Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Caravan

LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN Lost for most of the twentieth century, these extraordinary botanical gardens were originally developed over a couple of hundred years to surround the ancestral seat of the Tremayne family near Mevagissey, but were abandoned and forgotten when the First World War broke out. Only after the great storm of 1990 were they rediscovered and a huge restoration project embarked upon. Today, the gardens are a major tourist attraction, with 200 of the thousand acres open for exploration. These include a Victorian productive garden with the only remaining pineapple pit in Europe, the pleasure grounds, a subtropical jungle, and the modern wildlife project area. LIZARD POINT As the most southerly part of the British mainland, the Lizard Peninsula is a sight to behold – white beaches, blue…

Monkton Wyld is set in a countryside location on the Dorset/Devon border, just three miles from the seaside towns of Lyme Regis and Charmouth. It’s a mix of hardstanding, grass and surfaced pitches, most with electric. Dogs are more than welcome, with a wash area, dog walk and a seperate paddock where pets can be exercised off the lead. There’s also a great children’s play area. We catch up with the owners to find out more about this great site. Q How long have you been running your campsite for? A We first opened to the public in 1991 in a four-acre field. Over the years this has grown to 26 acres but everything is divided up in small paddocks and areas so you never feel part of the crowd.…

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L-shaped lounges, it seems, are in fashion. While the parallel lounge configuration vastly outnumbers alternatives, the number of lounges with seating arranged in an L-shape has increased recently. Swift offers several models in this layout: the Sprite Quattro EW; in the Challenger Grande range there’s the 560L, the 650L and 650L SE, and 560L SE, and there’s also the 850 in Swift’s flagship Elegance Grande range. The Erwin Hymer Group has three: the Elddis Crusader Borealis, the Compass Camino 650 and the Buccaneer Barracuda. Bailey answers the demand for L-shaped seating with its configuration that it names ‘G-shape’, in the Pegasus Grande SE range’s Rimini, Brindisi, Bologna and Messina. Narrowing down your choice, if you want eight-foot width, twin axles and Alde heating – and want to keep the price…

Feet first? Q Do we need to fit feet to the bottom of our corner steadies? Some other ’vans on site seem to have them, whilst others don’t. I’d like to know if there’s something missing as I don’t want to do it wrong and damage the caravan. A Corner steady pads stop the bottom of the corner steady from sinking into soft ground by giving it a larger footprint. You may not need to fit corner steady pads if you usually pitch on hardstanding areas; although, as they are cheap to buy, and tend to be fit-and-forget items, the benefits outweigh the cost. I’ve had the same Milenco Stacka Corner Feet set for years, and I highly recommend them. Ferry across the Solent Q We’re thinking of taking our…

At the start of every year, or more precisely when the winter starts to get me down, I look at our future travel plans. This year we needed to fit our plans around a new addition to the family due in April. Knowing that Marc had holiday days left over that needed using before the end of March, it was decided to take a break in March! But where to go? March is not renowned for its weather wherever you go, so as I was sat watching Vera on the TV, I said, “Let’s go to Vera country,” Decision made, a plan for Northumberland was cobbled together to fit in some places that looked interesting to me and off we set. After an a brief stop near Chesterfield, we arrived…

Cornwall is a magical destination and it really has it all. Golden beaches stretching on for miles, subtropical gardens, giant cliffs, pretty fishing villages, and it is steeped in myth and legend. Cornwall is rugged and refined, beautiful, wild and inspirational. The ideal place to spend some time. It’s no wonder it’s so popular with caravanners and, with so many campsites to choose from, you’ll be spoilt. Summer holidays are, without doubt, the busiest time, so if you’ve got your eye on a particular campsite, it’s a good idea to book in advance.…

ST IVES A beautiful sandy bay, boat trips to see the seals – and it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will – plenty of restaurants, and a lively tourist atmosphere – there’s a reason why St Ives is rated among Cornwall’s top attractions. It’s long been established as an artists’ colony. There’s a reason for that, too. Not just that this region offers painting inspiration galore. It’s also the light – it’s compared to the pure, vivid light you find in Greece. MOUSEHOLE A quaint and charming fishing village between Penzance and Land’s End on the south coast of Cornwall. Full of old-world charm, the narrow streets are lined with small shops, galleries and restaurants. FALMOUTH A lively town with a vast choice of restaurants and pubs – and great…

Northern Ireland is a stunning part of the world and taking your caravan is easy via ferry. To make the most of your tour, we’d recommend staying for a week or so and exploring the glorious coastline and countryside often seen on hit show, Game of Thrones. For some culture, why not head to Belfast? There’s a wealth of museums, galleries and world-class restaurants. Stay Ballyness Caravan Park Ballyness Caravan Park has fully serviced hardstanding pitches with toilets and showers, a family bathroom and a launderette. There’s also an indoor games and TV room. The site is a wildlife haven with ponds, wooded areas and a meadow, and is within walking distance of pubs, shops and restaurants. Other attractions close by include Bushmills Distillery and the Giant’s Causeway. W ballynesscaravanpark.com…

What, you are taking the cat with you while you travel? We had this exchange numerous times. No one takes a second glance at an accompanying dog, so why not a cat? Also, there’s little that compares to the bemusement that a cat on a lead arouses! They are beloved pets, too, and surprisingly amenable, so create the right environment, provide the right care and attention and it’s no problem. On our travels thus far, we have met a couple of cats who go out on leads, and a few ‘house cats’. Jigsaw has always worn a harness when she’s been outside, so she is used to it, although, admittedly, we tried several before finding a genuinely escape-proof one. Jigsaw is a snowshoe breed; very curious, chatty and lovely to…

Holidays are not immune from the cost of living crisis that we are all currently experiencing and getting away in the caravan has seen dramatic increases in travel costs, pitch fees and food and drink. So, when it comes to taking that all-important break, a tight squeeze on the finances can mean you need to review those plans. We were in this situation back in the summer of 2022. We planned to have 10 days away in Yorkshire, which is a trip we have wanted to do for some time. In the run-up to the holiday, the diesel cost alone had shot up and was nudging on £2 a litre. This increase, the rise in food costs, and higher campsite fees, meant that our trip would be prohibitively expensive. However,…

WATERGATE BAY About three miles from Newquay, this beach is away from the hustle and bustle of surf’s capital and has two miles of golden sand. There are two beach car parks and several access paths. The bay is also a popular surfing area. This is one beach with a lot of facilities nearby, including toilets, cafés and excellent restaurants. HARLYN BAY A wide, spacious stretch of sand and pebbles with rock pools backed by dunes, just west of Padstow. The crescent bay is popular with surfers, and surf schools run sessions from the beach. Dogs are allowed. MOTHER IVEY’S BAY Sheltered by the Merope Rocks, this soft-sand bay is in a stunning location. Dogs are welcome. WIDEMOUTH BAY Just three miles south of Bude, and accessible from the South…

1 CASTLERIGG HALL CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4TE T 01768 774499 W castlerigg.co.uk OPEN 13 March – 11 November It’s not just open space that our four-legged friends might need while on holiday. What else would make a dog owners’ life a lot easier while they are away? Well, you know a campsite is dog-friendly when it has a dedicated, warm water dog shower, making it easy to hose down the hound after they’ve covered themselves in mud. There’s a dedicated dog-walking area too, where dogs can be let off the lead. Castlerigg Hall occupies an enviable position overlooking Derwentwater. There are walks direct from site, and a path leads to Keswick – voted most dog-friendly town three years in a row by the Kennel Club! Another…

Touring caravan evolution has taken us through many styles and shapes through the decades. Small windows, panoramic windows, curved body shapes, angular body shapes… One shape, though, has remained constant; timeless, one might say. That’s the Eriba Touring. Its pointy front end and its pop-up roof being its most distinguishing features, there’s also the waist-height bodyline and the clip for the dining table on the exterior. These are the things that make the Eriba Touring a caravan of character. German-built Eriba Tourings have one of the longest pedigrees of any tourer, at 66 years; only the Sprite marque rivals it, dating back to 1947. Always aimed at the ‘adventure’ market, they’re light in weight, compact – and very solidly built. For 2023, the Eriba Touring gets a new look; a…

‘Set-jetting’ tour launched in Scotland by the Caravan and Motorhome Club Set-jetting, exploring film and TV set locations, is a trend that the Caravan and Motorhome Club is getting behind by offering its members the chance to visit screen location in Scotland, while staying at its campsites. The initiative is aimed at travellers who have been inspired to visit a destination after seeing it on screen. These include staying at the Grantown-on-Spey Caravan Park, Highland to allow visits to a number of locations from The Crown nearby, including Ardverikie Estate – otherwise known as Balmoral Castle in The Crown – or Rothiemurchus Estate, where the lively Braemar Gathering is filmed in Season 4. It also suggests staying at its Strathclyde Country Park Club campsite to visit Glasgow, where epic wartime…

sudoku If you are looking for a way to exercise your mind, sudoku is great and will certainly get the cogs turning! just for fun Find the 19 family-related words crossword ACROSS 1 Jurassic limestone composed of grains like the eggs or roe of fish (6) 8 Alternative name for the lapwing, from its cry (6) 9 Prepare for takeoff; transport (4) 10 Popular place to sunbathe (8) 11 Anthony -------, writer of satirical novels like A Clockwork Orange (7) 13 Sound of a bell (5) 15 Extra feature over and above the standard package (3-2) 17 Dormitory; boudoir (7) 20 Veto; proscribe (8) 21 Saturated partially carbonised vegetable matter used as fuel when dried (4) 23 Ugly mischievous villain of folklore (6) 24 Ribbon-like strip of pasta (6) DOWN…