Tuesday 18 April 2017

Wood Farm, Charmouth. 27th March

Good run down through Shepton Mallet. The journey took us about two hours. We set up on a pitch with the caravan facing east. The actual pitch was a concrete one with a graveled area for the awning.
Everything was soon set up in the very pleasant and very warm sun.
A fish and chip van was expected on site and we were looking forward to supper from there! Then the camp staff said that the Fish and Chip Van would not be coming!  As we had nothing else ready it became Omelette for tea, whilst we looked out over the pleasant countryside!

www.woodfarm.co.uk


We spent a very lazy Tuesday as my back was rather sore.  No hardship though as the warm weather was holding very well.

Wednesday was a very cloudy day. We set  off for Dorchester to meet my old colleague Mary for Lunch. The journey along the A35 was not at all peasant as it was extremely foggy. e had a very pleasant lunch.  We set off back, stopping at Morrisons in Bridport to do some shopping. Fortunately the journey back to the site was much easier as the fog had cleared!

The site we were staying on was equidistant from Charmouth and Lyme Regis.
We popped down to Lyme Regis, but because of road works it was impossible to park.  Charmouth however was different as there was a large car park on the beach.  We  went in the Beach cafe for Coffee.  It was a very strange cafe!  They had obviously not heard of cupboards as there were boxes stacked all over the place!  The whole cafe needed a complete reorganisation.
The beach however was good and we spent some time there just watching the world and the sea go by!
Charmouth beach looking East!





Charmouth beach looking West!
It was very pleasant watching the world.  We did not walk as my back was still very sore.

We set off for Seaton for coffee on Friday, but failed to find a convenient one open. Much of the town was very quiet as it was still March. So we drove on to Beer! Absolutely no chance of parking here as they were filming on the beach!  We think it was Broadchurch!





Looking down over Beer!


So it was on to Branscombe where we found a most excellent beach side cafe. Coffee became lunch which was superb.   www.theseashanty.co.uk
Branscombe is the beach that a large container ship was wrecked on some 10 years ago.  The containers that came ashore were then looted!  The wreck has long gone, but its anchor is at the top of the beach as a memorial.

The Anchor, left as a memorial.





Branscombe beach looking West.

Branscombe beach looking East.
The story of the wreck.


We drove on to Sidmouth, which was very busy.  The main car park was absolutely stuffed with Film Unit lorries, so parking in the town was difficult, so having been here before we headed back to the caravan.

The weather was far better than we expected on Saturday, so we set off heading east along the coast, making our first stop at Eype, where the car park charge was £4.00.  As there was little to see we did not stop, and drove on to the swannery at Abbotsbury. As the weather was so good we decided to go in.  The pictures tell the story.

A general overview


Nesting. The Swans do not see  to worry.


Safer nesting in the reeds!
It was an amazing place to wander around. Many of the Swans were nesting on the paths, totally unperturbed by people walking past!
www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk

On the Sunday we set off for West Bay.  It was extremely busy with a motor cycle rally starting from there.  We watched all the motorcycles set off and then sat on the harbour wall eating pasties and watching the boats in the harbour. I have not been to West Bay for many years, and it really does not seem to have changed at all.

Some of  the motorcycles preparing to depart.


West Bay Harbour



West Bay Harbour

Then it was back to the caravan to do some clearing up ready for our departure the following day.


We left at about 11.00 the following day and had a good run home, via our favourite burger van in Wells.