May Day Weekend in Suffolk

We had originally booked to stay at the CL at Hill Farm in Darsham, Suffolk.  I had an email exchange with the owner, Jaik, and I gathered that as well as the five pitch CL, there was also an attached campsite. I also gathered that we couldn't have both nights on the CL as there were bookings.

Instead I opted for a pitch on the attached campsite. Although they use the same entrance off the road, the CL has its own entrance inside as do the various parts of the campsite.  We were on Pitch 13.  The pitches are scattered around a wooded area and separated from each other with bushes and trees.  The hardstanding is gravel.  The pitch has electric hook-up and water.

To avoid the usual hassles of the Dartford Crossing we planned to be away much earlier than usual.  So it was just after 10.30am when we set off from home. Reggie in his new canvas enclosed area under the table. The expensive seat bed had proved no use on the last trip. This one seems much better. There were few holdups on the way to Dartford and despite trucks constantly changing lanes from 1 to 3 and back blocking cars into one lane (as usual) we got through quite quickly. As our route is up the A12 where the service areas are not that good, we aimed to stop near Chelmsford.  There is a large parking area behind McDonald's and a few spaces on the edge of the BP petrol station. We had to do a couple of laps before a space we could get into opened up.  We had Sheldon's muffins and a drink and I took Reggie for a pee break.  We ended up in McD's for a coffee, takeaway of course.

On route we called in at Emmerdale Farm Shop just off the A12 at Yoxford.  They have a butcher's shop on site and we bought sausages from there.  They also have a massive frozen food area. Anything from breakfast stuff like hash-browns to pies and of course vegetables. We also bought two pieces of gala pie (it's a square of pork pie with an egg in the middle) for dinner.

We eventually arrived around 3.30pm and soon were backed into Pitch 13.  As our habitation door is on the continental side I had to park on the right of the pitch.  We tried the Dometic roll out awning for the first time. A short learning curve as the legs work a little differently to the Fiamma awnings we have had in the past.  Since we have had the van the front end of the awning had a gap between the end cap and the rail itself.  At this time we didn't realise that it was "broken". More of that later. I had packed the new awning mat and the chairs.  They were out for the first time this year as well.

We sat out for a while but as the sun went behind the trees it got a little chilly. That evening we watched some TV. Although there is wifi it did come and go and the signal wasn't that good.  Phone coverage on Tesco/O2 wasn't much good either. 

Saturday dawned sunny and bright and we had breakfast before packing most of the stuff away in the boot ready for the drive across to Walberswick and maybe Southwold. 

We had left the awning out overnight. When we came to wind it in one of the legs came off at the top. I had noticed before that the front end cap on the Dometic awning wasn't in contact with the cassette it winds into. At the back it did.  Whilst investigating the whole lot came out and a little pin fell onto the mat. After a bit of to and fro from one end to the other I could see the way it went together and saw that the screw that held it in place needed tightening. It's been like that since we had the van. At least it's fixed now!

Fixed!

On the way we stopped off at the Two Magpies Bakery. It's also at Darsham and only about half a mile from the campsite. The car-park was a little full when we arrived and I parked between two VW campers. You can see the size difference immediately. We eventually queued to the front and of course the guy in front bought one of the two remaining pain aux raisins. So Claire had that and I had a cinnamon bun. Plus two coffees. Luckily fewer people came in after us and I was able to squeeze out of the parking space easily enough. 

The short run to Walberswick shows the devastation all around the area so that they can bring in an electrical cable from Holland or Belgium, and then run another one from there to Pegwell Bay in Kent!  Plus of course, they are building a new nuclear power station at Sizewell C!  Near where we live there are two nukes that are being decommissioned and not having anything to replace them - Dungeness A and B.

We worked our way through the village down to the beach parking area.  The little box where the attendant used to sit and take the parking money was there but all locked up.  They have dispensed with him and have signed their souls to the Ring-Go app. We parked up in a space overlooking the Dunwich River just before it merges with the River Blyth.  The river separates Walberswick from Southwold.

I got the chairs out and we ate our cakes, half of each one each, and sat in the sun watching everyone enjoying themselves crabbing. Some use bait on the end of a string and other baited nets. In the sun it was very warm but in the shade when the sun was covered by a cloud it was chilly in the wind. I packed the chairs and we went for a walk to the beach.  There was a yacht leaving on the river and we hurried to see it emerge into the sea, except of course, Reggie was more interested in sniffing and widdling!  Once at the top of the dunes we could see the small beach and there were lots of people on it. According to the website, the high ride was 3.30pm, and the Dunwich River is tidal too. There are signs warning that the car park can flood. 

We decided to have a walk into the village and go to the Black Dog deli.  It's not far but there are no pavements and the road is narrow in places. Also some of the car drivers seem to have no idea what the appropriate speed is when passing people walking along the street. Here we bought some home made coleslaw and other vegetable stuff!  That will go nicely with the pie.

We walked back and watched the tide coming in. It was around 3pm and we decided to head off to Dunwich.  A place neither of us had been before. For some reason at the end of the no through road to Walberwick the TomTom took us right when we should have gone left. We went to Blythburgh and then it wanted us to do a 360 turn and go back the way we came.  As the road was very narrow, I turned ont the A12 south and ended up at the same junction we had just come from!  

In Dunwich we headed for the beach car park. It's huge. There were loads of vans and obvious "vanlifers" there and also signs saying no overnight camping.... We had a walk to the beach, but by now the sun was waving goodbye and the wind from the east was very strong with dust blowing across the parking. We took some photos and then got a coffee and had that in the van. 

Looking towards Southwold

Looking towards Sizewell C

Selfie from Claire's phone.

The route back to Hill Farm took is in the opposite way to when we originally arrived.  This time I parked nose in. All we deployed this time were the screen cover and the electric. 

Another evening meal in and attempting to watch the TV with the in and out wifi and hotspot from my phone.

Claire was suffering with her hayfever and it was getting worse.  She had a bad night. Oddly, Reggie slept all night like a baby!

Sunday we decided to get up and leave early.  We had a few jobs to do after breakfast. Empty the grey waste. Jaik said we could catch it in a bucket and water the trees, so Claire did that whilst I went to the chemical toilet disposal and emptied the cassette. Not one of my favourite jobs but it has to be done. It was around 10am when we finally pulled away. 

The first stop was at the Two Magpies again for a coffee and breakfast. This time parking was much easier and I opted for the expansion carpark on the left of the entrance.  There were lots of everything and Claire had another pain aux raisins and I opted for a (huge!) pain au chocolat.

The plan was to go straight home but find a stop on the way for Reggie and us to have a break. There wasn't much at around the halfway mark and so we didn't decide on anywhere.

We were almost at Woodbridge when I thought about Anglesey Abbey - read about that in a separate blog - but to say it wasn't a good stop is putting it mildly.  From there we backtracked onto the M11 and were home about 4pm.  Unloaded and time for a sit down and a coffee. Dartford had no holdups again and on the M20 I remarked that the traffic had been pretty free running for a bank holiday!

Hill Farm CL & Campsite was perfectly okay and for £23 including electricity and water well priced.  If we ever go again we wouldn't want to stay under so many trees. The bakery and deli were superb.