| Bridport, Dorset Friday 25th September We decided to try another adult’s only site for a long weekend and Bingham Grange, Melpash near Bridport was the choice. My sister and her boyfriend had just bought a caravan so they agreed to join us on the Saturday and booked the pitch next to ours. We arrived just after midday after missing the turning to the site which resulted in having to drive on to Beaminster to find somewhere to turn round. This resulted in the caravan being dented and scraped by a branch sticking out from the hedgerow along the very narrow B3066. The navigator (me) was in deep trouble! Once we had settled the caravan on the pitch we surveyed the damage. The caravan had a scrape almost the whole length along one side and a dent where the branch had initially hit the bodywork. Most could be cleaned off later, but the dent would remain. Poor Dorothy. |
| Caravan Adventures with Christine & Dorothy |
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We had a sandwich and glass of red wine while we decided what to do for the remainder of the afternoon. After finding that
the shop had no cornflakes we drove into Bridport and had a walk along East Street and then down South Street which had
some very interesting shops and galleries. Bridport is an attractive bustling small town which has a large market on Saturdays.
We eventually got our cornflakes in Waitrose and came back to the caravan for the rest of the day. We both find that setting
up everything is quite exhausting so arranging to do too much on arrival is not always a good idea: as much relaxation as
possible is essential. After all, that is the purpose of the trip.
the shop had no cornflakes we drove into Bridport and had a walk along East Street and then down South Street which had
some very interesting shops and galleries. Bridport is an attractive bustling small town which has a large market on Saturdays.
We eventually got our cornflakes in Waitrose and came back to the caravan for the rest of the day. We both find that setting
up everything is quite exhausting so arranging to do too much on arrival is not always a good idea: as much relaxation as
possible is essential. After all, that is the purpose of the trip.
left behind whilst her new counterpart performed his first towing
outing) which would not accept the precise location of the site
which was in the middle of rural Dorset. Harry Honda is a CRV
diesel and has replaced my sporty yellow MG as the sensible
Partly to blame was Harry Honda's sat nav (Christine had been
option for us novice caravanners; we now have two towing
vehicles and the most suitable will be used depending on our
destination. For example, next year we plan to visit the Lake
District and take our Scorpio canoe which easily fits on
Christine's roof but is too long for Harry Honda. So Christine will
be back on the road and take turns with Harry.
outing) which would not accept the precise location of the site
which was in the middle of rural Dorset. Harry Honda is a CRV
diesel and has replaced my sporty yellow MG as the sensible
Partly to blame was Harry Honda's sat nav (Christine had been
option for us novice caravanners; we now have two towing
vehicles and the most suitable will be used depending on our
destination. For example, next year we plan to visit the Lake
District and take our Scorpio canoe which easily fits on
Christine's roof but is too long for Harry Honda. So Christine will
be back on the road and take turns with Harry.
| Dorothy & Harry on site |
Bingham Grange is in a lovely setting
just outside Bridport and in easy
Charmouth and Lyme Regis. The site
has toilet blocks with a couple of
showers in each as well as five
immaculate shower rooms, a small
shop and dog walking area. There is
also a restaurant on site with a bar
and take-away service. All very nicely
laid out.
just outside Bridport and in easy
Charmouth and Lyme Regis. The site
has toilet blocks with a couple of
showers in each as well as five
immaculate shower rooms, a small
shop and dog walking area. There is
also a restaurant on site with a bar
and take-away service. All very nicely
laid out.
Eventually we walked around the perimeter of the site and this was followed by a trip to the restaurant to get a take-away. Kenny had a chicken korma
and I had scampi and chips. Kenny ate all of his but I was beaten by the volume of both the scampi and the chips. A DVD followed by an early night was
how the day ended.
and I had scampi and chips. Kenny ate all of his but I was beaten by the volume of both the scampi and the chips. A DVD followed by an early night was
how the day ended.
The road down to Eype was back to the narrowest road possible and
we had to reverse back into passing places many times. But
eventually we found a car park in the caravan site next to Eype
beach and parked there for £1, not bad.
We walked along the cliff top path towards Lyme Regis and the views
from the top of Thorncombe Beacon were fantastic. Across towards
Lyme Regis was Golden Cap and in the other direction we could see
Portland in the hazy distance. The sun peeped out from some light
cloud occasionally and we had a lovely walk. I heard stonechats and
we saw many other birds which I didn't get a chance to identify as
they flitted quickly into the undergrowth as we approached.
we had to reverse back into passing places many times. But
eventually we found a car park in the caravan site next to Eype
beach and parked there for £1, not bad.
We walked along the cliff top path towards Lyme Regis and the views
from the top of Thorncombe Beacon were fantastic. Across towards
Lyme Regis was Golden Cap and in the other direction we could see
Portland in the hazy distance. The sun peeped out from some light
cloud occasionally and we had a lovely walk. I heard stonechats and
we saw many other birds which I didn't get a chance to identify as
they flitted quickly into the undergrowth as we approached.
After our walk we headed back to the caravan and had a salad sandwich for lunch then set up the table and chairs on the
grass area beside the caravan. It was so very relaxing sitting in the late summer sunshine and we spent a good few hours
in this manner. My sister, her boyfriend and their two little dogs turned up mid afternoon and we sat and chatted with them
before deciding to head to the local pub, the Half Moon, for a meal. We got there just before 6pm so had to wait a few some
evening. A good time was had by all.
Apart from some barking dogs early on, we had a good night's sleep and woke next morning to a clear blue sky.
grass area beside the caravan. It was so very relaxing sitting in the late summer sunshine and we spent a good few hours
in this manner. My sister, her boyfriend and their two little dogs turned up mid afternoon and we sat and chatted with them
before deciding to head to the local pub, the Half Moon, for a meal. We got there just before 6pm so had to wait a few some
evening. A good time was had by all.
Apart from some barking dogs early on, we had a good night's sleep and woke next morning to a clear blue sky.
We walked back to the car and popped into the co-op on the way back to the caravan to get some 'dead stuff' (as Kenny calls it) for the barbecue we
needed to finish up. We shared some crumbs with a couple of sparrows and a very friendly robin that had left his calling-card in the caravan the day
before, how tame is that?
Dawn texted to say they were still at the fort and would be back later so Kenny replied that we were okay for meat for the barbecue as we had found a
dinosaur! Dawn and Andy arrived later and we set up some instant barbecues on a stand we had bought and some bricks we found nearby that were
left out for that purpose. We ate and chatted well into the night, eventually retiring for bed when we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer.
Monday 28th September
The morning dawned cloudy but still quite warm and we started to pack up after breakfast. We all agreed another day there would be good but it was
work the next day so that was not possible. The journey home was uneventful but we planned our next trip that you will be able to read here in the not
too distant future.
Julie
September 2009
needed to finish up. We shared some crumbs with a couple of sparrows and a very friendly robin that had left his calling-card in the caravan the day
before, how tame is that?
Dawn texted to say they were still at the fort and would be back later so Kenny replied that we were okay for meat for the barbecue as we had found a
dinosaur! Dawn and Andy arrived later and we set up some instant barbecues on a stand we had bought and some bricks we found nearby that were
left out for that purpose. We ate and chatted well into the night, eventually retiring for bed when we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer.
Monday 28th September
The morning dawned cloudy but still quite warm and we started to pack up after breakfast. We all agreed another day there would be good but it was
work the next day so that was not possible. The journey home was uneventful but we planned our next trip that you will be able to read here in the not
too distant future.
Julie
September 2009
| Eype beach view towards Golden Cap |
I was first into the shower rooms at 06:30 and the hot water took a good 5 minutes to make an appearance (I was worried that I would have to have an
ice-cold shower but it ended up being as hot as you wanted). The day had started fresh and the clear skies looked like it would be another beautiful day.
We headed off to Eype for a walk and the sat nav took us by the most direct route.............along some of the narrowest and most tractor-populated lanes
we'd ever seen! It was a bit tense coming face to face with a tractor with wheels touching the hedgerows on either side of the road, but eventually we
ended up on a normal sized road again and decided to turn off the sat nav and use our brains for the return journey. Harry Honda’s sat nav is much
more polite than Christine's one which regularly advises us she is recalculating in an exasperated tone every time we go wrong! We decided the ideal
voice for us would be either Victor Meldrew saying, 'I don't believe it!' every time you took a wrong turn or Norman Wisdom, but after Kenny's brilliant
impersonation of Norman Wisdom ending up with us both in hysterics, that would be our choice.
ice-cold shower but it ended up being as hot as you wanted). The day had started fresh and the clear skies looked like it would be another beautiful day.
We headed off to Eype for a walk and the sat nav took us by the most direct route.............along some of the narrowest and most tractor-populated lanes
we'd ever seen! It was a bit tense coming face to face with a tractor with wheels touching the hedgerows on either side of the road, but eventually we
ended up on a normal sized road again and decided to turn off the sat nav and use our brains for the return journey. Harry Honda’s sat nav is much
more polite than Christine's one which regularly advises us she is recalculating in an exasperated tone every time we go wrong! We decided the ideal
voice for us would be either Victor Meldrew saying, 'I don't believe it!' every time you took a wrong turn or Norman Wisdom, but after Kenny's brilliant
impersonation of Norman Wisdom ending up with us both in hysterics, that would be our choice.
Sunday 27th September
After a shower and breakfast we all headed off to Charmouth beach. The weather was perfect
but as dogs were not allowed on the fossil hunting part of the beach, Dawn and Andy headed
off to Portland fort while Kenny and I took a slow walk along Charmouth beach looking for
fossils. Unfortunately, the weather had been too good and we found nothing worth keeping
(need a good storm to stir everything up first). We got chatting to another couple and they
had found nothing either and then we discovered that I knew her from work about 10 years
ago! Small world.
After a shower and breakfast we all headed off to Charmouth beach. The weather was perfect
but as dogs were not allowed on the fossil hunting part of the beach, Dawn and Andy headed
off to Portland fort while Kenny and I took a slow walk along Charmouth beach looking for
fossils. Unfortunately, the weather had been too good and we found nothing worth keeping
(need a good storm to stir everything up first). We got chatting to another couple and they
had found nothing either and then we discovered that I knew her from work about 10 years
ago! Small world.
To view any image full-size
just click on the thumbnail
just click on the thumbnail
| Eype beach |
| Charmouth beach view towards Lyme Regis |
| Charmouth beach |
| view to Portland from Thorncombe Beacon |
| view to Golden Cap from Thorncombe Beacon |