Cosmic June

With a shortened and divided week - Argentine Tango at Voodoo Café falling on Thursday - Stephanie and I decided on a two centre trip.

The first half demands a return to Whitley Bay - for no other reasons than the spectacular view across the North Sea from Old Hartley, and the myriad of walks along the cliffs.

The van is packed. Aware as we are of the payload margin on the Tracker (290kg) from which we deduct our fixed extras (125kg), we take just what we need. The fresh water tank has a capacity of 100 litres. Each litre of water weighs 1kg, so carrying water from home to site is not advisable.

Our route this windy Tuesday takes us across the Tyne Bridge, Newcastle. Traffic issues on the A1 Gateshead are still prominent, and the approach to the bridge is slow, despite our weekday choice. A clear advantage would have been gained from the Tyne Tunnel crossing, even better with a pre-paid permit. From the bridge the 1058 takes us out towards Tynemouth, with a turn north up the A19 to the 190 east-bound route to Seaton Sluice.

The sluice dates back to the mid 17th century, developed by Sir Ralph Delaval to flush silt from Seaton Burn harbour. A century later, Sir John Humphry Delaval used explosives to make a new passage, a 900' long, 54' deep channel for shipping - now providing impressive industrial archaeology for the visitor.

The camp site, as readers will already know from my earlier blog, lies just to the south at the village of Hartley, famed for its historic salt flats. Now all that remains of industry are the odd tanker lying at anchor whilst awaiting the tides for Newcastle Upon Tyne, and a trade boat that runs daily to Blythe.




Here we pitch for two nights, nestling against the perimeter fence that separates the site from seaside grassland over which the skylarks soar and sing. Our main view is, of course, to St Mary's lighthouse, prominent in the bay.







For those who are unfamiliar with the Northumberland coastline, this has to be one of the most spectacular continuous stretches of cliffs and beaches in England. Little wonder that the county was so prized. The variety of flora and bird life is impressive, but more so are the long reaches of perfect sand which disappear into the distance as far as the eye can see. Inland, soft lowland countryside with wild honeysuckle, campion, orchid and late flowering cowslips.

For the latter part of the week, as total contrast we select Leyburn in North Yorkshire. 

Access is simple from the A1 southbound, leaving at J15 Leeming Bar on the A684 via Bedale. What the traffic managers thought they were doing in Bedale defies description, but again, this involves just time rather than crisis, and the remaining journey through to Harmby is effortless. To our left is the delightful Harmby waterfall.  

Our site lies just before the Pheasant Inn, cleverly concealed to the right up a narrow high sided track. How fortunate that nothing came in the opposite direction.

This is an area of quarries. The site is in fact situated in one. Now managed by the Caravan Club, Lower Wensleydale offers a series of mini-sites running between sections of the quarry. We bag a pitch on 'the balcony', under the trees overlooking one of the main areas. The view from our windows is softened by luxuriant foliage. That in which we stay is nothing compared to the adjacent one - dramatically deep, plunging from four vertical sides to the waterline. 

The town of Leyburn lies just a mile and a bit away from the site, accessed along the A684 through rolling North Yorkshire countryside. Just outside the town is Tennants Auctioneers in their new £8m development - 'Kensington Palace meets the Tate'. 

One of the largest (if not the largest) auction house in Britain, Tennants is still run as a family concern under Rodney Tennant's leadership. Whilst there, we were treated to the John Lennon/Miles Davies exhibition of sketches and watercolours. 

Leyburn itself is a seriously impressive market town, stuffed with independent shops, such as 5th generation Milners Department store run by Leoni and Keith. The period town provides the perfect setting for the 1940's revival weekend, held each year in the third week of July.

Returning to the site, the wind, already brisk, develops in epic proportions. Some visitors have set off early, anticipating long and arduous journeys ahead. On the balcony against rising ground, we sit below the rage, hoping that no stray branches fall. It is to gentle rocking that we later sleep, awakening to soft sunshine and stillness. 

Leaving, we take the A6108, skirting Bellerby and following the river Sandbeck to Richmond, the Auto Trail Tracker running sweetly. From thence to the A1 and on to Darlington, another Tracker trip successfully accomplished. 

Cosmic Northumberland

Packed, including Champagne.....and the sat nav is programmed for Northumberland.

This short trip starts today, Wednesday, and we shall return on Sunday - taking in River Breamish just north of Powburn on the A697; and then progressing on to Berwick-on-Tweed, right on the edge of the Northumbrian coast.

It seemed strange getting back into the Tracker, with memories still fresh of twenty years in the CI. Here in the Auto Trail, seats embrace as the automatic gear-change effortlessly lifts the speed. The van sits firmly on the road, and but for the high riding position, gives an almost 'car-like' ride. Henry (the given voice of the sat nav soon warns that I am 'exceeding the speed limit'.

For such a size of vehicle, it is remarkably quiet, both within and without. The 1.3l (150hp) engine is soft and leisurely, showing little strain, except on the steepest incline when the hill-climb setting comes into play. Most of the internal noise results from packing error, with an unseated hob tapping the glass cover, and a series of forks tuning themselves in a cutlery drawer. It is only now that I am getting to appreciate the build quality: thick insulation, dense flooring and tight joinery work speak of a quality that is often absent with other manufacturers. The hard suspension, ubiquitous with Fiat, Ford and Mercedes, is the one aspect that reminds that I am driving a van.

With delays in departure for packing and diesel, I run the A1 near Newcastle towards rush hour. I decide to top-up the Gaslow leisure gas bottle LPG system despite having 8 litres spread between two cylinders, so that I can tick another 'first' from my list.

Gaslow refillable bottle gas is a Princess of gas delivery (the Queen being the expensive steel refillable gas tanks attached to the vehicle chassis). It comprises a principal gas bottle, linked to a smaller 'spare', the whole system being remotely filled or topped up via an externally mounted filler, similar to those found on LPG powered cars. Gas is then delivered via the regulator on demand to the heating, refrigeration and cooking appliances when not programmed to operate on 130v mains electric.

My selected gas dealer having closed early - too soon for my visit, I selected the next nearest LPG service station, offering a 59p/litre charge. Filling is relatively simple once the rules are understood, but the filling process is slow, so be warned. The system accommodates a further 6.3 litres, which takes the tanks up to their 80% safety capacity before automatically shutting off the flow. I pay £3.72, and have the knowledge that, irrespective of gas use, I will have more than enough for this trip and many to come.

Leaving the A1 north of Morpeth, the A697 runs straight towards Coldstream south of the Scottish border. Powburn lies just to the north of Rothbury in glorious Northumbrian countryside. Here hills roll towards fells, with small fringes of Scotts Pine ranged along the ridges. We see the last cattle outside Pauperhaugh and enter sheep country. It is May and the lambs are still small here, the season being a good three weeks behind the lower lands. We turn off towards Branton and after half a mile reach River Breamish site.

This is part of the Caravan Club network, a 10 acre site at the foot of the Cheviots, offering 75 pitches most of which are hardstanding. Along both side and rear are fascinating nature reserves set amidst old quarry lakes with well-constructed hides, and beyond runs the river, brown with peat. This is a twitcher's paradise if birds are your thing. If not, the drama of nature is still a compelling reason to visit, with extensive walks into unspoilt countryside.

Our chosen pitch backs against a tree-lined bank and faces into the main site. This has to be one of the most carefully cared Caravan Club sites in the region, but perhaps needs a further five years for the openness to fold and mature.

Our departure is again north west on the A697 to Wooler, and then the picturesque B6525 due north towards Berwick-on-Tweed. Berwick Seaview deserves its name - a 6 acre Caravan Club site situated in terraces high above Tweedmouth with views across to the ancient border town of Berwick and the North Sea. A popular site, just off the A1 London to Edinburgh road, booking is essential. Our allocated pitch 23 was towards the end of the site with restricted sea view, so you may wish to specify one of the more favoured of the 93 pitches when you book.

A visit to Berwick is not for the site - but for the town, a historic fortified holding to keep the Scots from invading England. Still walled, with massive granite blocks, the town combines the best of British history with a still-working port. It offers an immense variety of town walks and coastal strolls. It also offers Keith's Pier Red, arguably one of the best coffee-and-art shops in Europe. Having recently returned from Buenos Aires, we are skilled in tracking good coffee, and here is a place that rivals the best of those we have visited. And with your coffee, try the coffee and walnut cake, made locally and lovingly to delight.

Now, I hear you ask, why bring Champagne to Berwick-on-Tweed?

There is one simple and compelling reason, and it lies at the foot of Tweedmouth on Dock Road, just below the site. Descend there to meet with brothers Douglas and Graham Flannigan who operate the Berwick Shellfish Company. This is a family concern, founded by parents George and Phyllis Flannigan in 1969. The factory seafood shop opened in 2014 and is now part of the business success story. We choose prepared lobster and a separate seafood platter with king prawns and crab meat. The more adventurous may wish to cook their own lobster, or taste an exotic chilli and lime salmon.

The cork pops, our glasses are charged, and we set about succulent, soft lobster and crab. The last rays of sunshine break through hurrying clouds and we settle back to enjoy our latest meal in the Tracker.

Why travel further, when here is such delight?