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

A BREAK IN THE BRECON BEACONS.

 21 September 2021

After a fabulous weekend of wedding frenzy with my niece and family we opted for a week away in the van, maybe last this year!

A long drive to Pencelli caravan and camping site near Brecon but arrived about 4pm set up and had a walk along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal which is at the side of the campsite.

Day One

We drove the tiny lanes to a car park in the middle of nowhere to start the 8 mile circular hike of Pen Y Fan and Corn Du.

A tough walk up to 2906 ft. The cairn on the summit was a Bronze Age burial chamber. When it was excavated in 1991 a bronze brooch and spearhead were found inside the chamber. Quite misty at the top so not able to see all the views. Across to Corn Du at 2864ft where we had lunch. A steep track down passing the obelisk to Tommy Jones who was lost and perished in 1900. Past the glacial lake and back to the car. A tough but good hike.

ON THE WAY UP

THE SUMMIT IN MIST

VIEW DOWN THE SIDE VALLEY

THE SUMMIT OF PEN Y FAN 2906 ft

A STEEP DROP 

PEN Y FAN

CORN DU LUNCH TIME

LLYN CWM LLWCH 

THE TWO SUMMITS CORN DU AND PEN Y FAN IN THE DISTANCE

TOMMY JONES OBELISK

WE WALKED FROM THE LEFT ALL THE WAY ALONG THE RIDGE

LLYN CWM LLWCH PEN Y FAN AND CORN DU

ROY RESTING ON THE LEFT

THE WHOLE SKYLINE WALK ALMOST BACK DOWN

DAY TWO

A 7 mile "easy"circular walk from the campsite. Walked along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal to Talybont  then along the Taff Trail and on to the Usk Valley walk which appeared to be all uphill. Endless giant size stiles, hundreds of sheep in the fields who seemed to think we had food for them and woodland trails. Not as easy as Roy promised, it was supposed to be resting legs after yesterday but it was a lovely peaceful walk with endless sunshine.

PEACEFUL CANAL

THE BLACK MOUNTAINS

OOPS! WHO PUT THIS TREE IN THE WAY!

FAIRIES OR BATS OR ??

ONE OF THE MANY STILES

PANORAMA

AND WE'RE ALMOST BACK!

DAY THREE

A 9 mile hike, Roy plans the routes, I will now take more notice of the map! So the plan was to go up Cribyn then down again and on to Fan Y Big. The tops were covered in thick cloud as we walked up and walked past the turn off for Cribyn and after a severe climb to the top Roy says " I don't believe it, we've come up Pen Y Fan again! 

Down and up another climb to Cribyn 2608ft which was happily now in sun, plan altered as we looked at the steep zig zag up Fan Y Big and decided we'd make a walk of it tomorrow....phew!!

Finally got to eat lunch and suddenly we had company two wild horses appeared and headed towards us, thankfully they gave us space and chewed around us. Despite the error it turned out to be the best way to do the walk. 

IN TO THE CLOUD

YES ROY WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE!

DOWN FROM PEN Y FAN

SUMMIT OF CRIBYN 2608ft

LEAVING CRIBYN

LOOKING BACK TO SUMMIT OF  CRIBYN

FAN Y BIG IN THE BACKGROUND JUST NOT FOR TODAY

LUNCH

LUNCH VISITOR

TWO APPEARED

DIDN'T PUT ROY OFF HIS LUNCH

CRIBYN ON THE RIGHT PEN Y FAN IN THE MIST ON LEFT

ALMOST BACK

DAY FOUR 8 MILE CIRCULAR HIKE OF FAN Y BIG 2358 ft

What a name for a beautiful Beacon! This is the one we missed yesterday and today we had sunshine and no cloud cover so worth waiting for. A short sharp zig zag path up to an interesting summit called the diving board. We had fun taking photos and having someone snap us as well. I think Roys nervous of heights!

We then did a long hike over the tops, missing at first the junction to the Beacon Way but short turn around and found it. A superb day rewarded by a huge cream scone Roy bought  when I'd sent him out this morning for bread buns!

START OF FAN Y BIG

SUMMIT OF FAN Y BIG 2358 ft

MY SELF SETTING PHOTO OF SUMMIT DIDN'T REALISE ROY WAS NOT STOOD AT THE END

TAKEN BY A WALKER WITH ME TELLING ROY TO COME CLOSER

PERFECT PIC OF THE DIVING BOARD FAN Y BIG

PANORAMA FROM FAN Y BIG THINK ITS A BIT WRONG

REWARD FOR THE HIKE

ROY RESTING WHILE I ATTEMPT TO SORT OUT CAMERA FAULT

DAY FIVE 

 A shorter walk of 5 miles but no less strenuous to get up to the cliffs of Graig Cerrig Gleisiad. Took half an hour up a steep climb up the left side of the cliffs then a pleasant walk around the cirque with some dangerous drop offs along the way. A short trip up to the summit of Fan Frynych 2063 ft then headed down past some more wild horses. Almost back and we got caught in a short shower but the weather looks like as if its changed now ready for the drop in temperature expected tomorrow.

YES THATS THE ONE WE'RE CLIMBING AT THE BACK OF ME THE CLIFFS OF GRAIG CERRIG GLEISIAD

WHEATEAR

TOP OF FAN FRYNYCH

TINY FUNGI

BLACK HILLS WITH RAIN APPROACHING

WILD HORSES

HORSE PLAY

THE SKYLINE WE'VE JUST WALKED ALONG

PANORAMA OF OUR WALK

DAY SIX

After a stormy night of torrential rain and strong winds we were blessed with some blue skies with one short sharp shower. Temperature much cooler and today was always going to be a relaxing day. We had a walk to the church on the hill in the village with its ancient 5oo year old yews. We then walked along the canal into Brecon, short wander round the shops and enjoyed lunch out while there was a swift shower. 

The Brecon Beacons have been fabulous, five days of glorious hikes with no rain. This is a great area to visit with hundreds of trails. 

LLANFEIGAN CHURCH

MISSED THE BOAT GOING UP THE LOCK

END OF A WONDERFUL TIME

RIVER USK