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Friday 14/4/2017 (Good Friday). Marwell Z00 – Hayling Island – Central London

Hayling Island South Beach

A very early start beckoned, as we wanted to be at the Zoo around 10 am when it opened. Shani went off to fetch Ash from Leicester around 6 am to save me an extra 30 odd miles and 45 mins driving. By the time they got back, and we had set off, it was 20 past 7. The weather was mild, but thankfully no rain. Driving was going to be boring – mainly motorways and A roads (M1, A34, M40 etc). We stopped off for breakfast en route, but aside from that it was a straight run down to Marwell Zoo. According to my tracking App, including the stop, it took bang on 3 hours.

Marwell Zoo was easy to find and they have a huge car park. We skipped the queue as we had booked and paid online the day before. A well laid out park was simple to navigate and they have fun exhibits for kids. We found some of the animals were a little reticent to show themselves, and all of their big cats were asleep. You can get very close to some of the other animals, the Penguins, Meerkats and Giraffes being some of the best. They suggest you give it at least 4 hours, and we were there for a little over that. They also have a massive gift shop, which Erin had to be prised out of.

Zoo done, we went back to the car and had a quick bite to eat before deciding where to go on the coast to enjoy the rest of our picnic. Ash suggested Hayling Island, near Portsmouth. It was about half an hour away. When we arrived there, we parked up right in the middle of the southernmost beach. Parking is expensive, and the beach is shingle, not sand. Not many people there, so we had food by the ocean, and went for a walk along the shore. We then drove down to the Ferry Point on the south western tip and had another wander around. After an hour or so it was time to bid farewell to the coast and head home. We chose a route that took us through the South Downs to Farnborough. It was supposed to be scenic but the Sat Nav unusually let us down and sent us down A roads. We once again found ourselves amidst military towns as we went through Aldershot. I tapped the Home icon on the sat nav, and before we knew it we ended up on the M25.

BBC Broadcasting House at night

As we endured the mind numbing trip around the magic roundabout, I decided to take a detour and went down the M4 straight to the West End of London. It was fun weaving through the traffic, and Shani managed to upset the driver of a Lamborghini Aventador, He rolled his window up at the lights at Picadilly Circus. I assumed he was upset that our vehicle was a lot better than his. Who can tell. Anyway, we ended up dumping the car in the Q Park at Cavendish Square, and went for a wander up to the BBC, then back down to grab some food at Byron’s.

We came out of the restaurant around half 9. It began to spit with rain just as we reached the car park. By the time we drove out of the car park it was properly raining. We did well to survive the whole day without rain. We then ploughed on home, stopping only for caffeine at Watford Gap services. We had to take Ash home, back into Leicester city centre and didn’t get back home until 1 am. A good, but knackering day out was had by all!

Total Miles: 342

Saturday 8/4/2017. A hot day beckoned as we set off on a National Trust day. The first port of call was Woolsthorpe Manor, the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton. We had our usual diversion via Leicester city centre to fetch Ash, then went out through Melton Mowbray and into Lincolnshire. For the first time in the history of our day trips, we got there too early and it was closed. Admittedly it was only about 1o minutes early (the house did not open until 10), but early nonetheless. The weather was on our side and it was a gloriously sunny day, so waiting around was not an issue. Once inside we headed straight to the café as none of us had had any breakfast. There was an activity centre in the café so Erin was kept entertained for a while – all themed along the Physics line. Next, we went to the house itself. It is in incredibly good condition, and as usual the staff were very knowledgable and friendly. The gravitas of discoveries made there suddenly comes to light when you glimpse the apple tree from the window in Sir Isaacs bedroom. After a tour around the 350 or so year old house, we went to the garden for a closer look at the famous apple tree. Apparently it fell over 200 or so years ago in a storm, however it then started to grow again, and became what we see today. Incredible ot think what ideas came about because of this tree.

The Apple Tree, as viewed from Sir Isaac Newton’s bedroom window

The day was heating up nicely, weather-wise, so we decided it was time to move on. We bid farewell to Sir Isaac and headed off into the countryside . Tattershall Castle was our next stop. The car park is some distance from the castle, and you go past the Church as you head towards the castle entrance. Another NT property, this one you also enter via the gift shop (as was the case with Woolsthorpe). Built in the 15th Century out of red brick, it is an impressive building. There are 149 steps to the roof top, and we thought it would be a good idea to climb them. We stopped off to view each floor under the pretence of learning something. The reality was it was knackering, so we had to stop to avoid death! It is well worth the climb, especially when it was as clear as it was during our visit. Excellent views of the surrounding countryside. We explored the whole castle, then went and relaxed on deck chairs next to the moat, before having a wander around the grounds. After an hour or so, everyone started getting tired so it was time to bid farewell to Lincolnshire and head home.

Tattershall Castle

The long trip home. Ashley decided we should take a scenic route home. I agreed. This ended up with us almost ending up in Grimsby. I have no idea how, however, I let the sat nave take over when I saw Grimsby was only about 15 miles away from where we were. We drove for hours. We went through lots of little towns and villages including Belchford, Louth and Market Rasen. We also went on a search for somewhere to eat, which failed epically as every pub we stopped at did not start serving until 6 pm. As 6 pm rolled around, we found our final pub stop. They started serving at half 6. We gave up and ended up eating at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Leicester, right back where we started.

Todays mileage total

Total Miles: 225.9

Cheddar Gorge. Spot our tiny Freelander at the bottom!

Saturday 18/3/2017: So it was decided a proper trip in the newly running 2001 Freelander was needed. The West Country is an area we have not really looked at properly, so a destination area was agreed. We eventually got moving by around half 9 and filled up with fuel as we left town. Our first stop was Leicester to collect the brother-in-law. Once we were all settled in we set off properly. The first destination was Cheddar Gorge. As we hadn’t got underway until after 10, it put our ETA around 1 pm. Very boring trip to start with – Motorways. M69, M6, M42, M5 then normal roads. We stopped on the M5 for a coffee and leg stretch.

We got to the Gorge around half 1. It took us by surprise as there was no real warning you were there. Just the utterly massive cliff faces of the gorge. The scale of the place is not one that can be easily described. It was made more ominous by the large amount of fog (or mist) that was lingering around the top of the rocks. We drove up to the top then turned round and came back through stopping off at the various parking bays to take pics and have a picnic. As you can see from the size of the car at the bottom of a cliff, its an impressive site. After the drive we went for a wander around the village before deciding to stay for the night.

Most people would think it was easy in this day and age to pop online and get a hotel room or a B&B with little difficulty. Quite the opposite! Firstly, Saturday night prices are high. We found one of the popular ‘cheap’ chains who did have some spare rooms, but they wanted £118 per room. It was certainly a ‘Premier’ price for crappy rooms! Our drive to find a place to stay took us to Burnham-on-Sea and then to Glastonbury. We eventually found a great B&B just south of Bristol (in a place called Dundry) so raced up there on treacherous roads through the Mendip Hills, in thick fog, at night, to get there before 7. It was called the Bridge Farm Guest House, and very pleasant it was too. We nipped to the garage opposite that had a Spa shop and got a few bits as we had not planned to stay overnight, then went a few yards down the road to the local pub, the Winford Arms, for a great meal. 236.5 miles on just over half a tank of diesel – not too bad!

The first days Mileage

Sunday 19/3/2017: After a good nights sleep and a good old B&B fry up, we made our way to Bristol as we were told there were some good sights to be seen. After some faffing around, we made our way to the Suspension Bridge. After the hard days driving yesterday, the car was now beginning to not enjoy hills of any sort. Not handy when in a city like Bristol that has some seriously steep roads. The bridge and its history were both impressive. The first bit of free parking at a tourist attraction, and also very friendly and helpful staff in the visitor centre. We drove across the bridge, parked up, walked over it and back and then had a look at the visitor centre (followed by the obligatory exit via the gift shop).

Clifton Suspension Bridge

It was the back across the bridge and down to the docks for a look around the SS Great Britain. The iron steam ship designed by Brunel. It was very atmospheric once we got below decks, with mannequins performing all sorts of tasks from cooking, to giving birth, sleeping, eating, in the medical bay and even dying in quarantine. Not a place you would like to sleep on overnight! Also, people were a lot shorter a couple of hundred years ago, so if you do go. mind your head. As the ship sits in its original dry dock, you can also look at the underside. That was equally impressive. How it ever floated is a miracle. We had a quick coffee and cake in the adjacent coffee shop, then began the monumental trip home. The car was getting a bit thirsty by now, so we stopped on the way out of Bristol to whack another 40 quid into the tank.

SS Great Britain

The trip home has us meandering over to Stonehenge. We took back roads and cut through Salisbury Plain. Many MOD fields full of nice hills and mud for the car, but we were not allowed to drive over/through any of it.  Stonehenge was a total wash out. We got there at just gone 4 but were told even though the place is open until 5, they stop people going in at 3. On top of that, the road that runs closet to it is now shut. Only in England!! It turns out that there is a Wood Henge, just around the corner from the famous stone version. As we drive there we saw Stonehenge from the road. It reminded me a the Spinal Tap movie. Unless you are a druid, I would probably not bother with it. Wood Henge, however, was even less impressive, if that is at all possible. A dirt track runs alongside it, and you just abandon your car and can freely enter the field. It was supposedly a man made shape of wooden trunks, now long since gone, and which have been replaced with chunks of concrete which are only a couple of feet high. Suitably dismayed, we left for Avebury, and another set of stone circles. Our quest to discover Ancient Britain was now fully underway!

It was another 40 minutes or so of driving to get there. It also began to rain. By the time we got there it was spitting heavily. 3 of us got out for a wander around. The stone circles there are very impressive. I assume they are not as famous as Stonehenge due to the fact they are not piled up on top of each other. By this stage we were wet and now very hungry so we ducked into the Red Cow pub in Avebury for a Sunday roast. That was it, all piled back into the car and headed for home. The only sound was that of snoring people and a knackered wheel bearing!

Coming home we did the A34/A43, via Oxford to junction 15 on the M1, and zipped back up to Lutterworth. All in all a great weekend away, albeit somewhat spontaneous!  Final mileage of the weekend – 462.5.

Total Mileage for the weekend