Scott's Farm East Whittering

Day Four - our last over night stay so we decided to drive back towards Chichester so that we'd be only a few miles away for our 10am van return tomorrow. After checking out the site at Selsey (too expensive £33-39!) and Witts Farm (too far away from anywhere) we eventually ended up at the first place we looked at - Scott's Farm which is remarkably better than I thought it was going to be. I'd imagined a site jamed with caravans & vans and children running around making too much noise..... AND it was expensive £29 because it's half term! Gladly it's a very quite site (probably because of the weather which has turned dramatically to rain rain, cloud, rain rain) and we were charged just £20 so that's very acceptable. It has toilets, showers & small shop much like Hurst View. It is basically a field and in high season I would think it is a mass of caravans etc. but it's a good location oposite Joffrey Road which leads to the beach and where we parked the car on our last visit to EW. The village is literally 2 mins away. Not very picturesque but if you just need a bit of sea air, waves & a bag of chips, it does the job.

Bird log

At Selsey

Turnstones 

Cormorants/shags 

BH Gulls 

A grey seal bobing it's head in the sea. 

Homlsley

Day 3

We rang ahead and booked in at Snetthorn in the New Forest. Only a 15 min drive away...

On arrival thou we were told they had no electric so could either stay without hook up or go to Holmsley down the road. Had it been in the summer we probably would have stayed but we didn't want to be cold and miserable with no cooked food so headed for the more open plan commercial site at Holmsley.

Right in the new forest so walks galore but no clear marked routes or circular ones that we found... 

Village nr by but not sure how far to walk. 

Pitch very pleasant and spacious but not as remote as Hurst View. Feels more like your in a camp sight which of course you are.....

Holmsley (New Forest Camping)

Nr Burley

Tourers only: caravans, vans & tents 

£?   We paid £16 but were originally meant to be at Snetthorn which has no facilities. They were also off electricity when we arrived so rebooked us here. I pretty sure this is a more expensive site. 

No campfires / BBQ allowed

Toilet & shower facilities excellent 

Well stocked shop/info centre

Our luck has run out with the weather but in a weird way I'm glad. It wouldn't have been much if a trial if the weather had been glorious for 4 days. It rain most of the night and still raining now... But it's not cold and we managed to go for walkies without getting soaked so still enjoying the experience.

Bacon, egg again for breakfast but still have masses of food in the fridge and cupboards. We definitely over packed on that score... 

Campervan adventures

26th-30th October

Our first Campervan adventure (well it's actually a motor home but some how that doesn't sound right)

First stop Chichetser to pick up our home for the next few days. The hand over was all very straight forward and after instructions on all the vital functions: electricity hook up, waste water pipe, chemical toilet disposal, fresh water tank, heating, microwave, cooker etc etc......  we were off on our own to explore the road....

We'd book our first couple of nights so we knew where we were headed. Lymington, Only an hour away. Long enough to get a feel for the drive, short enough to avoid travel lag. The campsite was Hurst View Leisure, promising views over the Solent. It didn't disappoint. We were shown to a pitch right at the end of the line so had uninterrupted view of the rural scene before us and yes distant views of the sea cliffs... And very free and pleasant land.. 

Hurst View Leisure

Residential caravans, tourers, vans & tents. 

£25 per night with hook up

Campfires & BBQs allowed

Excellent toilet / shower facilities

Very small shop, essentials only (no chocolate!)

Fab walks on door step - marsh land, reed beds and sea. Views over to IOW

Two Pub walking distance 

About 3/4 full even in October ....

Booking very informal thou. Name only no payment or deposit. 

##### 5 stars. Return :def. 

Bird life

Brent Geese (many flocks of)

Red shanks galore

Godwits

Lapwings

Curlews

Little Egrets

Pink footed or grey lag geese

Canada Geese

Cormorant

Wigeon

Shelduck

Shoveler

Mallard

Tufted duck

Coot

Heron

Robin

Magpie

Blackbird

Starlings

Pigeon

Blue tit

Great tit

Crow

Jackdaws

Mute swans 

Long tailed tits

Back headed gulls

Herring gull

Reed warbler of some kind LBJ

Wheatear?

Bird of prey? 

Other wildlife 

Clouded yellow butterfly (first 😀)

Red Admiral 

Comma

Common darter

Southern/migrant Hawker

Watchet 8th -12th Sept 2014

Having a great, peaceful, relaxing, refreshing, chilled out break here in Watchet. 

I have to confess I wasn't too enamoured about coming here. Yes it's a coastal village /town but I had my doubts.... It's not exactly a well known holiday destination (except for its proximity to Butlins at Minehead!) BUT I was wrong. It's perfect and we'll def come back again. It's only 2 1/2 hrs from home so within reasonable reach for a few days. 

So what has it got to offer? 

-The West Somerset Railway - Restored Steam trains to Bishops Linyard & Minehead

-The Marina 

-The tides - always fascinating..... 

-The West Pier (not a funfair pier but a concert yetty to walk out on) 

-West Beach - rocks/ sand/ mud..... Had to be careful where you walked! 

-Hellwell Bay - fossils beach and the first time ever I actually saw fossils in the rocks and even found our own collection.

-HellWell Farm nr Doniford which we stumbled upon during our walk. The perfect place to have a coffee and snack whist watching the Elpacas, pot bellied pigs, baby ducklings & black sheep. 

-Four pubs

The Bell - Reasonable place, good pies apparently. courtyard garden in need of a bit of sprucing. 

The Somerset Hotel - In much need of an update/ good old clean. Very much a locals pub. Again         courtyard garden. 

The Esplanade Club. - Excellent location by The Marina. Inside dark and dull but some interesting photos. On a cold winters day I can imagin this might be quite a lively place. Today thou the sun was out so no one was inside. Cheap beer & wine £5.70 for both. 

The Star - The one that everyone says is the best and it is. As soon as you step inside there is a warm cosy atoms. Busy but still places to sit (we sat at the bar) friendly bar lady and great leek & chicken suet pie. 

-The Indian resturant which we are told is excellent but probably won't get to sample on this trip

-Fish & Chips 

-A Chinese (although we were warned not to eat there!!) 

-A small selection of independent shops 

-Co-op for food.

-Dog friend cafe for breakfast

All in all just about all that you need. 

Llangrannog April 2014

Arrived sat evening. This is the view from our holiday house. 

Sunday 13th April

A stroll up the road round and back through the village for ice cream.

Pub - Pendre Arms

The pub with the best view ever.... Could sit there all day.