SHORT BREAK TO ST. HELENS CAMPSITE, WYKEHAM.

 After a lovely birthday at Easter, we had booked a 4 night stay from Tuesday to Saturday. Finally after we had dodged Covid for over 2 years we both got a touch of it on Easter Monday, we decided it would be a good place to isolate rather than stopping home.

Our first day, sun shining, we drove to Ravenscar, we should know better at this time of year being old hands at sailing in Whitby. As we approached the coast a sea fret was hanging over the coast. However the sun shone in parts and no wind made it a very pleasant walk. Just 4 miles along the cinder track and back along the coast path. A good day to test my new boots!

HALF SUN HALF MIST

PEACOCK FARM

RAVEN HALL JUST APPEARING FROM THE MIST

ROY AND HIS ICE CREAM

END OF A LOVELY WALK

DAY TWO

Sun shining again we drove to Langdale and walked along the River Derwent in Langdale end to where it joined Harewood Dale Beck then a steep uphill to a summit walk and a steep drop back down to the car. We were the only ones on the trail, utter isolation!

RIVER DERWENT

ALONG LANGDALE END

ANT HILLS GALORE

CLOSE UP OF ANT HILL

MORE ANT HILLS

FALLEN TREE

ABSOLUTE ISOLATION - LUNCH TIME

STEEP CLIMB UP

VIEW FROM TOP

ROY REMINISCING HE USED TO BIKE HERE

DAY THREE, LAST

More sunshine with some clouds and cool winds rolling in from the coast, we drove to Forge Valley and parked at Seavegate Gill car park and walked up a short ravine to come out at the top. The path took us along the field edges to Raincliffe and Forge Valley Woods. A lovely flat walk along these old woods then steeply down to Forge Valley and across the bridge to walk the boardwalks back to East Ayton, where I sat on a bench while Roy walked back up Forge Valley for the car.

A super last day walk. A great time had while we got rid of Covid!

BLACKTHORN BLOSSOM

RAINCLIFFE WOODS

LUNCH IN THE WOODS

WILD GARLIC

START OF THE BLUEBELLS

FORGE VALLEY INFO

WILD ANEMONES

RIVER DERWENT IN FORGE VALLEY

GREY WAGTAIL

FORGE VALLEY BOARDWALK AND ROY IN BLOOM

AYTON CASTLE

OTHER SIDE OF AYTON CASTLE

MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM ROY - FOUR DAY BREAK ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

 What a super surprise Christmas present from Roy, booked last August, a Back to the 60s & 70s Winter Warmer Festival at Warner Norton Grange, Isle of Wight. 4 nights half board plus Free Bar! 

Eat and drink as much as you like and dance the night away - possibly !

We left the day before and stayed the night in Lyndhurst in the New Forest, hoping the foggy weather improved. Next day before we got the 2pm ferry from Lymington we drove to Bournemouth and spent a lovely time with Roys stepmother. We had not seen her for about 4 years, before Roy's Dad died.

We arrived at Norton Grange in Yarmouth and got settled into our chalet (or shed as the compere called it) Very cosy and had all we needed.

Our first evening meal was delicious, great choice despite the company saying it was a reduced menu. So very well organised in sittings and all individual tables.

Evening entertainment was great and we were late to bed.

Our walk on Wednesday was in glorious sunshine, drove to Freshwater Bay and did a 7 mile walk to Alum Bay, to the Needles and back along the coastal path passing Tennyson Monument where there was some sort of rescue going on. Police, Coastal rescue but no one would say what had happened but they hadn't rescued anyone as we walked by. Back to the car park in Freshwater Bay and the ambulance arrived. We will watch the news to see what it was.

A wonderful first day.  And why is it when you update to windows 11 do they alter all settings. These photos are in reverse order! I hate technology!

Freshwater Bay

                  heading towards end of our walk

the rescue guys

Tennyson Monument

                                                                    The Needles

Alum Bay

Needles from Alum Bay

Start of walk

Day 2 walk

After a foggy start we arrived at Niton to start our walk in glorious sunshine which stayed all day.

A 6 mile circular walk, mud and more mud to start which improved as we gained height at St Catherine's Oratory. down to the coastal path and lunch overlooking the calm sea and St Catherine's lighthouse then back to Niton. A lovely day,

DISTANT VIEW OF THE NEEDLES

ROY ON WAY TO ORATORY WITH THESE STRANGE WHITE STRANDS ON GRASS AND BLOWING ABOUT EVERYWHERE

ST CATHERINES ORATORY AND ROY

ORATORY AND ANNE

LUNCH LOOKING AT THE LIGHTHOUSE, SO SUNNY AND WARM

ST CATHERINE'S LIGHTHOUSE

Last day we drove to Brading and had a muddy walk along Brading  RSPB Marsh to Bembridge Harbour then to Bembridge Windmill and back along Bembridge Marsh. Sunshine all day again. How lucky have we been in January! Back to the carpark to find a puncture on front driver side. My amazing man got it sorted and we just got back in time for dinner.

This has been a wonderful surprise, with great music each evening and dancing till late.

BEMBRIDGE HARBOUR

BEMBRIDGE WINDMILL

BEMBRIDGE MARSH

ST MARY THE VIRGIN BRADING

PUNCTURE AT END OF WALK

GLAD OUR WAY UP TOUR BELLS IS NOT LIKE THIS!

A WINDY WEEKEND AT WYKEHAM

 Our last weekend away this year in the van so we drove the 50 minutes to Wykeham near Scarborough. Got on a superb site at St Helens in the Park £60 for 3 nights all inclusive. Very quiet site with excellent facilities.

A cloudy day for our first walk, we drove to Pickering and did a 6 mile circular walk along Pickering Beck and Howl Dale. Not a great deal to snap!

GARDEN SCULPURE

SAT EITHER SIDE OF A STILE FOR LUNCH

Our last day we drove to Levisham and had a 7 mile circular walk round Newton Dale, sunny day but still very muddy, Roy landed on his backside and slid down the steep hill down to the railway. Enjoyed a lovely lunch at Newton on Rawcliffe watching the Malton Forest Rally cars passing through.

ST MARYS RUINS AT LEVISHAM

NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY - ALL TRAINS ENDED TILL DECEMBER

NEWTON ON RAWCLIFFE

LUNCH TIME AT NEWTON

MALTON FOREST RALLY GOING ON AROUND US

OUR LUNCH ENTERTAINMENT WITH RALLY CARS PASSING

NEWTON DALE

STEEP TRACK BACK UP TO LEVISHAM