Sunday 3 January 2016

December, so it must be Exmoor House, Dulverton

Well, we left home at 13.30 on Thursday to travel down to Exmoor House. The route we took was across country, Keynsham, Wells, Glastonbury and Street, before joining the M5 for a short distance, which we left at junction 27  and travelled up to Tiverton, before turning north to Dulverton!  Bit of a nightmare journey, as roads were closed due to a bridge being rebuilt on the A361.
We were soon at the site after avoiding lots of 40 ton arctics that had been redirected!  Lots of bottom squeezing times as they passed us on the narrow lanes!!
We had booked on to a super pitch at Exmoor House, as we only have one good arm between us, and I did not feel like lugging water and waste around!  Extra couple of beer tokens a night and well worth it!
Site about half full, but it was hammering down from when we arrived, sounded as though the roof of the caravan was being machine gunned!
Friday dawned clear, so the awning was soon up, Christmas tree and lights also put up.  The site filled up ready for the weekend!
Caravan ready for Christmas

Last year in the Dulverton by Starlight prize draw we won an £80.00 voucher for dinner, and we were given it on the day we were leaving.  So I popped up to 'Woods Restaurant' to check if we can still use it this year! Yes they said!

Saturday was clear when we arose so Lizzie decided we were going out for the day!  For those who do not know, she had a double hernia op three weeks ago!
After she got home from hospital, we lived in the caravan for a week, bed, shower, loo and everything to hand.
Then back in home.  She has not lifted anything more than a bag of sugar or a glass of wine since, and, here I temp fate, is making excellent progress!
Anyway I digress, we drove out to Simondsbath, and then on to South Molton for a light lunch!  We so love the Exmoor scenery.  Then back to the camp site!

Dulverton by Starlight was being held on the Sunday so we spent the afternoon wandering around Dulverton, spending money on the various stalls, and buying trinkets.  At Six pm the firework display started and was enjoyed by all of us on the site.
Dulverton by Starlight Fireworks
We decided that we best go shopping on the Monday, so set off on a very circuitous but scenic route for Go Outdoors in Taunton to get some needed caravan supplies, and Lidl for supplies for the week!  The local council have obviously decided that as it is not the tourist season to undertake some massive road works, so we kept coming across road closures and diversions that the sat nav did not understand! Pleasant run across country though.

Exmoor scenery


It was a really nice day on Tuesday so we wandered around Dulverton, and spent a pleasant couple of hours in Woods Restaurant and bar, www.woodsdulverton.co.uk deciding what we would have for lunch on Wednesday!  We could have sat for hours in front of the beautiful log fire!

The Log fire in Woods


Dulverton Street


Dulverton main square

One of the scenic town paths

On Wednesday we set off for Woods, armed with our £80.00 voucher, and enjoyed a really cracking lunch! Even though it was Wednesday lunchtime the place was full!  We enjoyed baked Goats cheese on a green leaf salad with caramelised walnuts and a balsamic dressing starters, king prawns and mussels with a Pernod sauce for Lizzie, and pan fried pigs liver on a bed of creamed potatoes,black pudding and a caramelised onion sauce for me.  Finishing off with sticky toffee pudding! All washed down with an exceptionally good bottle of Muscadet!
 The whole meal was absolutely superb, as was the service. 

Lizzie looking good and enjoying lunch!


We returned to Woods again for a light snack lunch on Friday and it was equally as good.



On Saturday it was clear up time and we headed for home,stopping on the way in Wells at our favourite burger van for lunch!

A very lazy week,as it was intended to be, so that Lizzie was able to continue her recuperation!  She really is recovering well.

So ends our caravanning for 2015.

 176 nights on sites and 6 on the drive at home!  Not a bad year!