to the motorhome for some lunch and then laze about for the afternoon. I managed to ask Michael from the campsite about the memorial and he told me that it was just one of the follies that the local farmer had erected. He has a collectition of stone sculptures on pillars around the edge of a paddock near his yard.

 Tonight Sue is cooking Chicken breasts stuffed we sundried tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella and Rochfort cheese, with chips and a salad.

Day 4:

Today we leave and return home but there is no rush because we are less than thirty miles from home. It has been great value at £9 per night and with the electric on a meter we only used £1 over the four days. 

Trip 3: 80.6 miles, 28.2 mpg, 33 mph, 2:24 hours

Iona finds a Secret Garden

With six inches of snow three days before we were due to drive to Wisbech, it was touch and go if this trip would go ahead.

The drive to the Secret Garden Site was fine although I had added a way point to the sat nav route to ensure we missed a narrow lane. On arrival I did go in the wrong entrance but we ended up at reception where we were met by the own

ers. After a briefing and a tour of the local products in the shop I followed Neil through a wooded track to the campsite pitch.

Neil explained where everything was and left to get us a fire pit. While he was away I got Iona stuck instantly. Sue and Neil tried to push me back but it was no good, so I put in the traction control and it pulled us slowly forward out of the mud. I was then able to reverse back into the pitch which is amongst trees and has its own water and electric, and we are less than fifty feet from the shower block.

The facilities block and the Pod

The shower block and toilets plus outside pot washing facilities are some of the best we have seen. Plus there is dog walking area and children’s adventure spaces. The on-site ginger cat, ‘Vernon’ , was quick to make friends and was soon in the van asleep on the sofa.

The Bush Craft area

A Tree house in the woods

Just some of the Bees

The Secret Garden also has pigs and chickens. Lesley explained that they run a woodland craft day, sausage and beer tasting events and a bee keeping day. There is a distillery and Cider making along with honey and vinegars making on site. The Mile Tree brewery was on site but has had to move to bigger premises in Peterborough, however the beer is stocked in the shop.

The River Nene

The River Nene

The weather was very mild so we walked down to the river nene about a mile away, this was a practice before we walk into Wisbech tomorrow. The town centre is about 2 miles from the campsite. On the way back we stopped at the Shop/Office and chatted to Lesley. They are no longer growers but are still part of a growing syndicate and they run the sales office as well as the Secret Garden business. I purchased four of the Mile Tree Brewery beers to try. If I like them I will buy some for Richard so he can add them to his portfolio.

Mile Tree Brewery was on the site but has now moved to bigger premises in Peterborough

Over the evening I tried the beer and with the exception of the dark ale they were worth trying, the dark ale was a little too bitter for my taste. Tea was prawn risotto , a favourite of ours.

Day 2:

Elgood's Brewery featured on an information board.

Quite a dull day this morning but we are going to walk into Wisbech and try to find the Museum. We walked down Mile Tree lane to the river Nene and followed the road into town. Wisbech was at one time a great port, before the wash was drained. Wisbech was on the coast and the sea came right upto the Church which stands in the middle of the town.

Watch Tower looking over the River

The river Nene is tidal and as we got nearer we were walking past the  Georgian houses of rich merchants and ship owners like Richard Young (1809-1871) who operated 43 vessels out of Wisbech and went on to become an MP. We passed the Elgood’s brewery. Once there were thirteen breweries in Wisbech,but now there is just Elgood’s . We passed two pubs along the road into town. There are some impressive bank buildings to be seen as well as hotels either side of the river by the old bridge.

Wisbech is also famous for Thomas Clarkson who was a strong campaigner against slavery. We walked around the Crescent which is famous in the town. It is a crescent shaped mews of large Georgian houses with a Methodist Chapel being part of one side.

The crescent and the Chapel

The site of the Old Castle 

We found the museum and spent an hour or so looking at the exhibits. Not everything relating to Wisbech but a wide varied cross section from farming, police, a display of grocery shop goods, ceramics, Roman finds including a skeleton , Egyptian artifacts, a mummified hand and a cat. Cases of stuffed birds and much more.

The Museum

After the museum it was back into the town to look for a supermarket, we found Aldi and managed to get the Worcestershire sauce needed for tea, plus a presentation box with four gins and four mixers, they seemed too good to leave so we bought two. It was then the long walk home, but the temptation to look in the Elgood’s brewery shop was too much and I bought four bottles of beer to try as well as a bottle of Apple and Vanilla wheat beer at £1 in a bargain barrel, it may not be very good but something different. During the evening we tried the Apple and Vanilla wheat beer, but it was not very nice and was thrown out. 

Elgood's Brewery today

When we finally got back to Iona we had walked a total of 6.5 miles and our legs were feeling it. 

Day 3:

Today was a chill day by the van although we did walk around the site and stopped at the shop to buy some sausages for lunch. The weather brightened up and I got the fire lit in the fire pit with the wood we had with us. Sue and the cat sat and watched. Once the fire had died down to leave just the embers I got  the  sausages on the grill.

The sausages did not take long to cook but once ready we had to take them into the club room so we were not mobbed by the cat who seems to eat anything and has a never ending appetite.

We spent the afternoon in Iona reading while outside the weather kept changing from Sunshine to rain and then back to sunshine.

Day 4

Bright sunshine and strong winds this morning. We are walking into Wisbech again today. Once the rain stopped at about 1pm we headed into Wisbech to replenish some supplies and get some beer from the brewery for our son who reviews them on his Instagram page (the.art.of.beer) he also designs a graphic for each beer. On the walk in we came across a Sparrowhawk that had caught a bird and was in the process of eating it, as we got closer we disturbed it and it flew off with the bird in it’s talons.

The second watch tower with the Rose Tavern behind

We did our bit of shopping and headed back, calling in at the brewery shop as we passed by. We continued home, only 5.5 miles today.

On Friday when we left I got stuck in the soft ground. Luckily Neil had a tractor and he towed us to harder ground.

We got stuck leaving

Trip 2: 100.3 miles, 33 mph, 26.5 mpg, 3 hours.