I have always been a creature of home comforts and all the mod cons that come with it, and had always frowned upon any sort of outdoor living thinking it was definitely not for me. Well, the old saying goes "don't knock something until you have tried it" and never a truer word was said! Last year as all our time and money was being spent on our home we weren't in a position to be able to go on our annual fortnights holiday to a warm, hot, sunny climate and the picture was looking very much the same for this year. So it was by sheer chance that in May last year whilst walking round our local Decathlon store (they sell all kinds of equipment for nearly every kind of outdoor pursuit known) that the idea to have a "budget holiday" sprung to mind. . . . why not give camping a go!! Well you can imagine Rob's face at the very mention of it, me the Queen of Comfort, who could not live without my hairdryer and straighteners, wanting to go camping . . . . . had I lost the plot???? Rob thought I had!!! When we got home I rang mum and told her about my brainwave idea to go camping and without hesitation mum offered to buy us the tent we were interested in, as an early Christmas gift, well very early beings as it was only May!
The following week we headed back to Decathlon, bought the all singing, all dancing, super dooper pop-up tent (it does exactly what is says on the packet "up in 4 minutes flat") and a few other bare essentials and the rest they say is history. I have taken to camping like a duck to water, I love it as much as Beth and Libby who look upon each camping trip as an adventure. What I like the most is spending quality time together as a family; no television; no computers (we do take mobiles in case of an emergency), just the four of us. This last trip was our fourth and over time we have added to our camping equipment and now have everything we need for a great time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Wednesday of last week, after checking the weather forecast daily, we packed up and set off to Tansley, a little village about 25 minutes drive north from our home, to a campsite called Packhorse Farm. We have stayed at this site on 2 previous occasions and found it to be 1st class. The site is clean with a heated shower and toilet block, plenty of hot running water and ample pot washing facilities. The site is also very family orientated and has a great reputation for being one of the quieter sites around the area, quieter as in most campers are respectful of others and there doesn't tend to be a lot of late night noise, which suits us down to the ground. Thursday morning we all had a full English breakfast, sausage, fried egg, bacon, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms and beans all cooked on 2 portable camping stoves. Full to the brim we headed off to Matlock, 5 minutes drive away from the campsite.
Matlock is set across both sides of the River Derwent and was formerly a spa town, thermal springs were discovered here in 1698. In the Victorian Era, Matlock and neighbouring Matlock Bath, were seen as select fashionable resorts. Now both towns are a mecca for hill walkers and tourists as they are just a few minutes away from the Peak District. We have all been to Matlock many times, but to be honest I have never stood and truly looked at the countryside around it. As we walked across the ages old bridge that spans the River Derwent (parts of it date back to the early 1400's) I couldn't help but wonder at it's marvel, how this old stone bridge had stood the test of time. In Victorian times, bridges were built with "v" shapes cut into the sides to allow Ladies to stand in them preventing their large dresses from being splattered with mud as a horse drawn coach rode by, these "v" shapes stand to this day, below is Beth stood in one . . . .
. . . . and who should want in on the photo call . . . . none other than Libby
Standing on the bridge, looking up river the view was simply beautiful . . . .
. . . . the view down river was just as stunning . . . .
There is a great Antiques store in Matlock, three floors full with all kinds of collectables, I managed to find an old black Bible for the princely sum of . . . wait for it . . . . £1.50 !!!! (just over $2).
After spending a fair few hours in Matlock we headed off to Peak Village, a place where discounted shops of all kinds sell their very varied wares. By this time Rob and I were ready for an afternoon cuppa, so we all had high tea sat outside a lovely little cafe.
Friday we woke to more in the way of cloud cover, in fact it looked very much like we were going to get heavily rained on, so after yet another full English breakfast (I think I need to diet for the next month now) we decided to visit Bakewell, a place neither of us had visited for years and years and yet it was only 45 minutes from our home. Bakewell dates to the Saxon era, the Church was founded in 920 and still has Saxon fragments in the porch. In 1777 Sir Richard Arkwright opened a Mill here and it was perhaps due to this that its popularity grew and as a result much of the town was re-built in the 18th Century. One such building was the Rutland Arms. Jane Austen stayed here in 1811 and in Pride and Prejudice she has Elizabeth Bennet stopping here to meet the Darcys and Mr Bingley. However, the Rutland Arms main claim to fame is that in 1859 one of it's chef's invented the Bakewell Pudding, apparantly by accident and you cannot visit Bakewell and not buy a pudding!
As we walked along the small narrow side streets, Rob was amazed at how many of the old buildings were managing to still stand upright, when you looked at how the fronts of the buildings seemed to bellow in, you could not imagine them having stood for a couple of hundred years. On some of the dwellings the roof tiles were made from stone, not slate but actual tiles cut from stone from the surrounding hills. As we stood at the bottom of one small little street, I decided there and then that I wanted to live in this little row of cottages . . . .
I could only imagine what treasures lay behind each front door; an ingle nook fireplace blackened with use, the original coble stone floor worn in places, English oak beams dark and bowed with age, a well worn wood staircase, 12 inch windowsills cut into the stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sorry for a minute there I had drifted off back into my little dream world, ok on with the post.
The picture above is just typical of some of the buildings in Bakewell. Mind, Rob thought he was more suited to a grander abode, much preferring the residence below, which is now a shop . . . .
Hours later, still dry as the threatening rain clouds managed to stay firmly shut and armed with our freshly baked Bakewell pudding, we headed back to the campsite for a much needed cuppa and a good nights rest!
And that was our latest camping trip, we are heading off again in a few weeks time, a last treat before the girl's go back to school after the long summer break and I will be back at the weekend with the winner of
my giveaway, I can't wait to see whose name gets pulled out of the hat and I have decided what the surprise will be, I just need to get sewing and get it made now!!
See You All Soon,
Karen
xx
