Do you remember my first blog from York? I started it with 'And relax'? Well, that went well didn't it! Not that I'm moaning - we had a great time and am already longing to go back. However we finally got to relax - a bit anyway - at our next stop. Here's what we got up to:
Wednesday saw us make the journey south and east from York to the little hamlet of KIilnsea just a few miles from Spurn Point. Trev was happy to drive and I was happy to let him, but in truth we could have chosen a better route. Skirting the eastern side of Hull involved navigating about 300 roundabouts - ok, maybe not quite that many but I did lose count. Once through though it was pretty straightforward and despite said roundabouts Rosie returned an impressive 32 mpg helped no doubt by Trev's deft right foot.
The site we'd picked - Driftwood Caravan Site - came recommended by fellow caravanner David who'd stayed here a couple of years back, and we were not disappointed. Just eight caravan pitches, four of which were occupied by seasonals, and a small area for tents too. A real cosy little site that would do us just fine.The sea wasn't quite visible but it was close. Of no interest to us at all was that the only pub was just 150 yards away too.....
No sooner had we set up than we performed a reverse ferret - although this time without the caravan - back along the road we'd come in on to stock up on some bits and bobs and replenish Rosie's dwindling reserves. There was a brief visit to the pub - the Crown & Anchor - just to check out the menu options you understand. Timothy Taylor's Landlord was on draught. Obviously I needed to be sure it was up to standard but you may be shocked to learn that we only had the one. Each. Obviously.
Thursday lunchtime saw us in the pub again - for lunch with friends who'd come down from Sheffield to say hello. Prior we'd driven down towards the point as far as possible. The road has been closed since a storm in 2013 washed a portion away, but we'd gotten a taste of the area's beauty and looked forward to seeing more.
Friday saw us heading back towards and in to Hull. We wanted to get a fir
st look at the city but first port of call was to pop in to say hello to the good folk at Solwise whose WiFi booster kit we reviewed in York.
Next up was Patsy's birthplace - Coachman Caravans are based in Hull - still in the same place as when she was built ten years ago.
Finally it was Hull itself - we headed for the old city and had a good wander around admiring some of the great architecture that managed to survive heavy bombing in the second world war. The Weeping Window of poppies display at the maritime museum was a poignant reminder of the true cost.
Every town and city has a blot on it's landscape somewhere - normally thanks to town planners in the 60' and 70's. But the one we noticed in Hull really made us smile. Oh the irony!
It wasn't just grog and grub that lured us to the pub Friday night - although both are a good enough reason to go. We were promised spectacular sunsets - weather permitting - looking out from the front of the pub across the mouth of the Humber towards Hull. We were not disappointed. No wonder the window tables are always busy:
Saturday brought with it some glorious sunshine which was opportune as we were going on Safari. Let me explain. Remember I said that Spurn Point was no longer accessible by road? Well, you could walk it - it's around three miles, partially on the beach and it was a lovely day for it. However we chose the easier option of a ride on an ex Dutch army vehicle in the shape of a Unimog operated by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Twenty of us boarded and the growling five litre Mercedes engine up front made light work of the journey down to the lighthouse, much of which was across the sands. We could see the remains of the road and the parts where it had suffered during the storm in 2013.
The views from the lighthouse - now no longer in use - were great but the arrival of the warm weather had made it a little hazy, so we were unable to see the Humber bridge. The frequent shipping ould be seen coming and going though - apparently around 16% of the UK's trade passes through here to and from ports such as Hull and Immingham.
The Hull lifeboat is stationed here - and is, apparently, the only permanently manned one in the country. Houses were built-in the seventies to house the Lifeboat men and their families but the increasing remoteness made it impractical, particularly those with children. The houses are now only occupied according to shift patterns.
After a look around - and up - the lighthouse our guide took us on a walk to the very tip of the point, imparting a wealth of knowledge on the way. Old gun emplacements can be seen as can the remains of the railway track built in 1915. It's remoteness is obvious but it didn't feel so, though I would imagine on a cold windy day it would be different.
Two and half hours later we were deposited back at the information centre. It was a fascinating trip and for twelve quid, worth every penny in my opinion. The combination of sands, dunes and grasslands is wonderful.If you fancy it, make sure you pre-book though.
Much of Sunday was spent at the laptop engaged in a battle of wits as I chased letters around the keyboard again. Sunday night saw us back at the pub for another meal. There was some excitement as young barman and keen bird watcher Jonnie was on the telly having been interviewed when the BBC's Countryfile team were down filming. Bird watching is big here on Spurn and you'll see plenty of folk with big binoculars and radios about seeking out our feathered friends.
Along came Monday and no soon had we arrived when it was time to leave. We both really enjoyed our stay here, it's remoteness being part of the attraction. We loved the site - full 16a hook up and a clean and tidy facilities room with books to buy or swap and info about the area too.
Its a great place to get away from it all - and I'm sure we will be back. For those who like to stay connected however there are limited options. We were able to pick up BT Wifi but only with the Solwise aerial kit. Mobile wise, the dongle picked up only 2g on Vodafone and 3g on EE. BT WiFi was available in the pub.
Right, that's it! Look out for the blog from our last stop near Nottingham coming soon. Until then, thanks as always for reading.
Cheers & Beers
Rich & Trev