The sweetest little campsite in Cornwall near St Austell

 

A charming campsite that has just recently been revamped and re opened near St Austell Cornwall is The Meadows, Pentewan (near Mevagissey) St Austell.
The campsite had a lovely family feel to it. I really loved that it was dog friendly and great dog walks nearby.
The campsite had a real cute feel to it, like flicking through the pages of a Cath Kidston catalogue with all the bunting and the lovely retro feel to the site.
It is a small site and you can also stay in the cutest vintage caravan called Lottie and hire a Tepee tent it felt like festival camping at its best.
The campsites best feature is the old Citroen van that turned up with Cakes and freshly made Crepes the kids thought the van rocked! and the pancakes.

It is close to the Eden project and a short walk to the Gardens of Heligan.
Charming, sweet, vintage camping like it used to be.

 The Meadows is lovely and the van that turned up with freshly made Crepes made it even better!

If we had not been in the camper I would have loved a night in Lottie their vintage caravan (so sweet)

 

Everything is brand new a lovely and clean I felt stressed when my kids did the washing up...luckily it was outside.

 Anyone for fresh eggs in the morning?

Lovely day trip to Mevagissey crabbing in the harbour

The Lizard and the most southerly point in the UK

Camping in the most southerly point in the UK near the Lizard

Some great places to visit in the Lizard we went to the most Southerly point in the UK and got to see so many great sights, including a seal bobbing about below us at The Lizard.
There is the most amazing campsite in the village called Henry's campsite my children are desperate to stay there but it was full when we arrived. If you love a campsite that is a bit quirky and different this is for you. We loved the chickens running around the site and the lovely pitches that all looked different some with stone walls, some with trees. There is a communal fire pit and a real organic feel to the site....I love the look of it! I am planning my next visit to Cornwall around Henry's campsite.

Kynance Cove is a must, such an amazing part of the UK and the rock is Serpentine stone and only found on the Lizard (hence the name). Serpentine stone can be found in other countries but this is the finest example of the rock in the UK. My kids loved the cove and spent hours running in and out of the caves and the turquoise sea.

 Henry's campsite in The Lizard I cant wait to book in soon

 

 I loved the ducks and chickens running around the site

 

 A great find....Henrys campsite is not your run of the mill campsite if you want somewhere a little different with real character and a quirky edge this is for you!

 

 

 The Stunning Kynance Cove near The Lizard amazing place to spend the day

 

 

The caves at Kynance Cove

Camping in Dorset

 

 

Had a great camping trip in Dorset with my friend and her children during the heatwave in July 2013. We ended up at a Parkdean campsite in Poole called Sandford after a recommendation from a friend.

It was a huge site with a Shop, chipshop, arcade and entertainment. We decided to stay there because it had two swimming pools, indoor and outdoor.

If I am honest I think we didn't have much luck with our pitch because it was like sleeping on the side of the M25 and I didn't feel safe with the kids playing around the pitch because of all the cars driving past. It is not somewhere I would stay again but I know a friend of mine loves it and goes every year. I was also disappointed that my daughter had a shower and left her Northface fleece hanging in her shower cubicle with her playsuit she was wearing that day and no-one handed it in to lost property. I have always had items handed in before and I always hand in the smallest item I find, I felt really disappointed.

It was a great base to visit Corfe castle which the kids loved and we spent the whole day in the village we also enjoyed afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches and went to the model village brilliant day for the kids.

Durdle Door is also close by and great to visit. I did notice a campsite at the top of the road to Durdle door and that is my next campsite to visit in Dorset.

 

 





 Camping at Parkdean Sandford

 Amazing day at Corfe castle

High tea at Corfe castle

 Miniature village of Corfe castle

Durdle door

Camping in Cornwall near the  Eden Project and Gardens of Heligan

 

 

 

For my daughters birthday I got ticket o take her to see Jessie J at the Eden Project. It was such an amazing venue they do regular Eden sessions and I cant recommend the venue enough it really is amazing

 

www.edenproject.com

 

We looked for a campsite that was close by for the weekend and found a little Gem: Pentewan sands.

www.pentewansands.com

 

This campsite added to our perfect weekend away, the sun was shining and the sea was lovely.

The Eden Project was 15 minutes away and the campsite is just 5 minutes from St Austell.

The campsite has everything you need a indoor swimming pool, spa,  hairdressers and beauty salon, a well stocked shop with everything you could need, a lovely restaurant and chip shop.

The showers were really nice and the facilities were fantastic.

My children went snorkelling and there was a boat that takes you out Mackerel fishing for £12 per person. I will defiantly be staying here again.

 

Camping right on the beach at Pentewan Sands

The pitches were really large and spacious

                Pentewan sands has it own private beach that you can launch your boats from

The Eden Project was 15 minutes from Pentewan Sands

 

The garden of Heligan is also close by:

Garden of Heligan

Visiting the battlefields in France - Vimy Ridge

My son was doing a topic at school on the world wars and kept asking us various questions, I decided to take him to Vimy Ridge in France to visit the trenches and tunnels from WW1.

We stayed in a family run campsite just outside of Artois in Pas de Calais it was very sweet and very cheap about £7 a night. The campsite had a little restaurant, swimming pool, bar and play area for the children with a bouncy castle it was really lovely. In the morning the bakers van came to the site at 8am with fresh bread and croissants.

The area is really flat and a few people on the campsites arrived on bikes, I was most impressed they managed to pack a tent and everything they needed onto a bike.....I love this idea.

Vimy ridge is an amazing memorial to WW1. Captured by the Canadians in April 1917, seeing the preserved trench system, visitors’ centre and impressive memorial on Hill 145 – the highest point on Vimy Ridge. Vimy was a defining moment for Canada in World War I and this is arguably one of the finest memorials on the Western Front.

We went down the tunnels and had a tour by a Canadian student who was very informative and explained so much to the children in a language they could understand. We also visited the British memorial down the road.

 Campsite near Artois that had a great bread van in the morning with the best Croissants ever!

 One of the rooms that the generals would have slept and washed with the original beds and table

 One of the tunnels that you can walk through at Vimy Ridge they bought over welsh miners to dig out the tunnels all in chalky soil.

Amazing memorial at Vimy Ridge

A great trip and easy to get to from Calais perfect for a long weekend away in France.

St Ives Cornwall

  

St Ives Cornwall

 

 

We love Cornwall and one of our favourite places to visit in Cornwall is St Ives I always loved it and I am sure it might be something to do with a book I had as a child with the rhyme:

 

As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives,

Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats,

Each cat had seven kits: kits, cats, sacks and wives,

How many were going to St Ives?

 

I was so pleased when I first went to S Ives I love the whole area around there too. It is so busy in summer but great! There are great little shops and the Tate gallery on the sea front is a must!!

We have stayed at a few campsites but St Ives bay is huge and leads to the biggest sand dunes and beach that seems to go on forever.

 

http://www.stivesbay.co.uk/

 

I swear we heard the beast of Bodmin Moor one May when we camped there ha! I woke up in the night to what sounded like a bloody tiger but went back to sleep only to wake up to a dead rabbit (well its back legs) outside our van. It was probably only a fox or badger but I am going with the beast of Bodmin Moor story instead.

 

People always go on about the light in St Ives but it is true......my photos always come out great there and the artist that you see around St Ives always agree.

 

 

 

One of the best experiences we had in St Ives was when we went to meet some friends and we had a BBQ on the beach one night only to see dolphins swimming in the sea at sunset.

Surfing in North Devon

If you love to surf camping in Croyde is great

 

 

 

There are some great campsites in Croyde in Devon.

 

If you have a campervan you can park on Puttsborough beach for the night,  its not cheap and there is only a toilet and a cold outdoor shower but the view in the morning is worth every penny.

 

We also like Ruda because it has everything you need and you are near the beach and you can walk into Croyde for a pint in the local pubs.

Ruda has a great indoor swimming pool so even if the weather is awful you can enjoy the facilities.

 

I am not going to give away anymore secrets about that area because there are some really special places but I like them just the way they are! not too busy.

Croyde is best out of season because year on year it gets busier because it is so lovely.

 

 

Walking distance to the beach

 

We love Croyde! the beaches are amazing its great all year round.

 







Woodlands in Devon

Woodlands Devon

 

We love this campsite out of season it is so great in Spring and Autumn when the weather is not that great don't get me wrong it is great in the summer too.

 

The campsite is a 5 star campsite and has everything you need from a games room, playing field, shop and Pizza take away but we love the theme park.

Woodlands has the best indoor facilities and my kids spend hours in the main indoor barn with all the big slides and ball pits. Personally I love the animals at Woodland and I can stand and watch the Meerkats for hours and a must visit is the falconry display its amazing!

There is also a great toboggan and the outdoor water slides are brilliant.

The theme park is great for all ages, there are so many play areas for all different age groups.

 

So much to see it is hard to see it all in one weekend.

 

 

 



 

Here are the details online to the caravan park which gets you free access to the theme park.

 

http://www.woodlands-caravanpark.com/

There is camping then there is luxury on the road!!

 

I need one of these in my life this is a serious motorhome but I wouldn't want to try and get this down some of the tiny windy roads in Cornwall.



Its even got its own roof terrace

This would be great to travel around the states but I cant see it taking off in Europe on our smaller roads but I would give it a try!!! Oh just need £2 million that might be a problem!

 

 

Watch the video online:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338810/Worlds-expensive-motorhome-goes-sale-2m-comes-complete-cocktail-bar-roof-terrace.html











If you love camping in the UK take the plunge and try Europe:

With two children this is the only way I can afford to visit the places as cheap as possible.
I can get a ferry from Dover to Calais for £35 I normally go for the early morning or late evening to pay the cheapest fares.
I fill up in a supermarket petrol station in the UK before going but generally the fuel is cheaper in France.
Some great research tools before you go:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/

Caravan and Camping Europe guide book (I bought mine cheap on amazon).

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/

I always have a toll kitty of around £200 and if there is change great!

I fill up in Lidls before I go and then just get fresh food everyday from local markets and stores and enjoy the local food.
The campsites in France and Spain are so well equipped even the tiny campsites. I have stayed in France paying £7 a night and they always do fresh bread or croissants in the morning.

Having a campervan means its easy to just pull over but with a tent you need to book or plan a campsite when I used to go camping as a child with my family we just had a tent and we used to stay in a motel on the drive down to Spain or South of France.

I don't worry too much about being prepared anymore because I know I can get everything while I am away but it is good fun packing for a camping trip abroad.
Just remember the passports!

Campsites we love in the ~UK

One of our favourite campsites to take the kids is River Dart country park. We always seem to return here for weekends away. Set in a wooded valley on the edge of Dartmouth River Dart country park has all you could wish for:

http://www.riverdart.co.uk/

We love the pirate ship but remember to pack your wetsuits for the kids and lots of warm clothes for a walk on a evening. Great food and drinks in the Sawmill on site and when I am feeling lazy I love a bacon butty and a latte in the morning.
Various activities on the site including various play areas with zip wires, tunnels and brilliant slides like the anaconda. A chance to go zorbing or on a canoeing to high wires and days out for the older kids can be arranged.
What I love most about River Dart is the surroundings and the walks in the woods early morning and at dusk.
My kids love the chance to ride their bikes and be free making dens in the woods and also swimming all day.