Many parents wouldn't ever consider camping, let alone camping with children, but we took a dive in the deep end and had a great time. Undoubtedly, it's hard work and not for inexperienced campers or lovers of strict routine, but the rewards are even greater and Rosie loved the freedom to explore her new environment. Having her own compartment in the tent, a lightweight travel cot and her regular nighttime bath (under wide open skies) certainly made the experience easier for all of us, and one of our main anxieties - Rosie screaming in the night and upsetting our neighbours - never materialised. Thanks mainly to an ever attentive Ruth.
Leaving London on my birthday, the first 3 nights of our escapade were spent at Blackberry Wood campsite in Sussex, a popular destination that gets booked up many months in advance. Initially, we only found availability for 1 night (8th July) but e-mailed them to say if they have any late cancellations for the following Friday & Saturday, we'd be keen to extend our stay, and got lucky. Our pitch was a small, slightly slanted clearing in the wood called Hawthorn, accessed via a small windy path along which we bumped all our belongings in wheelbarrows from the car park. Despite the apparently hard wood chip ground, our new Vango Oregon 600 tent went up with ease and we were soon enjoying a beer in the 30C heat. That night, after Rosie's first al fresco bathing experience, we lit a fire in the pit provided and ate a large sirloin steak bought at our local butchers that morning, washed down with an expensive Rioja. Happy 31st to me!
Next day, after the inevitable 6am Rosie wake-up call followed by eggs & bacon, we drove to the local Court Gardens farm shop to pick up groceries for the day including local-made halloumi and raspberries. We then ascended the steep rise to Ditchling Beacon (the highest point in East Sussex) in the car, where we enjoyed a picnic and a short walk along the South Downs Way to the Jack n' Jill windmills. It was another scorching day and the views over to Brighton and the coast were stunning. Only slight downer was that I tripped on a rock and broke my sandals, leaving me to walk barefoot back to the car park. Moral of the story: correct footwear.
That night was an almost carbon copy of the previous one, with BBQ followed by wine & strawberries round the log fire. On our last full day in Sussex, we put Rosie in the baby hiker and went for a walk round Plumpton Racecourse and then back to Ditchling for lunch at the Half Moon pub. After a run that morning plus several miles hiking with Rosie on my back, I was in desperate need of refreshment, so a seafood platter and a few pints of Harvey's Best Bitter went down a dream. Rosie also got to play on the tractors in the pub garden, which is well set up for kids and summer BBQs. As for the walk, notwithstanding the odd encounter with yappy dogs and encroaching hedgerows along the way, it was a strenuous but very enjoyable way to pass the day.
That night equalled more meat, fire and red wine but an earlier bedtime for us all given the long drive cross country to Devon the next day. Rosie & I woke just after 6am, so I whisked her off to watch me do the washing up and to allow Ruth a slight lie-in. After bacon & eggs and numerous wheelbarrow journeys, we were finally packed and ready to go, heading via Winchester, Andover and Stone Henge to the West Country. We naively thought it might be a good idea to stop off at Stone Henge en route, not realising how horrendously touristy the place is or that we'd have to pay £3 to park, but it did allow us a picture of the druid burial ground (over the fence, without paying the £7 entry fee) and a quick picnic in the sun on the Wiltshire plain. After a few more hours driving, we finally made it to Little Meadow campsite despite nearly running out of petrol just short of Combe St. Martin, a journey of 6 hours in total including an hour's break for lunch.
As it was already approaching 5pm by the time of our arrival, we quickly put up our tent and got Rosie's tea ready, before settling down with a beer and fantastic views of the Atlantic coast and the Bristol channel across to Swansea. That night, I sat in the car listening to the World Cup final on my radio, glad not to have seen some of the brutal Dutch challenges live. The following day, we visited Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe, a tired resort with a slightly faded grandeur but which seemed to be making an effort at regeneration. Rosie explored the shingle and chewed on the interesting rocks, while seagulls flocked around us and the ice cold seawater pool looked inviting in the soaring heat. Over the course of the holiday, Rosie also took to standing up (almost) by leveraging herself on our camp chairs or whatever else was at hand - all that fresh air must have been invigorating for her.
All in all, it was a fun and jam-packed holiday. We went for a short walk round Watermouth castle and cove, had a cream tea at Centery Farm, drove over to Woolacombe and up the steep hill towards Croyde, plus plenty of BBQs and bottles of wine. Highlights included a day trip to Clovelly, the only village I've had to pay to enter but a very worthwhile trip, and we also had a wonderful day watching the surfers on Croyde Beach, followed by a walk round the stunning Morte Point and its craggy rock formations, followed by a pint in the Ship Aground pub in Mortehoe. As the week progressed, the weather took a turn for the worse and the wind really picked up causing our tent to nearly take off, so we headed home via Exmoor and fish & chips in Lynmouth, satisfied that we'd navigated our first camping trip as a family pretty successfully.
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